Leaving PA school to go to Medical school.

[AfroMedic]

I just completed My PA school summer semester with a 4.0 got, academically I found it not challenging just content volume-wise.

Anatomy was fun and I enjoyed it but I want a deeper knowledge of medicine. I was thinking of stepping back from the program before I go

further in debt and just hope to begin medical school next year, so far I have just completed one summer semester. What do you think?

 

[SedRate]

Part of it depends on the program. The complexity and level of challenge will increase once you add physiology, pharm, clinical medicine, etc. However, if you're interested in learning things more in depth and following the MD pathway (MCAT, exams, match, residency, etc) instead of generalist PA training and quicker entry into workforce, then you might as cut your losses and go for your MD now. 

[ohiovolffemtp]

Have you been accepted into a MD or DO program?  If not, then it becomes a question of your risk tolerance.  You might withdraw from PA school and not be accepted into medical school.  Then you'd have a hard time getting back into PA school.  You might end up not having a path to practicing medicine as a doc or as a PA.

[Mayamom]

Agree with above.   I would not withdraw until your spot in medical school is secure.  

[UGoLong]

We had a student get accepted to med school and drop out of PA school with less than a semester to go in his didactic year. Years later, he is now a resident emergency med resident and happy. Clearly he was accepted before he left our PA program. Thus far, it's been a good move for him.

[rev ronin]

On 8/8/2023 at 11:32 PM, ohiovolffemtp said:

Have you been accepted into a MD or DO program?  If not, then it becomes a question of your risk tolerance.  You might withdraw from PA school and not be accepted into medical school.  Then you'd have a hard time getting back into PA school.  You might end up not having a path to practicing medicine as a doc or as a PA.

If the OP's username is an indicator of his or her ethnicity, this is significantly less of a concern, in either hypothetical situation.