Take Physician Assistant offer or reapply to Med

[livelaughlearn97]

I have been fortunate enough to have been given an offer to a Physician Assistant program, however, I am having a hard time deciding what to do.   

I like many have always had the dream of being a doctor, and it's making the decision to take the PA very hard.  I believe I would like both careers for different reasons and the pros of one career are the cons of the other and vice-versa.    I am just putting this out here to see hear people's opinions.  Do I take the PA offer? Or take a risk and reapply to med?

[BernieMac]

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[livelaughlearn97]

Thank you for your reply, you are actually the first to mention this solution! And I have talked to many people.  I wonder if Med schools would look down on this? 

 

I guess it is the best of both worlds. I don't have to turn down med but can keep the chances for med open.  My only worry is it means I can't work on improving my medical application and it will hurt me. 

[BernieMac]

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[livelaughlearn97]

yes, I guess it all depends on how you look at it.  Doing the PA program will allow me to see if medicine as a whole is for me.  I can use that as an advantage when reapplying since I will have so many experiences that related to what I would do as a doctor.  I too had that med or die attitude but I am also learning I have to enjoy other parts of life and open my self to experiences, but I guess it doesn't mean I can't still have my dream while I explore. 

[i_saw_things_i_imagined]

Congratulations on getting into the PA program! It seems like you have a tough decision ahead of you. If you aren't 100% sold on the idea of being a PA, then you should probably give up your spot to someone on the waitlist. Being a PA is not supposed to be seen as a "stepping stone" into medical school. PAs are competent professionals who practice medicine with indirect or direct supervision, but more importantly work as part of a health care team to treat patients. If this sounds appealing to you, and you like the idea of a career in medicine with flexibility and lateral mobility, then you should become a PA. If you want to become a physician and practice medicine independently in a given specialty, you should take time and reapply to medical school. Time off school is not the worst thing, and students benefit from it more often than not. 

 

Message me if you need anymore advice! 

[Medase]

There's many factors that you would have to take into consideration before you make the choice:

1. Are you competitive in stats/CV enough to take the risk and reapply to med? Even after PA school?

2. Do you see yourself enjoying PA school for the next few years before med school?

3. Is this a backup program just in case med doesn't work out?

If you see yourself working as a PA permanently, definitely go for it. If you see yourself here being a PA just to beef up your resume for the sake of being competitive, there might be much better ways of doing that (second degree/5th year, ECs, MCAT, etc..) PA school is great, but it won't replace a very bad GPA or MCAT to an extent. No one knows your stats to give you further advice :p

Hope everything goes well!

[livelaughlearn97]

5 hours ago, i_saw_things_i_imagined said:

Congratulations on getting into the PA program! It seems like you have a tough decision ahead of you. If you aren't 100% sold on the idea of being a PA, then you should probably give up your spot to someone on the waitlist. Being a PA is not supposed to be seen as a "stepping stone" into medical school. PAs are competent professionals who practice medicine with indirect or direct supervision, but more importantly work as part of a health care team to treat patients. If this sounds appealing to you, and you like the idea of a career in medicine with flexibility and lateral mobility, then you should become a PA. If you want to become a physician and practice medicine independently in a given specialty, you should take time and reapply to medical school. Time off school is not the worst thing, and students benefit from it more often than not. 

 

Message me if you need anymore advice! 

Thank you for your thoughts.   Right now, I do not see PA as a stepping stone, I can see myself happy in that career but I can also see my self happy in med.  And unfortunately I will not know what one is for me until I get there.  I flip flop each day since getting the acceptance about strongly wanting to go to PA or strongly wanting to reapply to med. 

[livelaughlearn97]

1 hour ago, Medase said:

There's many factors that you would have to take into consideration before you make the choice:

1. Are you competitive in stats/CV enough to take the risk and reapply to med? Even after PA school?

2. Do you see yourself enjoying PA school for the next few years before med school?

3. Is this a backup program just in case med doesn't work out?

If you see yourself working as a PA permanently, definitely go for it. If you see yourself here being a PA just to beef up your resume for the sake of being competitive, there might be much better ways of doing that (second degree/5th year, ECs, MCAT, etc..) PA school is great, but it won't replace a very bad GPA or MCAT to an extent. No one knows your stats to give you further advice :p

Hope everything goes well!

1. I have talked to two med consultants, both believe that my CV and GPA are good enough I do have to redo the MCAT to better my chances (I scored really high on the practice tests but had a fluke actual test which I would like to account to a family emergency happening the day before) 

2.  I do see myself enjoying PA but I guess my biggest worry is what if.  That being said I can also see my self applying to med getting in and regretting not taking PA.  I love both the careers for different reasons. 

3. I don't think it is a back up I think they are both things I value but for different reasons.