Career Path and Transition Advice, Can I be a PA without Direct Patient Care?

[SavingMyself98]

I hope this message finds you all in good spirits. I find myself at a pivotal juncture in my career path, and I would deeply appreciate your valuable insights and experiences as I consider potential transitions.

As I progress towards becoming a Physician Assistant (PA), I am faced with the reality of direct patient care and have recently asked for your takes on the topic (Thanks to all those who replied). However, upon reflection, I've come to the realization that both the legal and moral weight of being responsible for a patient's care feels too daunting and anxiety provoking to me as an everyday reality of a career and so i wanted to know if there really is a place for PA's in the world of research, pharmaceuticals and/or forensics all of which are fields that interest me and don't carry the same patient responsibly, at least in theory. While I recognize the significance of patient care, I deeply fear it is not for me and am increasingly drawn to roles that involve data analysis, laboratory work, or contributions to healthcare advancements through research and innovation.

My question is twofold: Firstly, I'm curious to know if there are established pathways for PAs to transition into research, pharmaceuticals, or forensics, where direct patient care may not be the primary focus. Secondly, I seek insights into the feasibility of such transitions, including potential hurdles or prerequisites that may need to be addressed.

I am eager to hear from individuals who have successfully navigated similar career transitions or possess insights into alternative career trajectories for PAs beyond traditional clinical settings. Additionally, I welcome any advice on programs, certifications, or further education that could facilitate a transition into these fields.

Your firsthand experiences, recommendations, and perspectives would be invaluable as I chart the course for my future career endeavors. Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.

Edited March 26 by SavingMyself98

[SedRate]

To my understanding, no, there are no direct pathways to non-patient roles as PA is a terminal degree designed to train one to provide medical care to patients. If the patient part of being a PA does not match your desires/goals, you should heavily consider something else like MPH/DPH which would be more useful for a research role and help people.

There are medical fields that involve less direct patient care/contact as well as other professions such as pharma or medical science liaison but the whole premise/training of becoming a PA is to take care of patients so I wouldn't encourage someone to go down the PA pathway for non-direct-patient-care reasons. Further, it seems like a very time-intensive and expensive way to go about it if your end-goal is not to actually work in a PA capacity. 

[68WEMTto65DPAC]

I agree with the user above. Becoming a PA to do patient care as a side hustle will be a massive disappointment. it would be one thing if you were already a PA and were burned out, which is understandable. I have seen PAs go into healthcare project management, IT for EMRs, or take an administrative position at healthcare organizations, however, these are few and far between. But to go through the hardships of becoming a PA knowing you want something else seems pointless.

if you want research, there are degrees in clinical research (both master’s and PhDs), or consider going the public health route. If interested in lab work you can go the medical laboratory science route.

You seem to have cast a very broad net so I would encourage you to look into different careers in the fields of laboratory science, healthcare IT, clinical research, and pharmacy to see if you find one that matches your interests. But the PA path comes with patient care as the main, and often only, role for the job.

[DiggySRNA]

You can become a health informaticist.

Companies tend to not hire people in nonclinical roles who have obtained a clinical degree without experience. Reason being, how are you able to advocate for a population you have no experience working with. It's a catch 22. So it would be nearly impossible to become a new grad PA seeking a nonclinical role. For example, let's say you graduate PA school and get an interview for a research company. During the interview they ask you what are your strengths, what are your aspirations, what do you bring to the table, how do you plan to improve the vision of the company? How do you plan to create change? You won't have the experience to draw an answer from. 

Also, you'd be spending 100s of thousands of dollars for a title you won't use. You do not have to be a PA to do non-clinical work; research, laboratory work, or even being a scientist. You can obtain these positions without the grueling effort of pursuing a graduate PA degree. 

Edited March 27 by DiggySRNA

[EMEDPA]

you can work as a medical death investigator aka asst coroner. NYC and other places use PAs in this role.