Direct-entry program

[riptemp]

I am a High School student who has been doing a lot of research on direct entry programs that allow you to study in a 3+2 year schedule right out of high school to become a PA. I am wondering what the pros and cons for programs like these are. Is it worth it to try to go down this path or is a more traditional pathway to becoming a PA better?

[EMEDPA]

I am not a big fan of these programs. I think folks should work in medicine for a few years before starting PA school to make sure they like medicine. 

[MT2PA]

Pro:  You save literally just 1 year of time (maybe more depending on how many gap years you take).

Cons:  You still have to meet the standards to get into the actual PA part of the program (which means you might not).  You are stuck in a single path (what happens if you decide you don't like it?  I was NOT the same person at 28 when I started my program as I was when I was 18).  You have little to no life experience to bring to your PA career.

Don't underestimate the cons.  Life experience is HUGE.

[riptemp]

Thanks for the replies and the wisdom you’ve offered.

[SHU-CH]

The big pro is that you can save a lot of time - and by association, money - if you get into one of these programs. 

As noted above, you need to be pretty sure that this is what you want to do. Just in case, I would check the undergrad courses and make sure they cover pre-reqs for other things like medical, dental and vet school. It won't help if you decide to become a lawyer or accountant instead, but a well-structured program should cover most of your bases for heathcare professions to keep options open.