In interviews, should I not state lateral mobility as a reason to choose PA over MD?

[lightserith1]

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[MT2PA]

I'd be more concerned that the concept of lateral mobility is diminishing in the PA world.  If that were your ONLY reason for choosing PA interviewers might question whether you are keeping up with the current politics of the profession.  As long as you are aware that lateral mobility isn't necessarily a given or even an easy feat, you're fine.

Sure you want to do primary care now.  Will you want to do that in 30 years?  I'd suggest that finding a career that can afford you room to grow and change without returning to school is a smart move.  

Know how to sell yourself and your opinions.

[UGoLong]

Lateral mobility exists, but there can be limitations. It doesn't sound like a great reason to be a PA instead of an MD. 

Think a little deeper on your objective and see if there isn't a better differentiator. 

[mmchick]

Honestly I would answer the question as to how you personally feel. I always hate when people get so caught up on "don't answer like this, etc." during interviews. Things like your desired lifestyle, income, student debt, mobility within the field, etc. are all valid reasons for choosing PA over MD. There are only so many things that differentiate a PA from an MD, and listing off things like shorter class phase, faster to work with patients, less debt, team dynamics, etc. are all valid reasons.

That's just my personal opinion however, I'm sure a ton of people would disagree. I'm just not a fan of over-rehearsed, fake answers for an otherwise straightforward question.

[Wellness]

38 minutes ago, mmchick said:

Honestly I would answer the question as to how you personally feel. I always hate when people get so caught up on "don't answer like this, etc." during interviews. Things like your desired lifestyle, income, student debt, mobility within the field, etc. are all valid reasons for choosing PA over MD. There are only so many things that differentiate a PA from an MD, and listing off things like shorter class phase, faster to work with patients, less debt, team dynamics, etc. are all valid reasons.

That's just my personal opinion however, I'm sure a ton of people would disagree. I'm just not a fan of over-rehearsed, fake answers for an otherwise straightforward question.

I agree with mmchick, and I believe it is the reason I was offered an acceptance. Be honest. I said that lateral mobility appealed to me because I am interested in emergency medicine, but I believe that after a few years in EM, I will find a niche and develop interests in a specialty. I also told them that just because I am interested in EM now does not mean that I will eventually have a career there. I have 27 months of a master's program to decide what specialty I want to go into. Who knows? And I certainly do not want to have to spend another 3 years training in a field with minimal pay and no time a second or third time.

 

I can tell you right now: any intelligent interviewer will see through crap. When I was preparing for my interview, I did not prepare or rehearse specific answers. I soul-searched to understand what I truly want. Be genuine. 

[lightserith1]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I am a little concerned now because in my CASPA personal statement I said that want to be a primary care PA, but in the description section of my shadowing experience, I said that I prefer PA over MD because I like that PAs can work in multiple specialties and work in a team with physicians.

Obviously, perhaps it's not a red flag because I was offered an interview, but maybe that school overlooked it? In other words, have I hurt my chances at other schools?

I didn't think working in multiple specialties and saying I want to be primary care was "bad," because I was thinking of working in both primary care and specialties at the same time. In hindsight, I can see now how it sounds a little inconsistent :/.

[panglossian]

It is super common for applicants to write about an interest in one area and graduate entering a completely different field of medicine. I have a good friend who entered medical school certain he would go into anesthesiology and is now a practicing radiologist. I highly doubt this is a huge red flag that is significantly hurting your chances at other schools. If you were offered an interview I don't think you should worry too much. The mock interview you did was worthwhile because it allowed you to think through your answers and your goals. Good luck!

[ProSpectre]

As others have stated, I wouldn't think too much into this. Saying that you are interested in primary care and that you also like the fact that PAs have more lateral mobility than MDs are not mutually exclusive ideas. There is no rule stating that you can't work part of your career in primary care and then specialize later down the road after getting some more generalized experience. Being able to move into a different specialty without doing a residency is a valid benefit (at least currently) of the PA profession, even if that is becoming more limited. As long as you have thought through these things and can provide reasonable justifications for your answers, I think members of admissions committees will understand the variation in different parts of your application. The one thing you don't want to do is lie and say that you want to go into primary care simply because you think that's what a given program wants to hear. 

[lmack1213]

Maybe instead of talking about lateral mobility in terms of switching specialties, speak of it in regards to simultaneous practice. I worked with a PA in the ER who works full time in dermatology and 2 or 3 times a month works in the ER. I thought this was ideal because I can see myself wanting the slower pace of an office when I'm older, but occasionally needing something exciting like the ER. That way you're not necessarily being inconsistent with your application and implying a future disinterest in primary care, rather just that you have additional interests.