Want to Quit PA School

[pashustudent2021]

I am in semester 3 or 4 in didactic year of PA school. I took the fast-forward route so I went straight into a BS-MS combined program right out of high school. This PA program is all I've ever known of college. But I am in semester 3 of didactic year and I just don't know if I can bring myself to continue. This program has completely drained me of my desire to be a PA. I no longer want to work clinically. Every single new thing we're taught about what being a PA involves is something I don't want to do. I don’t want to be in charge, I don’t want to be responsible for patients, I don’t want to prescribe medications, I don't want to do any of the stupid procedures we've been taught in class like venipuncture or IV or urinary catheters. I don’t want to write stupid SOAP notes every day for the rest of my life, I don’t want to get yelled at by rude doctors or rude patients every day. I don’t really care about learning the "art of medicine" or trying to help people get healthy when they don't even want to be healthy in the first place half the time. I hate everything about what the PA profession is thanks to my school, which has made me dread waking up every morning and have to attend classes. All my program has done is made me regret choosing to be a PA and makes me feel like I can't do anything correctly every single day of the week. I want to quit, but I also don't know what to do if I do quit, because technically I haven't even earned my BS yet - we are given both our BS and our MS at the end of our five years. I've thought about just finishing my BS at my current school and just doing a general health sciences degree or something, but I don't really think I want to go into health sciences anymore. What I really want to do is teach Gross Anatomy, either at a college level or even teach an anatomy class at a high school level. That's what I'm passionate about. But I don't have the financial resources to try and get a PhD in anatomy or something along those lines. And quite frankly, PA school has put me off of continuing any journey in higher education. I don't think I have the mental motivation to go back to school if I quit PA school. So basically, I'm looking for any advice or any ideas anyone has about what to do if I decide to quit (which is highly likely at this point in time). 

[rev ronin]

3 hours ago, pashustudent2021 said:

I am in semester 3 or 4 in didactic year of PA school. I took the fast-forward route so I went straight into a BS-MS combined program right out of high school. This PA program is all I've ever known of college. But I am in semester 3 of didactic year and I just don't know if I can bring myself to continue. This program has completely drained me of my desire to be a PA. I no longer want to work clinically. Every single new thing we're taught about what being a PA involves is something I don't want to do. I don’t want to be in charge, I don’t want to be responsible for patients, I don’t want to prescribe medications, I don't want to do any of the stupid procedures we've been taught in class like venipuncture or IV or urinary catheters. I don’t want to write stupid SOAP notes every day for the rest of my life, I don’t want to get yelled at by rude doctors or rude patients every day. I don’t really care about learning the "art of medicine" or trying to help people get healthy when they don't even want to be healthy in the first place half the time. I hate everything about what the PA profession is thanks to my school, which has made me dread waking up every morning and have to attend classes. All my program has done is made me regret choosing to be a PA and makes me feel like I can't do anything correctly every single day of the week. I want to quit, but I also don't know what to do if I do quit, because technically I haven't even earned my BS yet - we are given both our BS and our MS at the end of our five years. I've thought about just finishing my BS at my current school and just doing a general health sciences degree or something, but I don't really think I want to go into health sciences anymore. What I really want to do is teach Gross Anatomy, either at a college level or even teach an anatomy class at a high school level. That's what I'm passionate about. But I don't have the financial resources to try and get a PhD in anatomy or something along those lines. And quite frankly, PA school has put me off of continuing any journey in higher education. I don't think I have the mental motivation to go back to school if I quit PA school. So basically, I'm looking for any advice or any ideas anyone has about what to do if I decide to quit (which is highly likely at this point in time). 

The only thing more tragic than finally finding out what you want to do in life... is not using that insight.

No, it won't be easy to quit PA school and go learn to be an anatomy instructor.  But if you continue on in your PA program, you're just going to be miserable, older, and more in debt when you finally give up and pursue what you've finally ascertained you want to do.

Unfortunately, your story is far from uncommon.  I tend to NOT recommend people do the 5-year PA BS/MS programs because of it--you don't have a chance to learn what it means to be an adult, let alone grow into one yourself, before being thrust into the role of medical provider.

Transition, especially when it means letting go, is tough, but it sounds to be a better alternative than sticking with a course of action you will regret.

[UGoLong]

I feel for you; you may indeed be in the wrong career. And I agree with Rev regarding the issues with signing up for any long education path at 17 that ends up in a specialized advanced degree without first getting a chance to see all that's out there.

That said, the fact that you now hate literally everything about being a PA can be a red flag. Maybe something that recently happened started this line of reasoning for you and maybe that one thing is the real issue?

I remember talking to one of my kids when they were absolutely so down on something that they could think of not one good thing about it. It usually meant that their judgment was so clouded by their emotions that they didn't have the energy -- or the perspective -- to work their way out of what often turned out to be an identifiable -- and workable -- current problem. My daughter's fiance at the time (now her husband) referred to it as "She doesn't care what you say; the world is going to end tomorrow!"

I can't tell how far you are away from clinicals or how much of an opportunity you've had to see directly what life is like as a PA. As a believer in the concept that spending a few hours in a job situation is worth more than months of thinking about it, I would encourage you do take some time over the upcoming vacations to do just that.

If, after that, you decide that you really are in the wrong place, what to do next? Only you know that but, if it were me (and it's not), I'd get some kind of BS as quickly (and cheaply) as I could and then move on. Look into what it would take to finish where you are; going someone else may set you back years (and more dollars.) After you have a BS -- in almost anything -- you can change your career directions and get a masters or some additional classes and be qualified to do something else.

