Do you REALLY want to be a PA?

[myironlung]

I can certainly see your points Rev. Ronin. I do feel that as students who are fresh out of college are feeling more pressured to pursue a career, they may at times forget the real reason for wanting to do something. Consequently, the passion for that career gets buried under all the stress of meeting the requirements. I am one of those "young ones" who are trying to pursue this profession. While I get your points, I hope you can also be sympathetic and put yourself in our shoes. You were once this age, and this goes out to all PA's. Surely you were concerned about whether you were meeting the requirements when you applied for the program. Yes, I also frown upon those who like to take the easy way out and forget what being a PA is all about. This doesn't justify a clique of experienced PA's coming together to show indifference those who appreciate what you do and are just trying to be like you. I'm sure you agree that there are highly competent young students who can handle the rigorous PA program, and even they may be concerned of meeting the requirements. Perhaps you meant well with your entry, but as a Pre-PA, I find this entry very discouraging, and it's almost sad to think that this is the potential environment I may deal with- experienced PA's not acknowledging the younger generation just because some of us were not paramedics, nurses, or MA's.

 

To address your #3: I disagree with this comment. PA shouldn't be discriminating. As PA's, I think you should encourage others to see how wonderful and open-minded your profession is, not shun away those who are truly interested. That's comparable to claiming that all older people don't belong in an undergrad institution. Marilynpac says that the older students had to always help the younger ones. Well, in my undergrad experience, I had to help the older students because they were having a tough time catching on; however, by no means do I discourage older people going back to school. Instead of holding their age against them, I think about their situations and why they are back in school, and that's to obtain the same education that I was getting so they could achieve what they want to achieve. My point is, after reading these posts, I felt ostracized by an experienced group of PA's, and maybe that wasn't your intention. But we should all try to help each other out. Honestly, I would've loved to seek your advices, but I don't get the sense that you want to help someone like me, who's just trying to learn more, whether stressing about about my grades or my applications.

I apologize if I sounded too defensive and I respect all your views. I agree with a lot of your points Rev.

 

very articulate, i agree with you!

[MiamiPA87]

I can certainly see your points Rev. Ronin. I do feel that as students who are fresh out of college are feeling more pressured to pursue a career, they may at times forget the real reason for wanting to do something. Consequently, the passion for that career gets buried under all the stress of meeting the requirements. I am one of those "young ones" who are trying to pursue this profession. While I get your points, I hope you can also be sympathetic and put yourself in our shoes. You were once this age, and this goes out to all PA's. Surely you were concerned about whether you were meeting the requirements when you applied for the program. Yes, I also frown upon those who like to take the easy way out and forget what being a PA is all about. This doesn't justify a clique of experienced PA's coming together to show indifference those who appreciate what you do and are just trying to be like you. I'm sure you agree that there are highly competent young students who can handle the rigorous PA program, and even they may be concerned of meeting the requirements. Perhaps you meant well with your entry, but as a Pre-PA, I find this entry very discouraging, and it's almost sad to think that this is the potential environment I may deal with- experienced PA's not acknowledging the younger generation just because some of us were not paramedics, nurses, or MA's.

 

To address your #3: I disagree with this comment. PA shouldn't be discriminating. As PA's, I think you should encourage others to see how wonderful and open-minded your profession is, not shun away those who are truly interested. That's comparable to claiming that all older people don't belong in an undergrad institution. Marilynpac says that the older students had to always help the younger ones. Well, in my undergrad experience, I had to help the older students because they were having a tough time catching on; however, by no means do I discourage older people going back to school. Instead of holding their age against them, I think about their situations and why they are back in school, and that's to obtain the same education that I was getting so they could achieve what they want to achieve. My point is, after reading these posts, I felt ostracized by an experienced group of PA's, and maybe that wasn't your intention. But we should all try to help each other out. Honestly, I would've loved to seek your advices, but I don't get the sense that you want to help someone like me, who's just trying to learn more, whether stressing about about my grades or my applications.

I apologize if I sounded too defensive and I respect all your views. I agree with a lot of your points Rev.

 

Well said. I also find it discouraging that so many seasoned PAs are resistant to welcoming younger PAs to their profession. Instead of feeling threatened, they should embrace the fact that we are helping the career grow!

