place123 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 If given the option to start over, would you go strait to P.A instead of doing the costly dietetic internship(DI)? Or has having both RD and PA credentials been beneficial for you? I ask because I am completing my bachelors in nutrition and can't decide if doing the DI is worth it if ultimately I will become a PA. As far as HCE and getting into PA school, my time would be better spent as an EMT or CNA which is what I plan on doing once I graduate. It would be nice to be an RD as well as PA but at this point I want to save as much money as possible and get school done as soon as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geauxpa Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I am an RD and will get my MS in Nutrition next month. I also found out this week that I will start PA school in Jan 2016. I think it has been very beneficial so far, but not in all aspects. There are many pros/cons just depends what schools you are applying to and what they consider quality of HCE. Unfortunately, few (even many) schools do not appreciate or understand the knowledge background of an RD. Some schools give priority/bonus points if you are a credentialed practitioner. I have saved a good bit of $ to put toward tuition, but that's only because I have no loans. I do not regret becoming an RD first. I always knew that I wanted to be a PA, but getting in is so competitive these days, I did not want to be stuck working as a med assistant for more than 2 years taking blood pressure/refilling meds day in and day out. If you are an RD you will always have a career to fall back on no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MainerRD12 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'm in PA school now - almost all of classmates were CNAs, scribes, or EMTs and many just graduated this spring from undergrad. I do not regret doing the RD because it has given me real-life experience but I always knew I was going to have to further my medical education somehow. My classmates are mostly under 24 years old, very bright and doing well so I can't knock it but I would recommend at least a year or two of solid work experience. I would say 3 or more years but these days lots of programs have wayyyyy low requirements for hours. The DI year was a lot of time wasted in my opinion (especially compared with PA school - there is NEVER a wasted second), for me it was frustrating to round in the ICU w/ med students, learn a ton, then head back to chart about trying to counsel a s/p CABGx4 pt not to eat bacon. I mean somebody has to do it but ughhhh my brain cells hated me. I agree that most schools don't realize what we do to become RDs, and honestly if your GPA is really good then I feel like it doesn't matter if you're an RD or CNA or MA. Save the year it takes to do the DI and work in something else if you are sure about PA. From what I have heard (from only a handful of people), it is not useful to be both PA and RD (besides knowledge) - you are one or the other. Please if anyone has other thoughts let us know because I'm due to renew my RD in a year and not sure if I will. Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I'm an RD and PA is my second career. Being an RD probably got me into PA school since I had 20 years experience. I do not use my RD much anymore and will be dropping it next August when I turn that whopping old age of 60. Time to retire the credential. It was helpful with diabetes counseling but at my practice now I refer all my DM patients to our 2 CDE's who do a fabulous job. I don't have time for it. As a PA you will be practicing medicine, not dietetics. You might be able to find a job using your nutrition degree while applying for and getting HCE for PA school. IF you are young, having an alternate career of RD might be of value. Ultimately you have to weight the pros and cons and decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiee15 Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I completed my BS in Dietetics within the past year and was in a similar position to yourself. After a lot of thought, I chose not to pursue a DI or my RD. Instead, I am using my gap year to work as a CNA at a hospital and as a nutrition assistant at a metabolic clinic. I recently found out I was accepted this cycle and plan to begin PA school this coming May. I respect RDs but agree what they do is often misunderstood and underappreciated in healthcare. In my situation, I couldn't justify earning credentials when I knew becoming an RD wasn't my ultimate goal --not worth the money, time, nor taking a spot from another student who has the passion to become an RD. However, I wouldn't change that I majored in nutrition, and I think the knowledge I learned in undergrad will be beneficial as a PA student. Only about half my graduating class went on to pursue a DI...several others pursued nursing, PA school, medical school, reserarch, etc. and felt very well prepared. This was what I decided was personally best for me, and I didn't think doing a DI with minimal experience as a RD before PA school would be as beneficial as having increased time with direct patient care. Applying as a newer graduate, I knew HCE was the weakest portion of the applciation, and I felt my hours as a CNA would be weighed more heavily than time at a DI. It's a tough decision. Ultimately, you have to figure out what works for you. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
place123 Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 These are great responses thank you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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