And before you pick a different career, spend some time in it, working or shadowing. 

Good luck. One way or another, you'll get out of this. Don't despair.

Edited November 4, 2019 by UGoLong

[MishaShisha]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It sounds awful and I can’t imagine being in your shoes. I started PA school this August and I’m suffering a lot with depression and anxiety. I can’t  sleep and I can’t focus some days. Some days I’m ok and am social. Other days I’m counting the hours to go home. Most days I check off the day in the calendar counting down days until Thanksgiving break.

HOWEVER, unlike you, I like the majority of what I’m learning and love being at home and spending hours with the material. I like practices and sutures and exams. I’m in a module system and have a test every two weeks or so. I have major MAJOR stress with this schedule and study 25 hours over the weekend. I HAVE NEVER FELT LIKE YOU.

 

im sorry but after reading your first paragraph... I really don’t see the point of you staying.  I didn’t even know your program exists - sounds crazy! Here in CA we need a BS and thousands of hours working in medicine to even be considered for most programs. It’s insane to accept someone to such a program that demands so much sacrifice for a field that requires of you all the time without making sure that you really want this. There is fault here with the program as well. And how the HELL are you getting this in 5 years?!! WTF?! A BS is 4. PA school is like 2 1/2. Most people take 1-2 yrs for pre-reqs in between programs. I don’t know where you live but that soooo doesn’t count as an MS/PA degree in CA... 

You sound super young. There’s nothing wrong with changing your mind or quitting what isn’t right for you: it’s one thing to hate an aspect or a chapter or a module; it’s another thing to hate everything including practicing medicine. You don’t want to graduate with debt and having lost so much time and never use that degree. Worse yet, you don’t want to feel forced to have to work in medicine for the sake of having a job and hating your life and being a horrible provider. 
 

Not to be cheesy, but the world is your oyster and there are millions of opportunities and one of them will fit you. I have classmates who had careers for 20!years before coming to school. One classmate quit law school because it wasn’t for her.... she now loves PA school. 

i hope you find your way. Best of luck with whatever you decide! 
 

PS: sorry, I don’t agree with the advice to get a degree in anything BS. Soooo many people with just BIO or public health or political science or psychology have no jobs. What job would you have with just BIO? You can’t even teach kindergarten. If you get a pure BS, be ready to have an MS or something like that. Most of those people teach or research or go to other fields. I had a chem professor who after BS got an MBA and then PhD in bio/chem. Stupidest mistake he made - still paying the loans: don’t just get a degree for a degree. SPEND TIME Figuring  OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.  I have friends who sell million dollar houses with just a real estate license and a high school degree.I have friends in construction and friends who are electricians and friends who work in insurance and friends who do ultrasound. This isn’t the 70s or 80s: just having a piece of paper isn’t enough anymore unless that paper is computer/engineering related or higher level specialized like PA, MD, JD, CPA... 

really, figure out who you are and what you want to do. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by MishaShisha

[MT2PA]

3 hours ago, MishaShisha said:

 

im sorry but after reading your first paragraph... I really don’t see the point of you staying.  I didn’t even know your program exists - sounds crazy! Here in CA we need a BS and thousands of hours working in medicine to even be considered for most programs. It’s insane to accept someone to such a program that demands so much sacrifice for a field that requires of you all the time without making sure that you really want this. There is fault here with the program as well. And how the HELL are you getting this in 5 years?!! WTF?! A BS is 4. PA school is like 2 1/2. Most people take 1-2 yrs for pre-reqs in between programs. I don’t know where you live but that soooo doesn’t count as an MS/PA degree in CA... 

Just as an FYI there are multiple BS/MS PA programs.  You spend 3 years getting your BS (frankly it can be done easily) as well as meeting certain PA school admission requirements (volunteer experience, health care experience, etc) and then 2 years for the PA masters degree portion (plenty of 24 month stand alone programs out there).

If you don't meet the PA school admission requirements in your first 3 years, you don't get to do the PA program.  It's all on the up and up.  Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it's shady.

However for EXACTLY the reasons the OP is struggling is the reason I would never recommend such a program.  You're 18 making career decisions.  That's usually what undergrad is for - taking a variety of classes and figuring that out.

[UGoLong]

PS: sorry, I don’t agree with the advice to get a degree in anything BS. Soooo many people with just BIO or public health or political science or psychology have no jobs. What job would you have with just BIO? You can’t even teach kindergarten. If you get a pure BS, be ready to have an MS or something like that. Most of those people teach or research or go to other fields. I had a chem professor who after BS got an MBA and then PhD in bio/chem. Stupidest mistake he made - still paying the loans: don’t just get a degree for a degree. SPEND TIME Figuring  OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.  I have friends who sell million dollar houses with just a real estate license and a high school degree.I have friends in construction and friends who are electricians and friends who work in insurance and friends who do ultrasound. This isn’t the 70s or 80s: just having a piece of paper isn’t enough anymore unless that paper is computer/engineering related or higher level specialized like PA, MD, JD, CPA... 

Clearly it's a trade-off getting a degree and, if you still have your wits about you, doing some research first is a great idea.

It's a bit like being nearly broke and wanting to making a dinner out of whatever is left in your refrigerator. Don't make something that would be bad for you (i.e., no jobs) or that you'll hate (a career field you would hate), but don't just walk out the door and go to a fancy restaurant (ditching absolutely everything you've done already and incurring more debt.)

It's better to finish in something than to walk away with nothing. The world continues to change, but you are generally better off with a degree than without one.