[rosiesred]

I see the logic behind your reasoning Rev, and I agree on some parts. However, I know exactly what it is that I want to do. I know why I want to do it, and I know that I don't want to be a doctor. But then again, I'll be a PA-C with my masters degree by the time I'm 22, and you seem to discriminate against age. All in all, it makes me think that no matter how well I do in the future; it wouldn't matter because I don't belong to your older, distinguished group. I'm not trying to sound defensive, but it feels like your post is attacking anyone who is young and wants to be a PA, and that he/she simply couldn't grasp what the profession is about.

[rev ronin]

I'll be a PA-C with my masters degree by the time I'm 22

Congratulations on being smart and motivated. What are you going to be doing when you're 42?

[noiseordinance]

It's funny this ageist thread still goes strong. The PA I spent the most time shadowing entered PA school in her early 20s back in the 80s. If only she knew that she should have waited 20 years first.

[Calhoun]

For the record, yes I still REALLY want to become a PA.

[sealer04tx]

As an older, second career, working FT while going back to school PrePA, the real issue I see isn't age, but rather (as some have touched on) an attitude of passionate pursuit vs one of entitlement. Questions like "what is the minimum health care experience requirement?" or "how much shadowing do I have to do?" have less to do with age and more to do with perception. I have encountered plenty of people my age and older who feel they deserve things because they've met some minimum threshold rather than because they worked hard for something that is worth hard work. And its true, the younger you are the more likely you are to have this attitude, but the more likely you are to outgrow it as well.

 

I have appreciated my HCE because, not only does it educates me and helps me make an informed decision about my career, but I'm getting to work in health care and that's exciting! It is as close as I can get to what I want to be doing and I wouldn't want to do anything else instead. I love getting to work with patients, I love getting to question nurses, doctors, and especially PAs I work with, and I love any amount of time I get to spend in this environment.

 

Many PrePA students I encounter share this idea, this passion to emerse into health care, regardless of how old they are. If you are considering becoming a PA, consider how much you want to emerse into a medical setting. Try it out. If you're not sure, don't be afraid to wait a year and explore some. A year can feel like a long time, but its a lot shorter than 5-10 years down a wrong career path.

[Manay]

I am 20 with a 2.5 college GPA (due to several distraught reasons my first two years of school).

My dream was to be a dermatologist or psychiatrist. I have two years left of school, i'm intelligent, and a hardworking person therefore i know i can get a 3.5+ GPA for my last two years. My GPA will only avg. to be a 3.0-3.2 and that is no good enough for med school.

I decided the career PA so i can still work in the dermatology field doing work duties that a derm MD would do. I have a shot at PA school, cuz i have researched PA schools that look at you last 60hrs (Missouri st., wayne state....etc.) and schools that have average GPAs in the 3.0-3.5 range.

Basically i'm doing because i lost my shot at going to med school.

PLEASE DONT TELL ME MED SCHOOL ACCEPTS STUDENTS WITH MY STATS because being realistic they don't.

[GatorRRT]

I am 20 with a 2.5 college GPA (due to several distraught reasons my first two years of school).

My dream was to be a dermatologist or psychiatrist. I have two years left of school, i'm intelligent, and a hardworking person therefore i know i can get a 3.5+ GPA for my last two years. My GPA will only avg. to be a 3.0-3.2 and that is no good enough for med school.

I decided the career PA so i can still work in the dermatology field doing work duties that a derm MD would do. I have a shot at PA school, cuz i have researched PA schools that look at you last 60hrs (Missouri st., wayne state....etc.) and schools that have average GPAs in the 3.0-3.5 range.

Basically i'm doing because i lost my shot at going to med school.

PLEASE DONT TELL ME MED SCHOOL ACCEPTS STUDENTS WITH MY STATS because being realistic they don't.

 

Hate to break it to you, but most PA schools aren't looking for people that can't get into medschool.....do some research into the profession before you commit your life to it.

[cinntsp]

You can still get into med school if you break the 3.0 threshold. Do amazing from now on and do an smp and you may be able to swing it. Head over to the studentdoc forums and check out the post-bacc section. There are a lot of knowledgable people that have been where you are.

 

PA school won't be any easier to get into so you should pursue your original goal. Don't give up so easily.

 

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Manay]

why ppl suggest the carribbean? is it significantly easier to get into?? that sounds shady.

 

I've researched several PA schools and they're stats are lower than that of med schools. They're several schools that look at the last 60hrs, but they are no med schools that do that.

I would also have a sufficient amount HCE with a really good excellent last 60hrs GPA too.

