How do I decide between Med School or PA School?

[cvuong222]

Hi everyone,

I have been talking to a couple of other peers that I volunteer with and honestly, I don't know which path I should be going for. They both have their pros and cons, which makes my decision that much harder. I do have about 2.5-3 more years before I apply, but it's never too soon to think about this topic.

I want to know more about the difference in the scope of practice between a physician and a physician assistant. I know that a PA can basically do almost everything a doctor can, but what is it that separates the two positions besides the obvious: years of schooling, loans/salary, autonomy, amount of patient contact, and residency?

I believe PA School and Med School are both just as competitive to get into now, so I need to decide on which path I want to take so I can prepare for the future ahead! Thank you all so much

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[eteshoe]

Hi everyone,

I have been talking to a couple of other peers that I volunteer with and honestly, I don't know which path I should be going for. They both have their pros and cons, which makes my decision that much harder. I do have about 2.5-3 more years before I apply, but it's never too soon to think about this topic.

I want to know more about the difference in the scope of practice between a physician and a physician assistant. I know that a PA can basically do almost everything a doctor can, but what is it that separates the two positions besides the obvious: years of schooling, loans/salary, autonomy, amount of patient contact, and residency?

I believe PA School and Med School are both just as competitive to get into now, so I need to decide on which path I want to take so I can prepare for the future ahead! Thank you all so much

Not quite sure about this statement.

Shadow both and see which suits you better.

 

[ERDOC555]

Hi everyone,

I know that a PA can basically do almost everything a doctor can
I believe PA School and Med School are both just as competitive to get into now,

Both of these statements are incorrect. Yes PAs can do a lot of things doctors can do especially the bread and better. They most certainly can't do "almost everything" a doctor does. This is true especially for specialists and even for primary care physicians. Also you can't just compare acceptance rates and say they are equally competitive.

PAs are not doctors and they have a limited scope of practice. There is a lot of overlap on simple things, but you simply can't compare a CRNA vs Anesthesiologist, NP vs Internist, or Nurse Midwife vs OBGYN, and say that they do almost all the same stuff.

The level of training and knowledge is enormous and the responsibilities differ greatly.

If you are passionate about medicine and don't mind the stress and all the negatives of medicine, then by all means go MD.
If you are looking for short training, a chill job, and great money, go PA for sure.

Without the passion for medicine you will hate being an MD despite the much better pay. You need to love it to be okay with the stress, long hours, and demands as a doctor.

Shadow both and really ask the detailed questions to get a sense of what both do. After that there should be no question about which one you want to do since they are such vastly different fields.