Military PA vs. MD

[Nickster]

Hi,

 

Ive been around these boards for a while but have not found much info regarding the differences in being a military PA vs. an MD.

 

Im wondering, what are the main differences in the respective roles of each in terms of autonomy, responsibilities, specialties, deployment, bonuses/pay, rank/promotion, etc?

 

I have read several military PA responses on the boards describing their experiences but wanted to get an idea of how much different it might be as a MD.

 

BTW, Im 23, just graduated undergrad (3.9 cumu/3.75 sgpa, 1350 GRE, 4 yrs EMT, etc.). I have all the pre-reqs for med school or PA school done so Im really just trying to figure out what to expect going down either path in the military. I plan on doing civilian PA or med school with some sort of HPSP.

 

BTW I know very well the differences b/t PA and MD in the civilian sector, just not the specifics regarding the military. Sooo...not trying to beat the dead horse.

 

Thanks

[michael.cadette]

Nickster,

As a vet, I am thankful that people continue to want to serve. I think that there are a few things you should figure out before you join, though. Which profession are you really interested in? You'll only be in the service for a part of your working life, and you'll be happier in the long run if you figure out which career works best for you.

Also think about which branch of the military you'd like to be a part of. Talk to vets, and talk to PAs or doctors at different bases. See what benefits and problems there are in each branch. I was in the Air Force (not as a PA), where promotions are hard to come by, mission tempo is high, and Airmen in my career field were deployed on average 270 days a year. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. I spent three years on an Army post serving with Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, and I was baffled at the way they were treated by their commands.

If you are serious about joining, I would recommend getting your schooling through the military. Apply for the DOD med school, or enlist and apply for PA school (you can't go to the Interservice PA school if you are already an officer, at least not that I know of). All of the questions you are asking are specific to the branch you join, and to a lesser extent, your assignment.

Good luck.

[Nickster]

I should have clarified a few things. I am interested in either the Navy or AF only. If I were to stay in the civilian sector then I face the two drawbacks to being a PA of less autonomy (initially), and salary. If I get the autonomy and salary that I have heard/read about that PA's can get in the military then I would go the PA route. Assuming military MDs don't get significantly more bonus then the two cons I have mentioned are not so monumental.

 

I have shadowed both MDs and PAs and thoroughly researched the roles of each profession in terms of the civilian sector and I understand their distinctions well. But from what little I have been able to come up with in terms of military PA/MD's, the role is quite different in terms of autonomy/logistics/practice/specialties and obviously working for the gov't.

 

If I were to not go into the military then I would probably go to DO school. However, being that two of the biggest reasons for doing that are further expertise/autonomy in medicine and unfortunately salary, then its possible I might find a military PA to suit my needs.

 

In the end I am looking to be the most effective healthcare provider I can be for our troops. Im merely interested in the disparity among actual roles and pay for now to help solidify my decision.

[Shawno19]

I'm also interested in this.

[HMtoPA]

Pay can be quite different. Doctors come in as O-3 vs O-2, so there is a slight difference in beginning base pay, but doctors can earn significantly more than PA's in incentive pay, retention bonuses, etc. I don't know numbers off the top of my head, and it can change year to year, but look here for a start.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

Not to mention they get something like 20k for being board certified.

[3GeronimoPA]

To quote my Battalion Surgeon, "PA's run operational medicine for the Army" and "if there were no doctor at all in this Brigade no one would notice". This isn't because PAs are so damn awesome which, in fact we are. It is because PAs are consistently assigned to units who deploy to war and that gives them the advantage of the application of a unit's medical assets in order to support a military action. What the Army does is, it deploys medically ready Soldiers to both real and simulated war and provides medical support to its soldiers when sick or injured. The medical piece of this at the unit level is trained, organized, and operated with a PA at the helm. Very few Docs do more than 6 months in a battalion level element and typically this is while they are deployed. When this happens, they check in provide medicine, offer what they are willing to offer and tag out with another MD. It is the PA who is the constant who will remain with the unit. The PA is the PCM for the overwhelming majority of Soldiers in uniform. I'd venture to say over 90% of Soldiers have a PA for a PCM.

 

MDs/DOs are doctors which is a difference. Their bonuses are better. They serve as consultants. They are supervising physicians for PAs. They rotate into battalions typically for the purposes of deployments and back to their role in their specialty. There typically is one Brigade Surgeon (MD/DO) which is assigned per Brigade Combat Team. This job is always to be filled unlike the battalion surgeon jobs. They are the supervising physician for the brigade's PAs. When they do their job right, they evaluate and treat some active duty and are available for the PAs to staff patients with in the event someone's complexity requires consultation. When they do their job poorly, they function as medical planners and profile trackers only and the PAs in the brigade make it happen in their absence.

 

Army doctors are strong physicians who come from some of the most prestigious of medical schools and residencies. Many join out of a desire to do something to change their lives and serve their nation. Some want to be in the special operations community or jump out of airplanes. Being a part of an organization that blows up and shoots stuff up is pretty fun. I think our physicians are great clinically. However, the poindexters that even after medical school have self confidence issues sometimes find their way into the military as a means to compensate. They are a dread to deal with. They suck at all things army, try to bulldog people in medicine like they were if they happen to be right when someone else is wrong, and when they are wrong and someone else is right they will lambaste about how even if they are wrong they still have M.D. after their name so they can be wrong and still make more money. The medics hate these people due to their pompous attitude, the infantrymen who are in command and are smart (despite not seeking a degree in law or medicine) hate these people due to their pompous attitude, and the PAs eventually get sick of them and ostracize the doc further ruining his self image and making him bitter toward the Army.

 

As a battalion PA, I have had one battalion surgeon and he is a contributor in every sense of the word and is a brother in addition to a teammate. This is a rare occurrence. We learn from each other and I will likely never have another physician that is of such quality to work with.

 

There's the best and worst of it.

[SoCalPA]

It seems that you have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of being a PA vs a DO/MD. Many of the PAs I know state either age or no desire to take the extra pre-reqs (Organic, Bio etc.) as reasons influencing their decision to ultimately become a PA. It doesn't seem that either of those is an issue for you.