[balsam88]

I'm 23 years old. I did my undergrad to become a med tech even though my passion was medicine. When I thought about it well from all aspects I realized that med school is not the path I want to go through. I want to have a life, I wanna have kids and be able to see them everyday and spend enough time with them, and I don't wana graduate with a huge debt (even though it can get paid off easily from the great salary!) The PA profession sounds reasonable for me and I still get to practice medicine which is what I'm really interested in! Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what to sacrifice. To me, some things in life are more important that the six figure salary!

[HopefulPA]

I'm 23 years old. I did my undergrad to become a med tech even though my passion was medicine. When I thought about it well from all aspects I realized that med school is not the path I want to go through. I want to have a life, I wanna have kids and be able to see them everyday and spend enough time with them, and I don't wana graduate with a huge debt (even though it can get paid off easily from the great salary!) The PA profession sounds reasonable for me and I still get to practice medicine which is what I'm really interested in! Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what to sacrifice. To me, some things in life are more important that the six figure salary!

 

Please don't buy into the PAs have better work hrs. It isn't true. It comes down to this in many cases.... Docs hire PAs to work the hours they DON'T want to work in order to be with their families i.e. afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays. Also in my experience PAs often put in just as many hours working as doc we just do it for significally less money. While yes there are M-F 9-5 jobs out there for PAs (and I suspect the same for docs too) they are not as abundant as you may think. So don't base your decisio on MD vs PA based on the myth that PAs have better working hours because it isn't true.

[HopefulPA]

I'm 23 years old. I did my undergrad to become a med tech even though my passion was medicine. When I thought about it well from all aspects I realized that med school is not the path I want to go through. I want to have a life, I wanna have kids and be able to see them everyday and spend enough time with them, and I don't wana graduate with a huge debt (even though it can get paid off easily from the great salary!) The PA profession sounds reasonable for me and I still get to practice medicine which is what I'm really interested in! Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what to sacrifice. To me, some things in life are more important that the six figure salary!

 

Please don't buy into the PAs have better work hrs. It isn't true. It comes down to this in many cases.... Docs hire PAs to work the hours they DON'T want to work in order to be with their families i.e. afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays. Also in my experience PAs often put in just as many hours working as doc we just do it for significally less money. While yes there are M-F 9-5 jobs out there for PAs (and I suspect the same for docs too) they are not as abundant as you may think. So don't base your decisio on MD vs PA based on the myth that PAs have better working hours because it isn't true.

[balsam88]

Please don't buy into the PAs have better work hrs. It isn't true. It comes down to this in many cases.... Docs hire PAs to work the hours they DON'T want to work in order to be with their families i.e. afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays. Also in my experience PAs often put in just as many hours working as doc we just do it for significally less money. While yes there are M-F 9-5 jobs out there for PAs (and I suspect the same for docs too) they are not as abundant as you may think. So don't base your decisio on MD vs PA based on the myth that PAs have better working hours because it isn't true.

 

I was actually referring to school time. I'm not willing to spend 7+ years in school and dedicate all my life into it and forget about starting a family until later on. I know there are med students out there that already have kids but I'm pretty sure that adds to the pressure.

 

As for working hours I am well aware that PA's do not have better working hours (even though I know some PA moms that are able to work part time) and that's obvious in many health care professions. Even as I am working as an MT now I still work every single weekend, all holidays, mostly afternoon and night shifts. But being a PA, at least I'm able to start the career when I'm my 20's and perhaps enjoy the mobility aspect of it even if it's not that easy.

[balsam88]

Please don't buy into the PAs have better work hrs. It isn't true. It comes down to this in many cases.... Docs hire PAs to work the hours they DON'T want to work in order to be with their families i.e. afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays. Also in my experience PAs often put in just as many hours working as doc we just do it for significally less money. While yes there are M-F 9-5 jobs out there for PAs (and I suspect the same for docs too) they are not as abundant as you may think. So don't base your decisio on MD vs PA based on the myth that PAs have better working hours because it isn't true.

 

I was actually referring to school time. I'm not willing to spend 7+ years in school and dedicate all my life into it and forget about starting a family until later on. I know there are med students out there that already have kids but I'm pretty sure that adds to the pressure.

 

As for working hours I am well aware that PA's do not have better working hours (even though I know some PA moms that are able to work part time) and that's obvious in many health care professions. Even as I am working as an MT now I still work every single weekend, all holidays, mostly afternoon and night shifts. But being a PA, at least I'm able to start the career when I'm my 20's and perhaps enjoy the mobility aspect of it even if it's not that easy.

