Is my "inner voice" telling me something?

[NATO]

I just received a call from my cousin. She got into medical school! I'm very happy for her, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy/envy that she got in.

I'm trying to determine if this is my "inner voice" telling me that I really want to apply to MD/DO schools, but that I'm too insecure to attempt to do so and therefore applying to PT programs instead of MD/DO programs......or if this is due to the "brain washing" that occurs in Asian cultures about becoming a medical doctor or else you are a "failure". FYI...I was born/raised in the states and I'm of Asian descent and in most (if not all) Asian households, parents want their kids to become medical doctors because its the 'be all and end all' of life.

I don't know if it's my imagination (or just envy kicking in), but I swear it sounded as if my cousin gave me some attitude. Specifically, after I congratulated her and wished her well for med school, she said "So are you STILL thinking about going to physical therapy school?"

Anyway, I've read on this section of the message board how some folks got rejected into PT school, but got into DO school. I am at a stand still now. I really thought I had my heart set on going into PT, but after the way I've reacted to my cousin's news about her acceptence into med school, I'm starting to second guess it all.

I'm just thinking/writing what's going on in my head right now. I know many of us have had thought about PT vs. MD/DO...some people choose PT and some choose MD/DO....and some even were PTs and then went to med school.

Any ideas on how to make the call between which path to take? I understand that I need to shadow these occupations and I will definitely do so. I've never heard of someone who has regretted going to MD/DO school. I'v heard some people regret going to PT school because they found it too limited and then "discovered" that they really just wanted to go to med school in the first place. I'm starting to wonder if I'm one of those people.

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[maxwell0]

I think you will find many MDs/DOs that would not do it over again, if given the chance.

Did you only start feeling this way after your cousin told you her good news? If so, I think you have your answer. If not, look into it a little more.

 

[markelmarcel]

I've felt this way with other situations-- for example, I have my education degree and decided that I did not want to be a teacher. As I started to take my pre-reqs for PT school 2 of my good friends got teaching jobs and I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't jealous of them.

It hurt that after all the interviews I had been to (and rejected from) that the 1st or 2nd interview they went to they landed a job. I didn't want to be a teacher (at least not in a public school setting) so why was I jealous?

Have you been accepted to any PT schools yet? Maybe you are only feeling envious because your cousin is a "step ahead"... not that she is specifically going to med school, but she is ahead in life...

I have some envy of my friends whom are all married, settled down and have steady jobs- they are "ahead" of me and sometimes it's hard when I'm still the "flighty college girl", but I know that it'll be worth it all in the end.

 

[TheOx777]

I am going to start my reply with this paragraph, because there can be stark differences in cultures in regards to education/professional success. I have, in the past, had these same "inner thoughts/feelings" I am not Asian by the way, but African American. Honestly, my family wanted to throw a parade for me just for graduating from undergrad a few yrs ago! So I am on the other end of that "parent/child pressure continuum". I am now finishing up my M.S. with an extremely strong GPA(top of class), and headed to DPT school at the Mayo Clinic.

Here are some questions that I would ask myself in deciphering between DPT vs. MD/DO:
1. Do I have the numbers(GPA, MCATs, extracirriculars)?
2. Are you willing to sacrifice the next 7-15 yrs for MD/DO?
3. Are you doing it for the money?
4. Are you doing it for the prestige?
5. Will being an MD/DO make you more content in the long run than DPT?
6. Does your family's opinion matter more than your contentment?

I consulted numerous people before I made the decision to not pursue MD/DO. My cousin who is a dermapath(MD) and his wife(MD/Phd) who is a radiologist in nuclear medicine provided me what I thought was sound advice. Basically there are few specialties in medicine where physicians feel they are compensated for the hell/torture they were subjected to through undergrad, med school and residency. Those tend to be relatively competitive. I was also told that LIABILITY is a huge issue as an MD/DO when comparing it to DPT. I also knew that I wanted to start a family and did not want to be absent if I chose a specialty that would require working 60-70hrs a week for the next 20-30yrs. Ultimately, we have created a culture where medicine follows a business model. The MD/DO is the CEO/President of the company and let's theoretically say that a DPT is a high level middle manager! The whole notion makes me. Recognize that physicians(or any other medical professional) are fallible.

Basically it boils down to what you value. Do I value money? I would be lying if I said no. Do I value prestige? Without question! However, you have to figure out how much you value these things. Once you do this, the decision becomes much easier. By the way, I have heard numerous accounts of people regretting going to Medical School. In fact, my cousin told me that if he had to do it again he wasn't sure if he would! So go figure(and he and his wife make absurd salaries)!

