Working PAs: if requirements are same, what would you have done?

[Cideous]

Just for clarification, the huge school debt seems to be a growing issue for many PA's as well.

 

I graduated many years ago as well, and without much in the way of student loan debt, but many newly graduating PA's are NOT in the same situation.

 

 

 

That's because they make POOR financial choices getting into PA school. I went to UT Southwestern. Ranked in the top 5 almost every year yea? CHEAP! Compare UTSW tuition to that of say Baylor...no contest. I did a lot of my PreReq's at a community college....CHEAP. I got the GI bill for serving in the USAF for 4 years. That knocked off another $15k. Don't have the money for college? Go into the service and sacrifice for it. The problem is people are brainwashed to believe that unless you go to an expensive school for undergrad work you won't get into PA school. Complete nonsense. I sat on the entrance board at UTSW and we chose well rounded people, not people that spent a lot of money doing their pre-req's. Times have changed guys, you can get through school without 100k in debt, you just have to be smart about it.

 

@EMEPA,

If going to medical school and becoming a doctor is so much of a better life then being a PA <which it isn't>, why didn't you go to medical school? Have you looked at the AVERAGE salary for Family practice docs in this country? According to Healthcare salary online:

 

"On an annual basis the median Family and General Practitioner salary is $168,550. The lowest 10% earn $82,630 per year while the upper 10% earn more than $166,400 per year. These salaries are calculated as a mean or average"

 

 

That's terrible for 4 years of undergrad. 4 years of medical school and a 3-4 years FP residency. Not to mention the cost of being in school for the extended years. If it's so great then check the satisfaction rates of physicians. More then HALF say that they would leave medicine given the chance.

 

The Physician Assistant profession is a WONDERFUL career. Don't let anyone tell you new PA's anything different.

[PACali]

I appreciate the discussion; been doing research on residency matching and how residency funding is being decreased. Seems appalling how someone could end up not matching or being matched in a specialty they don't want..eek

 

Good specialties are highly competitive. Majority of medical students at my pa school got matched into FP, but that could be because it is a DO school.

If I have to take physics I and II, Ochem I and II and Calculous, I would consider taking the Mcat. I mean why not?. These classes are also highly competitive due to large number of premed students

However I've skipped all these classes because I choose pa.

[PACali]

Wow you guys complain a lot. I've been a PA for 17 years and would not change a thing. I have several close friends who are docs and most of them are MISERABLE. Huge school debt, crappy salaries, terrible liability blah blah blah. For you younger guys wondering what to do, go spend a month with a family practice doc OR better yet, go watch the documentary "The Vanishing Oath" and then come back and tell me how great being a doc is. btw, the guy that made The Vanishing Oath was an ER doc..........

 

Being a PA is great. Best return to investment <time money> you can do.

 

I also think being PA is great and agree what EMPA said PA is better than 90% of the jobs out there.

 

But just make sure PA is what you want to do not MD/DO, otherwise you are wasting a spot for other potential PAs.

[primadonna22274]

My spot wasn't wasted--I've done my time--11 years of more than F/T work. I am grateful to have this opportunity although it's been hard-won and let me tell you, it ain't a cakewalk. I would have been glad to be a happy PA--it was just never enough for me. There is a small subset of PAs like me--to drown out those voices whilst singing the praises of the PA profession is a bit naive and disingenuous.

[physasst]

My spot wasn't wasted--I've done my time--11 years of more than F/T work. I am grateful to have this opportunity although it's been hard-won and let me tell you, it ain't a cakewalk. I would have been glad to be a happy PA--it was just never enough for me. There is a small subset of PAs like me--to drown out those voices whilst singing the praises of the PA profession is a bit naive and disingenuous.

 

Plus one. I've done my time as well. It's amazing what opportunities can sometimes come your way. I'm considering a full time career in either research or admin now, and I have a meeting this week, as there might be an opportunity to move into Operations Research here, fully funded....

 

I might have to get some additional training in specific methodological techniques, as it would be simulation and model based research, but I could get that here. The point is that not all of us are satisfied with being a PA.

 

I hope that school is going great for you. You're about to be an MSII right? Hey, btw, Lisa, you do know that our mutual friend left PA practice and is doing research now full time for the Lewin Group, right?