Looking for a career advice

[dilemma84]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a hard decision to make and looking for any advice or insight that might help! Anything would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'm a new teacher making around $55K, 10 months, great state benefits, summer off. On top of my salary, I do overtime tutoring 12hours a week at $43/hr. My salary is to increase every year and will max at around 92K or a little more on top of the guide. 27 more years and I can retire with benefits and pension. No debt, no holiday hours, sick days accumulate and roll over if unused. I don't love my job, but don't hate it. Job security is high. I think I will adapt to it more if continue longer. Some of the cons I'm seeing here is bad behavior teenagers, unnecessary paperwork from administration, cut in state funding, other than that, I don't mind most of the things that come with the job.

 

I'm accepted to a very good PA program, looking at about $100K in debt and 3 years loss of income. Financially speaking, i'll probably stay as a teacher to be more relaxed, decent income, and great family hours. PA's make a lot more money, but the debt of school, and the job stress level are also higher. I'm concerned with paying the debt after graduation, and if i'm able to maintain balanced work and family life, and if it's worth it financially :/ . I WANT to go to PA school, but afraid of what comes after graduation. I know going into healthcare should be because I want to care for people, but family comes first, and teaching offer me the highest family time.

 

It's competitive to find good hours PA's jobs out there, especially for a new grad, i'm thinking hospitals 12 hours shifts for 3 days a week is a good one, but I'm not a PA or know anyone that is in that setting to ask, any input would be appreciated!

 

thank you all and Sorry for the long post. 

[overthehorizen]

Quite simply, do not go to PA. school. If your post said "I was accepted to medical school", I would encourage you. Nobody should be entering the PA field at this point. The profession is eroding influence and respect. NPs having eaten our lunch and Physicians have us over a barrel. Stay put in teaching. If medicine is your dream, prep for the MCAT and if you beat a 30 , apply to you state schools.

[charlottew]

There are hospital jobs out there for new grads that are 12 hr shifts, 3x12, or 7x12h with 7 off (7 on, 7 off). Some consider these to be family friendly. It doesn't work for everyone, though. And (please!) make sure you want to DO the actual job (and not just the schedule).

 

The most family friendly schedule is a part-time one. Usually you need to have at least a few years' experience, before you can transition to part-time work.

 

Changing careers is a big scary step. I would encourage you to go with your gut - what feels the most right, to you? If you are happy in your work (even if the hours are a bit longer), that has a positive effect on the family, too.

 

PA is generally considered a fairly family-friendly career, at least as compared to MD.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

--

Edit: and as for the comments from my esteemed colleague above, please look at their past post history to better understand their perspective

[scott079]

I feel like I have some things in common with you so I will take a stab at this.

 

From a money perspective, it appears that right now you could secure a safe and predictable future. Assuming the tutoring and gradual increases to 92k, you could be looking at 112kish topping out for the 2nd half of your career (working 52 hours a week, 40+12). As a PA, income could vary alot as could hours, very dependent on your choices. I will allow you to speculate on those debt/income ratios, retirement calculations, and amounts of time off. 

 

I will ask two quick questions and then finish with a short and similar story.

1- Have you shadowed a variety of PA's, if yes how did you FEEL about the work and the patients being served?

2- How do you FEEL when you are at work now and when you come home?

The top two ranked items in job satisfaction are the quality of the relationships with your co-workers and the respect/gratitude of the people you serve. Money and prestige rank around 7 and 8. (how to find fulfilling work by roman krznaric)

 

During my journey I spoke with a former chemistry teacher who became an Ortho PA. Like you neither loved nor hated work, it was blah. Like you was only a few years in when he made the switch. When we spoke he was 1 year out of PA school, recently married to an NP and has a baby boy. He is leaving Ortho because the hand specialist surgeon was micromanaging him, plus his wife got a good offer in Florida. Does he have debt, yes alot, does he work more hours than he would like currently, yes. BUT, he said he loves his job on the days when the doc is gone (he never loved teaching), he is excited to try out peds or another specialty, and as a PA he can just "go to Florida" whereas as a teacher that would be a massive issue. Overall he is happy and when asked said he does not regret his choice at all. 