[balsam88]

how did you get screwed working all the weekends,holidays, and nights? im guessing you are brand new? prn? im fortunate due to where i work, but if i was dealt that kind of hand as far as schedule goes, id be looking for a different job. there are all sorts of schedule options out there, just find them. but im like you....if you want to be a medical provider, then being an MT wont cut it, and med school is a long path. but the payoff from pa school will also be a long ways off for you. keep in mind the 2 years lost income, plus program tuition, plus living expenses. for me, it would have cost in excess of 185k to become a PA. get your hospital to pay your tuition to nursing school and then become an NP. if you get your RN and still want to be a PA, you have awesome HCE.

 

Yes I'm new and was hired a year ago, but even the part-timers that have already been working more than 3 years are pretty much screwed with the weekends and holidays like me. Plus I'm doing 2 part-time jobs at the same time.

 

I have calculated the expenses already and if I stay home it'll cost around 85K for tuition (considering I'll be an international student). But a lost income for 2 years is better than a lost income for 7+ years in med school, and if I'm lucky enough to get into UDM's 3 year program I'll be able to work part-time. Nursing school however is definitely not a path that I would choose.

[balsam88]

how did you get screwed working all the weekends,holidays, and nights? im guessing you are brand new? prn? im fortunate due to where i work, but if i was dealt that kind of hand as far as schedule goes, id be looking for a different job. there are all sorts of schedule options out there, just find them. but im like you....if you want to be a medical provider, then being an MT wont cut it, and med school is a long path. but the payoff from pa school will also be a long ways off for you. keep in mind the 2 years lost income, plus program tuition, plus living expenses. for me, it would have cost in excess of 185k to become a PA. get your hospital to pay your tuition to nursing school and then become an NP. if you get your RN and still want to be a PA, you have awesome HCE.

 

Yes I'm new and was hired a year ago, but even the part-timers that have already been working more than 3 years are pretty much screwed with the weekends and holidays like me. Plus I'm doing 2 part-time jobs at the same time.

 

I have calculated the expenses already and if I stay home it'll cost around 85K for tuition (considering I'll be an international student). But a lost income for 2 years is better than a lost income for 7+ years in med school, and if I'm lucky enough to get into UDM's 3 year program I'll be able to work part-time. Nursing school however is definitely not a path that I would choose.

[cinntsp]

But a lost income for 2 years is better than a lost income for 7+ years in med school, and if I'm lucky enough to get into UDM's 3 year program I'll be able to work part-time.

 

Med school is only 4 years. Residents get paid.

[cinntsp]

But a lost income for 2 years is better than a lost income for 7+ years in med school, and if I'm lucky enough to get into UDM's 3 year program I'll be able to work part-time.

 

Med school is only 4 years. Residents get paid.

[balsam88]

I did give med school a good thought, I even considered pharmacy school.. but I feel that I'm not ready to commit to long years of school! I've spoken to several MD's and medical students and heard different perspectives about it. Not many of them seem to be satisfied and sure that they made the right decision. When I worked as a med tech at the beginning I didn't even have the idea to go back to school. But I found after one year of being a med tech that I'm not satisfied with my job, the fact that I'm always "behind the scene" and locked up inside a lab wasn't fun anymore. Everytime I would go up on the floors or down to ER I feel like I'm missing the direct interaction with patients. Plus job prospects for med techs in Ontario are horrible and new technology is replacing many staff! I know I can easily get a full time position in Michigan but the pay is considerably lower than that in Ontario (more than $10 per hour difference)! I was going to go into a Master's program in biomedical sciences or epidemiology but wasn't sure where that would take me in the future! PA sounds like an excellent option. I still get the interaction with patients and other professionals, a decent salary, and better job prospects in the future with only 2 or 3 years of schooling!

[balsam88]

I did give med school a good thought, I even considered pharmacy school.. but I feel that I'm not ready to commit to long years of school! I've spoken to several MD's and medical students and heard different perspectives about it. Not many of them seem to be satisfied and sure that they made the right decision. When I worked as a med tech at the beginning I didn't even have the idea to go back to school. But I found after one year of being a med tech that I'm not satisfied with my job, the fact that I'm always "behind the scene" and locked up inside a lab wasn't fun anymore. Everytime I would go up on the floors or down to ER I feel like I'm missing the direct interaction with patients. Plus job prospects for med techs in Ontario are horrible and new technology is replacing many staff! I know I can easily get a full time position in Michigan but the pay is considerably lower than that in Ontario (more than $10 per hour difference)! I was going to go into a Master's program in biomedical sciences or epidemiology but wasn't sure where that would take me in the future! PA sounds like an excellent option. I still get the interaction with patients and other professionals, a decent salary, and better job prospects in the future with only 2 or 3 years of schooling!