Both fields can be very rewarding; however they both have their down sides as well. Don't let any MD/DO or PT tell you any different.

Full Disclosure: I still have the MD/DO thoughts, but I am very very content going the DPT route! Just my $0.02.

 

[dancingdoctor13]

I understand where you are coming from as I come from a similar type of culture. However, I have come to the realization that its my life, i'm going to have to put in the scut work and perform. If I not happy with what I am doing, I am going to fail anyway or give up prematurely regardless so why even bother if I am not doing it for me but really for someone else to think highly of me. I have decided on a medical career that will fit my personality and my lifestyle aspirations. I think you should really dig deep and figure out if the newness and prestige of getting into medical school will last only for a little while---as it does for many and within 1 year or 2 many realize the tremendous amount of stamina and work ethic it takes and no one is really praising you anymore for "getting in." That is only one hurdle of many. Please follow your passion and you'll be successful, guarantee if you enjoy what you are doing because your clients will appreciate your commitment. Best of luck!

 

[TheOx777]

I understand where you are coming from as I come from a similar type of culture. However, I have come to the realization that its my life, i'm going to have to put in the scut work and perform. If I not happy with what I am doing, I am going to fail anyway or give up prematurely regardless so why even bother if I am not doing it for me but really for someone else to think highly of me. I have decided on a medical career that will fit my personality and my lifestyle aspirations. I think you should really dig deep and figure out if the newness and prestige of getting into medical school will last only for a little while---as it does for many and within 1 year or 2 many realize the tremendous amount of stamina and work ethic it takes and no one is really praising you anymore for "getting in." That is only one hurdle of many. Please follow your passion and you'll be successful, guarantee if you enjoy what you are doing because your clients will appreciate your commitment. Best of luck!

I would really like to shake your hand for this post!

 

[Fiveoboy11]

I admit having thoughts about pursuing DO, but this has occurred after graduating with a DPT and working for a year or two. Not once did it cross my mind during undergrad, or PT school. I was fully pleased and impressed by my acceptance and potential at becoming a PT. I love physical therapy, the potential it has, and the benefit to patient's. At the same time, there definitely is a lack of respect for PT's and maybe even more being a DPT. Maybe I'm imagining it but I think I've witnessed people insinuate that a DPT is inferior to a BSPT. I've worked with many BSPT's, MSPT's, and DPT's, and I'm confident that MSPT's and DPT's are overall better. Better documentation, more ethical, more thorough, better outcomes. Lack of respect is in the form of compensation, and how most people present themselves to you. You will not be called Dr. anytime soon, some people who know your degree will call you Mr or Ms so and so on occasion in the workplace, which to me is unprofessional/disrespectful. Maybe it depends upon the person, but the whole lack of understanding about how well educated a person with a DPT is relative to what they do is very hard to swallow.

I would love to pursue a DO, but not because I'm dissatisfied with PT, because it's wonderful and a person would be hard pressed to find a more legitimate career helping people. Hypothetically, if I did pursue medical school I would not just quit PT. I've had sporadic thoughts about practicing PT and medicine. I do love to learn though, and the lack of respect pisses me off daily. But, combine my already student loan debt and there is no chance I will pursue becoming a DO. I am confident in about 10 years, as long as PT continues to attract some of the best students, PT's will get more respect as professionals, and we will get a little more recognition. There will always be people who minimize physical therapy in terms of the prestige or whatever word you want to use to define it's impressiveness. Maybe the secret is to not be impressionable, have your own belief based on rationale.

 

[FLsurferDPT]

I was debating whether or not I should reply to this thread but I think I could offer a different point from what was stated. I was in PT school last year and was terribly dissapointed with my career choice. The idea of being a PT was so much better than what the job really entails. You learn so much in PT school but can only do so little. It is true that the other health professions don't value the rehabilitiation services and there is also constant talk about cutting back on reimbursement issues with no support from the APTA compared to the AMA. You honestly can't go into this profession half hearted. The debt is way too extreme and amount of schooling is just as intense.
I realized my passion is in medicine, particularly with the nursing model of caring. Accordingly I have am studying to get my BSN and next summer will be working towards my nurse practitioner license. Don't look at the prestige of the career or what others such as your parents will think of you. Happiness comes from within... from loving yourself and loving your life. I know way too many MDs/DOs that are miserable/overworked and have a rocky family situation.
Take a step back and forget what everyone else would think and ask yourself what you want out of life and what career you will truly find happiness in. For me, the profession of physical therapy, no matter how great of a profession it really is, did not make me happy because I just felt like there were too many things against it (i.e. escalating debt, unceratainty of the future of the profession, no support for the services such as huge reimbursement cutbacks, and really not being able to do much with the patient). As an NP I get the nice family life style with a great salary with the ability to write prescriptions and practice medicine and be respected for my role in health care for the American Nurses Association is very supportive and backed in so many numbers. Also the knowledge I learn I can actually use. As a PT I felt like I was so limited on what I could do but now as a nursing student I am just a million times happier knowing I can be more involved with the control of the patients health. So basically what I am saying is that I am happy because I am doing something I love which is using my knowledge to treat and heal people.
If you love rehab, be a PT, if you love medicine then become a NP/PA/MD/DO. If you love making medicine become a pharmacisit. You get what i'm saying... do what you love

