The PA Path

[med_life_for_me]

It seems my previous post was deleted.  It outlined the pros and cons (per an article that I read) of NP, PA and MD/DO.

My story is a long one so I won't get into it, but I've been lurking on PA, NP, and MD/DO threads for several years.  I graduated with a BS in a non medical field (worked in a hospital and accumulated around 500 patient contact hours) but during my last year of college took Microbio, Bio, and Chem.  I still need A & P and Organic Chem.

The reason I posted that article outlining the differences in each occupation was because I wanted feedback on the PA profession in 2015 heading into 2016.  

I know that I could "search" the topics or threads regarding this but most of those threads are from years ago and I want the present conditions of the field addressed.

Things I'd love to ask PAs but really don't have the opportunity:

1) Do you feel that ACA has changed things for your profession?  If so, how? How do you see things being impacted in the future?

 

2) From what I've monitored, it seems NPs have more support in the hospital system (and in medical community), less resistance from Physicians and more lobbying power for legislative change (some of this has made me question whether or not I should go the PA route).

3) A lot of the job postings in a 100 mile radius (and no I can't move because I'm married with a family) are posting for NP positions vs. PA positions.  For example, most hospitals will post 1 PA position for every 10-15 NP positions. Why do you think that is?

4) Can you provide a pros and cons list for entering this field? And, why should someone choose PA over NP or MD/DO?

5) How old is too old to start  one of these programs? I'm worried that my age may become a factor when looking for work after completing school (I'm currently 35).

I know these are questions that you encounter regularly but as someone who is about to enroll in courses (to finish pre-reqs) and needs to choose a direction, I'm still not sure what to do.

I'm not a big fan of the nursing model, but from what I've observed, NPs seem to have a bigger "backing" than PAs and although I'd rather study the medical model and gain knowledge from that sort of education, if my ability to move upward in a clinical environment is going to be determined by the 2 letters behind my name, what is the best decision at that point?

Also, tuition is not cheap (for any of these programs) and knowing that jobs will be there upon graduation is important.

I'm really looking for advice from veterans in the field.  

For people who have spent years in this profession and watching the direction it is going (whatever that may be), would you recommend this career path to others?

 

[True Anomaly]

I'm moving this to the appropriate forum. PA veterans do look there as well

[rev ronin]

I deleted your post because it was the first post by a new account, linking to external content and attempting to elicit a response.  Veteran forum members have criticized such posts as trolling in the past, and as such I've been giving first-time posters extremely limited benefit of the doubt.

[med_life_for_me]

I appreciate the benefit of the doubt rev ronin.  

I only provided a link to the article so that people wouldn't think I was pulling the info out of thin air.  I will be more aware of not including a link in the future.

I really would appreciate any feedback from the veterans though on these questions :)

[EMEDPA]

It seems my previous post was deleted.  It outlined the pros and cons (per an article that I read) of NP, PA and MD/DO.

 

My story is a long one so I won't get into it, but I've been lurking on PA, NP, and MD/DO threads for several years.  I graduated with a BS in a non medical field (worked in a hospital and accumulated around 500 patient contact hours) but during my last year of college took Microbio, Bio, and Chem.  I still need A & P and Organic Chem.

 

The reason I posted that article outlining the differences in each occupation was because I wanted feedback on the PA profession in 2015 heading into 2016.  

 

I know that I could "search" the topics or threads regarding this but most of those threads are from years ago and I want the present conditions of the field addressed.

 

Things I'd love to ask PAs but really don't have the opportunity:

 

1) Do you feel that ACA has changed things for your profession?  If so, how? How do you see things being impacted in the future?

 

2) From what I've monitored, it seems NPs have more support in the hospital system (and in medical community), less resistance from Physicians and more lobbying power for legislative change (some of this has made me question whether or not I should go the PA route).

 

3) A lot of the job postings in a 100 mile radius (and no I can't move because I'm married with a family) are posting for NP positions vs. PA positions.  For example, most hospitals will post 1 PA position for every 10-15 NP positions. Why do you think that is?

 

4) Can you provide a pros and cons list for entering this field? And, why should someone choose PA over NP or MD/DO?

 

5) How old is too old to start  one of these programs? I'm worried that my age may become a factor when looking for work after completing school (I'm currently 35).

 

I know these are questions that you encounter regularly but as someone who is about to enroll in courses (to finish pre-reqs) and needs to choose a direction, I'm still not sure what to do.

 

I'm not a big fan of the nursing model, but from what I've observed, NPs seem to have a bigger "backing" than PAs and although I'd rather study the medical model and gain knowledge from that sort of education, if my ability to move upward in a clinical environment is going to be determined by the 2 letters behind my name, what is the best decision at that point?

 

Also, tuition is not cheap (for any of these programs) and knowing that jobs will be there upon graduation is important.

 

I'm really looking for advice from veterans in the field.  

 

For people who have spent years in this profession and watching the direction it is going (whatever that may be), would you recommend this career path to others?

