Trouble deciding: Post-Bacc M.D. program or PA route?

[quailbot]

Hello everyone, I'm a new member of the forum and wanted to run a question by any of you who would be willing to answer.

 

To make a long story short, I'm a recent graduate with a B.S. in Public Health and have been working towards obtaining a clinical career in the coming years. For the past 2 years I've been largely focused on medical school, but being a non-traditional student with a wife and obligations, I have been increasingly investigating the PA profession given it's shorter training stint with many personal and professional benefits. However, I'm currently waiting to hear back from this post-bacc program, which if I'm accepted, will guarantee me a seat in their M.D. program for fall 2015. My concern is that waiting until 2015 (I'm 26 so that will make me 28 at the start of med school) may be a mistake concerning how long it will take, the lack of income during training, debt, and the physician profession's general liability/commitment while growing a family. On the other hand, I've heard whispers and rumors of PA's who believe they would have been "better off" training to be an MD/DO from the get go, or that the profession lacks the desired respect, autonomy, income potential, etc. to make it more advantageous than a physicians job profile.

 

I'd would love to hear your thoughts on this. I've been mulling over these thoughts for weeks since being interviewed for this post-bacc program, and would sincerely appreciate some fresh perspective. The issue for me is the fact that I've already been through applications, interviews, etc. but haven't (until now) seriously considered the PA alternative.

 

Thank's for hearing me out!

[EMEDPA]

in your shoes I would go to medschool without a doubt. the hardest part of medschool is getting in.

[choco86]

I agree with EMEDPA. I am on the same boat as you.

I went from pre-law to pre-pa. I graduated in 2009 and worked in a law firm for couple of years before realizing law wasn't my passion. By the time I decided to go into medicine, I felt that with my age, med school was out of the question, so choose PA since it was shorter and I was still able to get the same reward.

 

However with CASPA open planning on applying this cycle, I am having major doubts. Dont get me wrong, I really love the PA profession but when I think about 10 years later, I am afraid I wouldnt be happy knowing that I can't practice 100% to my capacity.

 

Since I already finished most of my pre-reqs (I only have OChem and PHY left), I don't think post-bacc is an option for me. So I would have to take OChem and Physics at CC and study for MCATs after. That means I would take MCAT and apply in 2015, start med school in 2016. I will be 30 by then by at least 37 by the time I graduate. As a woman who also wants to have a family, I am not sure if realisticaly that is possible.

 

So, I am also sitting here trying to think which path to take. Therefore, my opinion is go all the way.

 

Good luck!

[quailbot]

EMEDPA,

 

First, I want to thank you specifically for your posts on this forum as well as others. You tend to look at many facets of a discussion when responding to questions/comments.

 

Secondly, I'm curious to know (if you'd mind discussing) what motivated you to pursue training as a PA, as well as your reasoning as to why you would ultimately pursue medical school if given a chance at a "do over", so to speak.

 

A big problem I'm having is determining whether the added time in an MD program is worth it at my age and if it truly would make a positive difference over the long haul to enter med school.

 

Thank you for your feedback. It's very hard to articulate a particular question like this, but I appreciate opinions from those who've dealt with these issues before me.

[EMEDPA]

[quote name=quailbot;388143

 

Secondly' date=' I'm curious to know (if you'd mind discussing) what motivated you to pursue training as a PA, as well as your reasoning as to why you would ultimately pursue medical school if given a chance at a "do over", so to speak.