 

[hefe]

I was debating whether or not I should reply to this thread but I think I could offer a different point from what was stated. I was in PT school last year and was terribly dissapointed with my career choice. The idea of being a PT was so much better than what the job really entails. You learn so much in PT school but can only do so little. It is true that the other health professions don't value the rehabilitiation services and there is also constant talk about cutting back on reimbursement issues with no support from the APTA compared to the AMA. You honestly can't go into this profession half hearted. The debt is way too extreme and amount of schooling is just as intense.
I realized my passion is in medicine, particularly with the nursing model of caring. Accordingly I have am studying to get my BSN and next summer will be working towards my nurse practitioner license. Don't look at the prestige of the career or what others such as your parents will think of you. Happiness comes from within... from loving yourself and loving your life. I know way too many MDs/DOs that are miserable/overworked and have a rocky family situation.
Take a step back and forget what everyone else would think and ask yourself what you want out of life and what career you will truly find happiness in. For me, the profession of physical therapy, no matter how great of a profession it really is, did not make me happy because I just felt like there were too many things against it (i.e. escalating debt, unceratainty of the future of the profession, no support for the services such as huge reimbursement cutbacks, and really not being able to do much with the patient). As an NP I get the nice family life style with a great salary with the ability to write prescriptions and practice medicine and be respected for my role in health care for the American Nurses Association is very supportive and backed in so many numbers. Also the knowledge I learn I can actually use. As a PT I felt like I was so limited on what I could do but now as a nursing student I am just a million times happier knowing I can be more involved with the control of the patients health. So basically what I am saying is that I am happy because I am doing something I love which is using my knowledge to treat and heal people.
If you love rehab, be a PT, if you love medicine then become a NP/PA/MD/DO. If you love making medicine become a pharmacisit. You get what i'm saying... do what you love

So this doesn't post get merkurd (I may regret posting later).

Firstly, not all DPT education must be expensive. I'm certain my DPT degree will cost less than the BSc -> PT -> BSN -> NP path you've chosen because of generous aid coupled with a willingness to stay IS for tuition. I admit this may not be norm... I don't ask everyone either, many here may enter programs that in 3 years will be more than what you ring up, you may be right.

The nursing care is certainly a great necessity, but like everyone else there are inherent bias' to us all. The nursing care provided from a BSN level is it's own role. Nothing like a nurse into veteran years still giving a sh. Simply intriguing to be treated/meet/view work.

However, your post also backhandedly implies NP is an easier path with more reward. While on the surface this may be true the nursing model has used NP to be a gateway to push into "medicine," not "nursing." As you may know, many argue the science understanding behind what their curriculum is weak. Perhaps, this is why you are more happy with a more easier path to healthcare? The only way to know is talk to you in 20 years.

Sure given the time out practicing NP's get to levels they can take set of facts they can spit out the series for diagnosis they work, but a breadth of underlying understanding may be missing... What if a computer was used to take screened symptom sets and compute out probabilities for disease done by RN and physician takes this into account and makes quicker decisions. Will the NP role be less valued then?

NP's are no stronger than PA in knowledge baseline schooling (perhaps less), but lobby to victory. They've really gone far in the last 10 years! Really that's how these non MD health professions can advance as a body within their scope (or recently expanded scope).

PT's are limited to their scope in a msk setting, but America's system may be gamed to favor medical procedure in this setting inherently as well. Why is injection reimbursement for muscle pain so relatively high for such quick work, but its long-term efficacy to solving the underlying pathology is not light years better. It's for pain, and PT may or may not help pathology once pain is lowered to a manageable level for treatment. However, the reimbursement is high because it provides that physician expertise to clinically judge its necessity and to palpate or intervene is top-notch. You can teach a monkey to needle, but the clninical knowledge for why should be there too. Or another example is MRI done by multiple physicians in a referral pattern, when they could be transferred between. Doesn't always save money, but it's happens and is reimbursed well.

