PA vs residency

[310474]

Ok, I've done some searches and have seen the previous iterations of this subject, but want some feedback on my particular situation. Basically I got into 4th of pharmacy school and was really bored while on roatations. I realized that I did not want to just be a consultant or drug encyclopedia. Med school seemed to daunting, but got to work with some PAs on a trauma roatation and was really facinated with the responsibilities they had (surgery, ordering and interpreting labs, monitoring patients, etc.). Now, I have been accepted to a surgical program and have been granted interviews at my top residency choices. Now here is my dilema...I just got finished with my first interview and really liked what I saw and now am not as sure as I was about pa school. If anybody has any level of insight or experience or evidence based opinion....please share it with me. Thanks.

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[njac]

I'd rather be a pharmacist than a PA any day.

But that's me and my own biases.

 

[joan246]

I'd rather be a pharmacist than a PA any day.

But that's me and my own biases.

Me too!

 

[RxWildcat]

I think you have a "grass is always greener on the other side" thing going on here. Bottom line is do you want to be a pharmacist or a PA? Nothing wrong with either one. Maybe the environment where you have been practicing pharmacy isn't very progressive? You might get more into it if you had more responsibilities.

 

[EddieL]

I personally wouldn't mind being a PA. A lot of them have full MD autonomy. Plus, according to some ER/surgery PA's here, their salaries can exceed overworked retail pharmacists and even some primary care physicians. It's fair to say though that you're not going to starve as either

Either way you go, you'll have job flexibility, security, and a comfortable salary. Residency is just about as long as PA school. Pick what you like better.

Btw - it's worth mentioning that there are a couple PA/Pharm.D. dual degree programs out there... maybe there will be some role for such a practitioner in the future?

 

[taterbean]

If I was an MD making less than a PA I would riot and burn things down

 

[orthomyxo]

If I was an MD making less than a PA I would riot and burn things down

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Btw - it's worth mentioning that there are a couple PA/Pharm.D. dual degree programs out there... maybe there will be some role for such a practitioner in the future?

I've read about those programs too as well as a PharmD/FNP program, and I too wonder what the point is.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Btw - it's worth mentioning that there are a couple PA/Pharm.D. dual degree programs out there... maybe there will be some role for such a practitioner in the future?

Where are these programs?

 

[Glycerin]

Where are these programs?

One is at the University of Washington.

 

[EddieL]

If I was an MD making less than a PA I would riot and burn things down

I would too, but it happens quite often. A well respected PA on the forum said he works with an EM PA who makes 160k.

Where are these programs?

There are three that I know of, University of Washington, University of Kentucky, and Washington State.

 

[RNtoPharmD]

deleted double posthttp://pharmacy.mc.uky.edu/faculty/MandyJones.php

 

[RNtoPharmD]

deleted

 

[spacecowgirl]

Why not be a MTM pharmacist working in a clinic under CPAs? No diagnostics of course, but you do have prescribing privileges, if that's what you're after. That's (part of) what I'm doing now after residency. You operate essentially like a mid-level.

ETA: I suppose it matters what state you live in. I forget not all states are as progressive that way.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Why not be a MTM pharmacist working in a clinic under CPAs? No diagnostics of course, but you do have prescribing privileges, if that's what you're after. That's (part of) what I'm doing now after residency. You operate essentially like a mid-level.

ETA: I suppose it matters what state you live in. I forget not all states are as progressive that way.

DO you spend your entire week doing mtm type duties in a clinic or is it split between inpatient staffing? Just curious to hear some more detail about your position. It sounds interesting...do you work for an VA, HMO or hospital?

 

[spacecowgirl]

DO you spend your entire week doing mtm type duties in a clinic or is it split between inpatient staffing? Just curious to hear some more detail about your position. It sounds interesting...do you work for an VA, HMO or hospital?

No, I have a new MTM practice and it's not very active yet, although I know several people who do this full-time elsewhere in my state. I only have a few hours allocated per week. I work for an integrated medical center.