I've been a very hard-working student for a long time (took 11 AP classes in high school and passed them all; currently a 4th year undergrad with a 3.9 GPA for my neuroscience degree), but my focus on years and years of a heavy school workload have recently made me more depressed with not getting a lot of social time.
I wanted to become a PA to have a greater work-life balance and to curb my stress, but regrets from not doing well in my first job as an ER scribe (couldn't manage the 25 hours/week while I was a full-time student and transferring into my university) has made me consider becoming a nurse first after I graduate so I can ease into the field better, enjoy the longer patient interactions, get a variety of health care experience, and make some more friends.
My mom definitely was happier when she could brag that I was a pre-med student. PA, physician assistant, sounds like a "limitation". "Do you want to become a PA so you can earn less money?", despite all my attempts to explain the profession to her. Now I want to become a nurse to open the doors for me to become a PA or NP. I don't even want to tell her :'(
Wow, where do I begin...
1. I think you really just need a break. Honestly, your original intention was spot on. PA life is very good. The money is good. The work-life balance is good. You can go in to any field you want afterwards. You're respected and you have ample opportunity to learn. I think it's a good field for people who don't want to go through medical school but want to work at a high level in medical care. Short of going to medical school, I thinks its the best medical training you can get. It is certainly intense and not easy in any sense of the word, but overall it's a reasonable experience in light of the responsibility you will have afterwards. Also, you can have a social life in PA school, just don't let it be the only part of your life! And don't worry about being overworked as a PA, there are good jobs and bad jobs out there. It's really all up to how you handle yourself. It's a great life and very rewarding. I am not just saying these things, I am in a place to know.
2. Your experiences as an ER scribe while going to school full-time are not really predictive of an inability to ease in to the PA field. Scribing is an intense kind of entry-level job and it's not great fit for everyone, especially if you're trying to maintain a sky high GPA. Obviously you were going to have a hard time working a half-time job and attend to your undergraduate studies full time, that's a lot to ask of an undergraduate student and your experience is perfectly understandable. I wouldn't let one bad experience make you think you can't hack it in the PA world.
3. What it really sounds like to me is that you're a little burned out after 4 years, trying to maintain such a high GPA and it's messing with your self confidence a little bit. If I were you, I would consider focusing all of your remaining energy on graduating from undergrad with a great GPA, then going to work in something to recharge your batteries for a year. Do something amazing, rewarding, selfless and exciting. Build homes in Central America. Work on clean water initiatives in the third world. Green Peace, Peace Corps. Travel the world and see some shyt. When you come back to apply for PA school or medical school, they'll ask you all about your Gap year. Let me tell you, they love that stuff.
4. Also, I wanted to mention something to you about your nursing idea. Nursing is really tough. If you just want to ease in to something easy, forget about nursing. There's an old saying: "Nurses eat their young". It's very true. I have seen so many young nurses reduced to tears after getting destroyed by their senior nurses on the wards for seemingly minor mistakes. It's not that they're bad people mind you, it's just that they have to deal with so much crap, the last thing a senior RN wants to deal with is a new grad who needs a lot of hand-holding. It's just such a tough and under-appreciated field, I really feel for nurses who have to deal with so much crap, being over-worked and under-staffed. You can do very well in nursing, don't get me wrong. You can work your way up to a 6 figure salary, you can become a CRNA or an NP, you can even end up running a hospital someday, but it's not an easy field to work in when you're new. Again, I am not just saying these things, I have witnessed all of this and am in a place to know.
5. After taking that break, make sure you figure out what you really want. Maybe you should become a PA, because that is what's best for your sanity. Maybe you should become a nurse, because that is the type of care you want to give. Maybe you should become a doctor because you want to be the expert and are fully prepared for the challenge. Just do your research.
6. As far as your parents wanting you to become a physician, help them understand what that entails. Unless they're physicians themselves, they likely have no idea. It is a course of study significantly more difficult than anything else you can do in healthcare. The constant studying, the constant pressure to perform, the intensity of the boards, the pressure of clinical rotations, building a CV for residency, all of it. It's an absolute crucible that takes a real toll on you as a person. So many otherwise bright and vibrant people become absolutely routed by the entire experience. Even worse, some people just don't bounce back either. Help them to understand what they are asking you to do.