Much is still to be out in pasture, as far as I'm concerned in the muskuloskeletal issues. Usually there is not a quick fix our culture was groomed to crave. PT intervention may or may not be at the chopping block 10-20 years from now, but so can other healthcare provided msk interventions (NP work too). You can't know the future that well in this environment. More needs to be studied and learned still. A lot of literature helps back up PT intervention, we've come a long way. But that does not mean much more is still to come to truly know.

No truly right answers, simply various shades of grey. There's roles for all, otherwise they wouldn't exist.

Short term, I'll be follow watching the POPTS legislature in Cali (bill created by politician lined by the pockets of the the medical association no less). I can't help but wonder how it shakes out. It seems AAOS can make a nice cash w/ ancillary setup to self-refer and prevent patient perception of choice in practitioner. If an orthopedic surgeon reads this I'd love to hear their side too. Who knows.

Ok, now enough OT, must sleep.

 

[Fiveoboy11]

FLsurferDPT,

1) you do not have the backing of the AMA 2) if you become a NP, you will not be practicing medicine.

The american medical association does not represent nurse practitioners, and nurse practitioners practice "nursing." I am sorry for your bad experience in PT school. PT school was very difficult, but I enjoyed it and am glad I did it. I agree with hefe, although I didn't really understand a lot of his post, that nurse practitioner school is sort of an easy route to perform a similar job as a PA or DO/MD. I have encountered many NP's out there who masquerade as a physician and really don't demonstrate that there are other professions with knowledge too, they walk around with a look of superiority. I just stand there with my gait belt and bow down. LOL. I've had an NP flag me down the hallway and ask me to escort a patient to their room (In a SNF) so they could talk to the patient. And this was after she asked me about a patient and was well aware I was a PT. To be honest, I'm not all that impressed with NP's. I strongly doubt the curriculum to do that job is as difficult as DPT school.

NP and DC's to me have a lot in common. Maybe as a profession, or the organizations that represent them, spend the majority of their money on lobbying to get better rights, even though whether they are earned or deserved is in question. While professions like PT, RD get crapped on.

It's amusing how everyone, not necessarily healthcare professionals, think they know something about exercise and nutrition. Note how the former two subjects are relentlessly talked about it the media, and how know nothings comment as if they are experts.

 

[TheOx777]

FLsurferDPT,

1) you do not have the backing of the AMA 2) if you become a NP, you will not be practicing medicine.

The american medical association does not represent nurse practitioners, and nurse practitioners practice "nursing." I am sorry for your bad experience in PT school. PT school was very difficult, but I enjoyed it and am glad I did it. I agree with hefe, although I didn't really understand a lot of his post, that nurse practitioner school is sort of an easy route to perform a similar job as a PA or DO/MD. I have encountered many NP's out there who masquerade as a physician and really don't demonstrate that there are other professions with knowledge too, they walk around with a look of superiority. I just stand there with my gait belt and bow down. LOL. I've had an NP flag me down the hallway and ask me to escort a patient to their room (In a SNF) so they could talk to the patient. And this was after she asked me about a patient and was well aware I was a PT. To be honest, I'm not all that impressed with NP's. I strongly doubt the curriculum to do that job is as difficult as DPT school.

NP and DC's to me have a lot in common. Maybe as a profession, or the organizations that represent them, spend the majority of their money on lobbying to get better rights, even though whether they are earned or deserved is in question. While professions like PT, RD get crapped on.

It's amusing how everyone, not necessarily healthcare professionals, think they know something about exercise and nutrition. Note how the former two subjects are relentlessly talked about it the media, and how know nothings comment as if they are experts.

Pretty much agree with everything in this post! I don't have much experience with NPs or DCs, so I cannot speak intelligently on those professions. Unfortunately I think people confuse scope of practice with knowledge base, and it's just laughable. Just because you "get to" do more does not mean you are more qualified to do more or less.

 

[johncronejr]

I just have to comment. I am 45 years old and will start in a DPT program this August.

I have had many different jobs, some career type jobs, some just jobs. They all felt like the right thing to do at the time. I learned years and years ago, that there is no "just right" thing for me. I am not one of those that has known since I was 12 that I wanted to be a Vet, a Dr., a policeman, etc....

Follow your "gut, voice, intuition" whatever you wish to call it. If you don't, you run the risk of always wondering "what if?"

There is no rulebook that says you have to live life a certain way or in a certain order. Take some chances, take some risks, and live with the results. If you don't like them, move on. You can drive yourself mad trying to make a decision now that will still be right 20 years from now.