 

.[/quote]

I took the path of least resistance. as a college grad with a bs including all pa prereqs and 10 years of experience as an er tech and a paranmedic it was much easier. I was also afraid of ochem. after being a PA for 5 years I went back and took a year of physics, genetics and stats in preparation for applying to medschool. around that time my wife lost her job and our first child was born. I became the sole breadwinner responsible for all of our expenses/debt, etc.

when the PA to DO bridge program started a few years ago I seriously considered applying but would have had to put major effort into studying for the mcat. I still have not taken ochem and biochem and would need to go back and do that. in my mid-40's I still think about it every day. I am doing a distance learning doctorate program now instead as I have (mostly) faced the reality that medschool isn't in the cards for me. The flagrant disrespect I have had to deal with at most of my jobs over the past 20 years was intolerable. I have finally worked my way into position where I either work alone or with docs who respect me. it has been a long and bumpy road. if I could start over as a college kid I would have sucked it up, taken the hard science courses and the mcat and gone to medschool. don't make the mistake I made. unless you are 100% sure right now that you will be ok playing second fiddle for your entire career and dealing with docs half your age who think they know everything then shoot for medschool.

good luck whatever you decide.

[quailbot]

EMEDPA, thanks for sharing your story and the words of encouragement. I'm still deliberating with my wife. We're trying to examine both our short and long game, both financially and in regards to our relationship/family. I'm fairly certain that going to medical school outright will be a better decisions, but I'm also eager to see a more significant income sooner. However, the nagging reality is that I also want to practice medicine to its fullest in my chosen specialty (currently very driven towards primary care, particularly family practice). I'm looking into primary care/disadvantaged loans and scholarships in the state of Ohio. Lord willing, I can use these primarily to pay for most of the costs of attendance (maybe some living expenses) and come out the other end with significantly lower debt.

 

Thanks again for the insight, and best of luck to you on your doctoral work!

[quailbot]

Agonizing over the decision, but I decided to turn down the Post-bacc program for now due to uncertainty. I am looking into RN/NP as well as PA training programs to see all the potential options. I hope and pray that I'm not making a huge mistake, but I am fearful of the inherent debt that comes with medical training. I want to buy my wife a house, have kids sooner, and be able to have live my life without that debt and time burden looming over me.

 

EMEDPA, are there (if any) doubts in your mind about what could have happened had you pursued the physician route instead? For instance, maybe your think you would have been better off but in reality would have sacrificed too much of what you loved? I'd love to get your thoughts on a potential retrospective analysis of you in both the PA and MD/DO careers. Your insights on this page and others have been supremely helpful (e.g SDN).

[quailbot]

 

Since I already finished most of my pre-reqs (I only have OChem and PHY left), I don't think post-bacc is an option for me. So I would have to take OChem and Physics at CC and study for MCATs after. That means I would take MCAT and apply in 2015, start med school in 2016. I will be 30 by then by at least 37 by the time I graduate. As a woman who also wants to have a family, I am not sure if realisticaly that is possible.

 

 

This is where I have my biggest hangup: my age and family situation. I would be in similar circumstances as yourself, being about 29 by the time I start medical school (waiting for my wife to finish nursing school). We've been married for 6 years and have yet to start having kids, moving into a home, having major careers, etc. and we're, shall I say, "feeling it". I don't necessarily want to give up on what I've been working so hard towards, but there are more important things than my career. My marriage, future children (God willing), extended family, interests outside medicine, church, etc. all optimally should come before my career.

 

I just wish there was a way for something to budge. If it's not the debt, its the time in training. If its not the time in training, its the capitalization of debt. If its not the capitalization of debt, its the self-sacrifice of family time for that of patient time. If one of those would budge, I believe I would have an easier time pushing for medical school.

 

choco86, have you had any further thoughts/progress on a decision?

[EMEDPA]

 

EMEDPA, are there (if any) doubts in your mind about what could have happened had you pursued the physician route instead? For instance, maybe your think you would have been better off but in reality would have sacrificed too much of what you loved? I'd love to get your thoughts on a potential retrospective analysis of you in both the PA and MD/DO careers. Your insights on this page and others have been supremely helpful (e.g SDN).

nope, really no doubts. if I had gone to medschool I would probably be the director of the rural e.d. I now work at per diem 1 weekend/mo as a pa....the director there now is a great guy about 10 years younger than me...