[mgriffiths]

I used to be a chemistry teacher before going to PA school (and thought scott079 was talking about me at first LOL - not me).  I had to finish some prerequisites before applying, but had almost exactly three years without a teacher's salary and only minor pay from working as a CNA.

 

One of the things that drew me to teaching was the family time, but as I entered that field I just didn't see it happening.  I don't know how you are able to fit paid tutoring into your week, but I know that I was extremely overworked (and underpaid as I made around $35k, topping out around $75k).  My summers off were a joke and between training and curriculum I really only had about 2, maybe 3 weeks of actually time off.  I actually enjoyed interacting with the students and teaching them, and handled their behavior just fine.  What killed me was all of the extraneous CRAP!  There is extra ridiculousness in almost every career, but especially healthcare.  It just is what it is.

 

I'm a new grad and love my job in orthopedics.  My hours are mostly 8-5.  Yes, it takes some effort finding good jobs, but I was willing and able to move.  Something I think people miss is that as new grads you start at the bottom.  You have no experience, and really have a lot of training still to finish as you start your job.  This requires your employer to make a massive investment.  Of course the "good" jobs in cities are going to be harder to come by, which is why many new grads end up in more rural areas.  After a few years of paying your dues and gaining awesome experience you then can often get one of those "good" jobs.  Just be careful you don't limit yourself in a specific subspecialty that has absolutely no pertinence to another area of medicine, because if you want to change area of practice you essentially start at the bottom again. I'm actually going to be looking for an ED or UC job soon to help gain some extra broad experience if I ever want to transition out of ortho.

 

As for whether it is worth it from a purely financial perspective it is very simple math.  I lost out on approximately $80k of salary over 3 years (I was able to work some) and I have loans that total around $65k.  That is a total of $145k that I spent to go to PA school.  I am making around $70k more now than I was.  It will take me just over 2 years to start getting a return on my "investment." In reality, that timeline for me is only going to be around 14-18 months due to some other factors that helped tremendously (i.e. wife's job).  Obviously money isn't the only factor here, but only you can decide whether it is worth it from a family/time/etc. perspective.

 

For me, it totally was (and still is) worth it.

 

 

P.S. Overthehorizon is very much jaded as this individual feels that the PA profession is going to fail very soon - and there is no indication of this.  Yes, some things could have been done much better historically, but there are some positive changes being made.

[overthehorizen]

Minority reports arent necessarily wrong. They provide a balanced picture. The OP may IM for more information.

[DizzyJ]

Another thing to consider is to continue living on that $55k salary once you are a PA and everything over that goes to your student loans.  Pay them off quickly and get rid of the debt.  Then you can find a job working as much or as little as you want.  For me, I loved doing ER at first because I only had to work 12-15 shifts a month.  I worked full time and still provided my children the most child care compared to time with a sitter.  

 

You could practice a couple years and then go into PA academics if you prefer that lifestyle.  The time off would not be comparable to teaching grade school though if full time faculty.  

[mgriffiths]

Exactly, dizzyjon.  That financial outlook is missed on so many people.  Sacrifice for two or three years and be debt free rather than spend double over the course of the loan!  Way too many of my professors were around 10 years out of school and were still paying on their student loans - absolutely ridiculous!

[Croooz]

Not a PA.

Not sure what the problem is.  Keep your lifestyle low and work fewer hours and you'll have all the family time you could want.  Find a specialty that doesn't stress you out and BOOM!  Done!

OR

Stay as a teacher and hopefully all those things you don't like now don't turn into completely abhor and hate in a few years.

