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Please help me make a complete list of Pros and Cons of being a PA vs Physician.

 

Pros___________________________________

Physician Assistant:

  • Shorter School
  • Less expensive
  • Work Life Balance
  • Lateral movement in career

Doctor:

  • Greater Pay
  • More Autonomy

Cons__________________________________

Physician Assistant:

  • Lower Pay
  • Less Autonomy

Doctor: 

  • Longer Training (residency)
  • Limited to one medical specialty 

 

 

 

 

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Don't count on lateral mobility. It is going away more and more every year.

The big con you don't have for PA is lack of recognition and respect. I have gone to 10 years of post high school education and seen probably 150,000 ER patients, but still have to take crap from 27 yr old physician interns who can't find their ass with both hands. 

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On 11/20/2020 at 7:46 AM, DizzyJ said:

Work-life balance is completely dependent on position/specialty.  It is not a given that the balance is better for PA then physician.  You can be a PA in EM working 12 shifts a month or a PA in surgery who works 12 hours days and takes call.  Same for a physician.  

Agree. I am working 268 hrs this month at 4 ERs in two states and teaching a class. Not too many docs do that. 

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1 hour ago, EMEDPA said:

Agree. I am working 268 hrs this month at 4 ERs in two states and teaching a class. Not too many docs do that. 

I worked 132 hours in 8 days last month and 228 in the month at 2 jobs, not including teaching US class to NP students, and I still didn’t make as much as my CP working half as much.

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32 minutes ago, LT_Oneal_PAC said:

I worked 132 hours in 8 days last month and 228 in the month at 2 jobs, not including teaching US class to NP students, and I still didn’t make as much as my CP working half as much.

yup, I found out that at my double coverage job the docs get 230/hr plus full benefits , retirement, etc and as the highest paid PA/NP there I get 80/hr alternating patients with them...most PA/NP folks there make 62-70/hr. 

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