You are indeed crazy if you go to PA school and throw all that money away. $85000 in lost wages x 2 years. $80k in tuition. Then there's living expenses. Nebraska just became the 20th state to make NPs fully independent. Every year, one or two states seem to do that. And you yourself see NPs doing everything you want to do, and everything a PA does. Is it really worth it to lose out on $200k for what?...
PA flexibility is going away in favor of PAs with specialized certifications anyway. Employers will want to see more of that, and less jumping around. You said you don't want to do surgery, so that's not an issue. Nationally there are like 3700 NPs in the ER vs like 8000 PAs, so it's not like you would be hurting for an ER job as an NP. You'd be making the same amount of money as an NP. And just so you know, I'd doubt you'd be able to work much at any point in PA school, and if you did, I guarantee you'd be tuckered out enough that you wouldn't want to put in more than one shift on icu per week. Don't buy into the hype. I'd rather be 200k ahead in life. Eventually, all the newness of being a provider will wear off just like nursing did for you, and you'll be ready to just punch a clock and go relax after work each day. You won't care what letters you have behind your name. At that point, wouldn't you rather to home to a nice house that you put $200k down on? I crunched the numbers for PA school as well, and went nursing so I could go NP. And I'm not out anything for it... I went to community college for my RN, and my hospital paid the <$10000 tuition. My first two years in nursing I made as much as new PAs make where I'm at, so it's not like I missed out on any cash going that route. When all is done, I'll have paid $25000 for my NP. I'm in a state where NPs have a tremendous amount of latitude.
Indeed, you answered your own question, and I answered it for myself a while ago. $200,000.... What would being a PA offer you that would be worth that? A profession that would require you to find a doctor that will agree to supervise you so that you can do your job. And if he moves or simply decides he doesn't want to work with you anymore, you have to go out and start again, hat in hand. And you would be out $200k. You get fired as an NP, you go out and find a job, or work for yourself (well, not in California... But maybe someday there). Or you relax because you have $200,000 in the bank.... So you go to Hawaii to relax or do a travel gig (Hawaii is independent by the way).
I read a thread on The pa forums a few years back. The PAs were wishing that there was a way for them to do some coursework or jump through some hoops to get an NP cert. Experienced PAs were saying that they would go to great lengths to do that if it were possible. Also, if you go NP, and decide someday to go into academia, you would be that much closer to a really good career. Or you could go into administration, become a CNO and be making the big bucks (my hospitals cno makes >$400k. As an NP you can more easily go international. An NP degree can be an investment. Becoming a PA is a dead end in that regard. A PA is most valuable when he or she is in front of a patient churning up revenue. A nurse can be most valuable in an executive role. And if you ever want to become an Nurse anesthetist, it will be just a matter of turning in your application.
What career path gives you the most options?