[mmiller3]

Being a PA is honestly what you make of it, and what specialty you decide on will ultimately help decide how much family time you get. I work 32 hours a week, make a six-figure salary, and have more than enough time for my family (although I do not get summers off...). I imagine the stress of being a PA could be more than that of a teacher, but I have never been a teacher, so I can't say for sure. If you really feel you want to practice medicine, do it. Have you only been accepted to one school? Are there cheaper schools you can go to? I can't fathom having 100k in debt after PA school.

 

Also, please disregard overthehorizon's defeatist attitude. The sky is always falling, and the grass is always greener on the other side with him/her.

[BruceBanner]

100k is substantial debt, and could be more if you need to borrow for living expenses.

 

If you are considering ADDING to existing educational debt, I would say not a great plan. There is no guarantee you will like this work. Ask yourself what exactly you like about being a teacher---if anything---and what you hate about it. Then compare it to what you know of the PA profession and what experienced PAs have said on these boards.

 

Personally being a PA (and medicine in general) is not my calling and I cannot wait to get out. There was a lot I did not know going into this and simply could not have predicted. That said, I dont dissuade others from doing it just because I hate it half the time. Lots of PAs really enjoy their work. In the spectrum of jobs you can be doing in America, we have a lot to be grateful for. It is a respectable skilled trade that pays well and has good job security. You arent basking in joy and fulfillment everyday, but you get to use your knowledge to make important decisions that will impact others. Something to be said for that--it is a privilege of sorts.

 

Again, take some hard, honest stock of what you like and dont like with regards to work. Are you an introvert? Extrovert? Prefer working alone or with others? Can you handle unpredictable stress and demands from many different people often all at once? Can you handle being a dependent provider? Can you really handle seeing SICK and cranky people every day? Many of whom you cannot make better?

 

Medicine can be rewarding but can also suck the joy right out of you. It's tough even for those who are called to it. If you want to do this because "on paper" it sounds like a cool job and you wont be teaching, then you are making a big mistake. There should be a part of you that is called to this sort of work. Otherwise you will be miserable.

[UGoLong]

The original posts and some of the responses are enlightening. And some are so individually judgmental as to be of marginal utility. NO ONE should consider being a PA? Give me a break...

 

People pick career fields for lots of different reasons. And within a career field, some jobs suit some people better than others. And lots of us change jobs and career fields as we move forward. There have been a couple of jobs I probably stayed a year or two too long, but the overall now-49 year journey is something I am glad that I took. Even the detours.

 

I suspect that, unless you are totally money-driven, there are few jobs you would take just for the money. Healthcare, for all its many flaws, is something that you really have to want to do, otherwise it may not make sense. That is one reason that schools ask for healthcare experience and shadowing time so you know what you're getting in to.

 

Don't talk yourself into or out of any job. Stay calm, put yourself into the environment, and see how it feels. Then look at the price you'd have to pay (and that's not just money) and decide if it's worth it for YOU.

 

If you are an older student, as I was, you have a life and a job now. You don't have to change anything about your life. The question is do you want to make a change?

 

Good luck!

 

 

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[runforhotdogs]

Exactly, dizzyjon.  That financial outlook is missed on so many people.  Sacrifice for two or three years and be debt free rather than spend double over the course of the loan!  Way too many of my professors were around 10 years out of school and were still paying on their student loans - absolutely ridiculous!

You forget that with income dependent payback and teaching, their loans WILL be forgiven. So there is really not an incentive to pay off the loans in academia or education...or goverrnment (should you decide to work for the VA).

[mgriffiths]

I went to a very "young" PA program, so these professors had practiced for 10 years making minimum payments, to only now be getting to the point of paying off your loans.  If they had been professors for 10 years, obviously different, but not the case there.

 

But, there are ways for practicing PA's to have loans forgiven through rural healthcare, jobs, etc.  I had multiple jobs that offered a certain amount of loan repayment per year (especially family medicine).  Most of them would have completely covered my loans over time.  I wanted orthopedics and don't have loan repayment, but I'm making more than I would have in FM - even including the loan repayment so it worked out!