[balsam88]

keep in mind that the first year as a med tech can be incredibly difficult and stressful. the perspective is also skewed a bit because you are dipping your toe into a whole new world. the technology issue isnt legitimate... we keep getting more technology, and keep getting more workload. and all that new technology breaks and needs to be maintained regularly as you know. obviously in your lab, the technology you have obtained hasnt replaced you (one of the lowest members of the totem pole). if you guys were running as efficiently as most labs and working with new instruments, you wouldnt have to replace the legions of workers that would have been needed to run antique machines and provide tedious results by hand.... instead, there would have been a gradual matching of technology with workflow needs. my first year as a medtech, lots of things looked like a better deal, especially with all the stress hanging over me. im not trying to talk you out of PA school, just trying to provide a little bit of perspective, especially if it takes you a while to get into PA school and have to camp out in a med tech job you are frustrated with. im a well paid, satisfied, in demand med tech who gets to interact with people. i still want to be a medical provider though. make sure you base your desire to be a PA on what satisfies you rather than what you dislike about your current situation.... otherwise risk jumping into another place that doesnt pan out how you expected.

 

I guess in my lab the situation is different. Over the past two years the number of staff in our chemistry department was cut down by half after they have brought new analyzers. And over one year we had 5 full-timers that retired which their positions weren't replaced (in other departments). And I'm only hired as temporary for one year to cover a maternity leave and this is why I went to get another part-time job in Michigan. In addition to that, there are labs that are starting to hire more lab assistants to do the majority of med tech work leaving med techs mainly just interpreting and accepting results, troubleshooting and doing instrument maintenance and QC, and microscopic work. With all this change happening I don't see how the future is going to be bright. And I don't feel that this job is challenging me enough, a lot of it is just repetitive work. I'd love being more involved with patients and despite the difficulty of PA school, I'm confident that I'll do well since I've always been the top student at school.

[balsam88]

keep in mind that the first year as a med tech can be incredibly difficult and stressful. the perspective is also skewed a bit because you are dipping your toe into a whole new world. the technology issue isnt legitimate... we keep getting more technology, and keep getting more workload. and all that new technology breaks and needs to be maintained regularly as you know. obviously in your lab, the technology you have obtained hasnt replaced you (one of the lowest members of the totem pole). if you guys were running as efficiently as most labs and working with new instruments, you wouldnt have to replace the legions of workers that would have been needed to run antique machines and provide tedious results by hand.... instead, there would have been a gradual matching of technology with workflow needs. my first year as a medtech, lots of things looked like a better deal, especially with all the stress hanging over me. im not trying to talk you out of PA school, just trying to provide a little bit of perspective, especially if it takes you a while to get into PA school and have to camp out in a med tech job you are frustrated with. im a well paid, satisfied, in demand med tech who gets to interact with people. i still want to be a medical provider though. make sure you base your desire to be a PA on what satisfies you rather than what you dislike about your current situation.... otherwise risk jumping into another place that doesnt pan out how you expected.

 

I guess in my lab the situation is different. Over the past two years the number of staff in our chemistry department was cut down by half after they have brought new analyzers. And over one year we had 5 full-timers that retired which their positions weren't replaced (in other departments). And I'm only hired as temporary for one year to cover a maternity leave and this is why I went to get another part-time job in Michigan. In addition to that, there are labs that are starting to hire more lab assistants to do the majority of med tech work leaving med techs mainly just interpreting and accepting results, troubleshooting and doing instrument maintenance and QC, and microscopic work. With all this change happening I don't see how the future is going to be bright. And I don't feel that this job is challenging me enough, a lot of it is just repetitive work. I'd love being more involved with patients and despite the difficulty of PA school, I'm confident that I'll do well since I've always been the top student at school.

[rev ronin]

I feel that I'm not ready to commit to long years of school!

 

Realize that any medical field you go into beyond a pure technician level is going to be a setup for life-long learning. Not in the classroom continuously, to be sure, but you will be spending time and money on your further education indefinitely in any really good long-term worthwhile healthcare career.