 

 

1. ACA has given many pts coverage without the possibility of obtaining a pcp(because no one takes medicaid), so PAs who work in urgent care and EM are a lot busier now because that is the only place these folks can get care.

2. yes

3. supervision is burdensome to many physicians and they feel it increases their liability

4. this is varied person to person. I went to pa school because I was afraid of med school, ochem, mcat, etc. For me, ultimately it was probably the wrong choice. I am happy now after 20 years as a pa, but would have done better earlier as a doc.

5. there is a guy here on the forum who finished pa school at 68. you are as old as you feel. we had several folks in their 50s in my program

6. (ok extra comments). starting from scratch if you want to do em, surgery, or ortho, go PA. if you want to do psych, women's health, or nicu. go NP. other things either works.

[Boatswain2PA]

1) Do you feel that ACA has changed things for your profession?  If so, how? How do you see things being impacted in the future?

-ACA is terrible, and just getting worse.  But people will still need to get medical care, and we will be there to provide it. 

 

2) From what I've monitored, it seems NPs have more support in the hospital system (and in medical community), less resistance from Physicians and more lobbying power for legislative change (some of this has made me question whether or not I should go the PA route).

-Locality specific.  Many places I work won't hire NPs because NP education is a joke.  Others hire NPs for clinic where they can be closely supervised by the docs.  Other places, especially on he more liberal coasts, the NPs have established incredible political power within the mega hospital systems.  

3) A lot of the job postings in a 100 mile radius (and no I can't move because I'm married with a family) are posting for NP positions vs. PA positions.  For example, most hospitals will post 1 PA position for every 10-15 NP positions. Why do you think that is?
You can move with a family.  I did it every 2-4 years when active duty, often times all the way across the country.  That being said, if you are "stuck" in a major liberal city where the NPs have significant power within the hospital systems, PAs are at a disadvantage.  Options for PAs there are to fight for greater power, accept the status quo, or move.  Your choice.

4) Can you provide a pros and cons list for entering this field? And, why should someone choose PA over NP or MD/DO?
If you're 35, PA/NP route may be better than MD/DO because of the lack of time to make up for opportunity costs.  7-10 years of school/residency = 42-45 yo before you start.

 

PA education >>>>>> NP education, but NP education is a much easier and cheaper route to get to the same effective position (ie: more than a nurse, but not a doctor).  If knowing what you are doing is more important, then PA route is more important.  If taking the easier/cheaper route is more important to you, then go NP.

5) How old is too old to start  one of these programs? I'm worried that my age may become a factor when looking for work after completing school (I'm currently 35).
-I wouldn't start a program if the actuarial tables say you are more likely to die than finish.  Other than that, go for it.  BTW - I graduated PA school at 42.

About your concerns with job availability - again depends on location, specialty, and pay.  I am working over 220 hours this month (with a week off over Thanksgiving) working locums/part time at various EDs.  THREE of these EDs want me to come on with them full time.  However there certainly are areas of the country that are flooded with PA/NPs so jobs are hard to come by and pay sucks.  And, as discussed above, there are areas where the NP political machine has been effective in pushing the PAs to the side.  

[True Anomaly]

2) From what I've monitored, it seems NPs have more support in the hospital system (and in medical community), less resistance from Physicians and more lobbying power for legislative change (some of this has made me question whether or not I should go the PA route).

-Locality specific.  Many places I work won't hire NPs because NP education is a joke.  Others hire NPs for clinic where they can be closely supervised by the docs.  Other places, especially on he more liberal coasts, the NPs have established incredible political power within the mega hospital systems.  

 

3) A lot of the job postings in a 100 mile radius (and no I can't move because I'm married with a family) are posting for NP positions vs. PA positions.  For example, most hospitals will post 1 PA position for every 10-15 NP positions. Why do you think that is?

You can move with a family.  I did it every 2-4 years when active duty, often times all the way across the country.  That being said, if you are "stuck" in a major liberal city where the NPs have significant power within the hospital systems, PAs are at a disadvantage.  Options for PAs there are to fight for greater power, accept the status quo, or move.  Your choice.

 

 

 

 

Just to add additional perspective, NP/nursing lobby, in my experience, has nothing to do with "right vs left" or that any specific geographical location offers them advantage over PA's.  NP's have more lobby power because they have the greater nursing world supporting them.  I have worked in a large "liberal, East Coast" hospital where PA's ruled the roost, and also in a large Southern "conservative" city where nursing seemed to dominate.  I've seen no evidence that the PA vs NP political battle has anything to do with right vs left.

[Boatswain2PA]

Good to hear.  I guess I associate the political power of nurses with the power of actual nursing unions, and unions generally have much more power in liberal areas.  I'm sure that's an imperfect association.  I think this generalization certainly applies to areas like California and New York, both meccas of union/liberalism.

 

Am I wrong??

[Glorious_Ignoramus]

Seems unfair to have your op deleted; this is the go-to forum for PAs but unfortunately things like this happen as opposed to actually cleaning up and organizing the forum.