Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I feel like I discovered a passion last night, but I dont know if this passion is real or if it's something that's going to die down in 7 years. This is a highly moderated subreddit. Hi all, I recently graduated from a US medical school and my gf wants to go to UAG. Edit: also remember, it's exciting to watch and even participate in lifesaving procedures. In any case, I would definitely NOT decide my future career path on one glamorous moment in the trauma surgeon's work day. I like the PANCE Prep Pearls book by Dwayne A. Williams as well as the Physician Assistant Exam Review podcast when you don't feel like reading anymore. I only have 2 months left of my program so I feel like I've experienced the brunt of PA school. They didn't go into the OR, but they worked in the ED with the rest of the team. After class, watch a little tv to chill the brain, study, eat, study til 9-10. And $120k of debt is on the lower side for med school, even if you go in state (except maybe in Texas). This is a great summary! The first step to deciding if you’re ready to apply is understanding the application cycle for PA school. The material isn't the problem. To get yourself on a trauma team would take some serious work, commitment, and dedication, and probably a good deal of experience as well, but you can do it if you go through school and live the everyday life in trauma and still want to do it. Will my job as a speech pathologist help me with the healthcare hours side of PA school, or will I have to go … Some classmates printed all the thousands of pages of lectures while others used their ipads or computers or recorded the lectures (although I don't know when you would have time to re-listen). I found out in school that I really enjoyed doing procedures, and I have an opportunity to do plenty of that. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. You would do so knowing a fair amount about healthcare and would often function, in practice, as an independent practitioner. Be aware, however, that unless you open your own practice everyone has a boss. I was able to make it through didactic with only 1 failed test during finals week (79% when passing was an 80%). People are spot on when they ask you to consider whether you have a need to be top dog and whether you're willing to put in the time and money to become a physician. Don't go to medical school just because you want to be on the trauma team. I finally settled on orthopedic surgery and am about to start my first job. I have a low GPA (3.3) and thought I wouldnt be accepted to medical school, so PA school was an easier option. Classes may include, physiology, pharmacology and medical ethics. Hi Meddit, I am 22 year old female student, living at home and I need your advice. If there is a part of you that wants that level of responsibility and power that comes with being the physician, it would be worth going the physician route (MD or DO--just don't do international). It would involve more of a dedication to your craft with greater sacrifice to your personal and social life. You are also young and could be out of med school by 30. Why Do You Want to be a Physician Assistant? There are adrenaline rushes in Trauma but there are also a lot of moments of boredom and frustration. You will be just fine in PA school:). This is a tough question and I would tell you that choosing to go to PA school or not is a very personal decision. Highlighting, flashcards, making study guides, extra resources (Sketchy and PANCE Prep Pearls), whatever. At my institution there are no PAs in the main ED, and an EM attending told me point blank that she believes PAs have no business managing very sick patients. It's not worth it and just causes stress. "Why don't you just go to medical school or NP school?" My father used to accredit PA schools. You have to differentiate between penetrating trauma and blunt trauma. You should retake classes for PA school to prove that you can do well in them, plain and simple. In other words, if you want to live outside of sparsely populated rural areas, the ultimate responsibility tends to fall on the shoulders of the physician. On test days, get up at 5, go meet up with a few friends at starbucks and cram. I want to run my nails across the chalkboard when the 1001th patient on warfarin comes in after slipping on the ice and has a small head bleed and a hip fracture. What is that like for you guys? My science GPA (assuming they don't account for my DMS courses) is a meek 3.184 from Bio 1&2, Chem 1&2, A&P 1&2, and an Introductory to Physics course. If it was a particularly scary test coming up, get lots of caffeine and go for 10+ hours. Not a bad deal. PA vs. MD: Education and training. Also, the PA school I was accepted into is one of the more expensive PA schools- putting me $120k in debt when I come out. We completed 9 months of didactic and are now starting clinical rotations. I have a good friend from my medical school class who, after working several years as a PA felt that she wanted to broaden her horizons and take a greater charge of her patients. If you like surgery, in the private sector many PAs function as residents would, assisting in cases (and if you are experienced you can potentially do a ton). It's a lot harder, but I personally enjoy it a lot more than undergrad. So, I created a website,” Perry shared. New Grad Shares Her Experience. Is this too late? We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. The MD is paid by hospital per call just to be on call (not do anything) and then get additional pay by billing for any procedures they perform. At academic trauma centers and community centers with EM residencies PAs will most often be relegated to fast track. If it was a particularly scary test coming up, get lots of caffeine and go for 10+ hours. I can tell you my enthusiasm for being able to participate in a code waned considerably after I had the experience of running one myself. People of different backgrounds, experiences and ages, etc. PA school is far harder than medical school so if that's what's holding you back I'd choose Med School. Find Your People in The Be a PA Community. On test days, get up at 5, go meet up with a few friends at starbucks and cram. I had to try pretty hard in undergrad with very little on my plate besides school to get a 3.4 GPA. There were no physician assistants in trauma center. I hope this helps because it is my honest, unadulterated opinion of the difference in going the PA versus physician route. "You will make more money as a physician; you will have more prestige and recognition as a physician.". I put one in on my 3rd day as an intern. Was able to get to 6 am crossfit most days that there wasnt a test, since I never really studied in the mornings anyways. We're all a part of the team, and our responsibility is to the patients. I absolutely loved working trauma but it wrecked me for everything else I wanted to do during my time there - I was just so tired. I find it a little concerning that this one experience so easily led you to question your decision. My frame of mind has always been to be the top dog, to be the best, do the most difficult. They require all the premed curricula and often it takes biochem and a 3.5 to get in. I look at a lecture and ask myself what the most important parts are and I literally write down the information about that. Practice PANCE questions off the internet were also a great gauge for how much information I was retaining. All med school prereqs essentially met via PA school prereqs. I want to get C's. The material is far more relevant and useful, and being in a cohort is awesome. It can be tremendously rewarding, or an absolute hell, depending on why you go down the route. Like, holy shit it was terrible. Students are also required to complete clinical rotations at hospitals affiliated with the PA school. Also whether you're willing to commit to one specialty for the rest of your career. You are still very young, and could easily go either route (although you might have to take time off to complete some med school pre-reqs...not sure what the overlap is these days, and take the MCAT, which isn't fun). I digress.... C's? She spent plenty of time with me on the phone (on two or three different calls), gave me her email address, and even offered to let me shadow her. If you want to work in trauma, it will consume your entire life. A recent study was done on PA scope of practice in the ED (sorry for the crummy photo) and 30% of emergency PAs do chest thoracostomies as part of their job. If you choose to continue to be a PA, you WILL experience: --A job right out of school, making good money much faster than the MD's/DO's, --Better work hours in most specialties and a better personal life. That being said, it is still considered mid-level practice, especially in the more popular areas. Three kids with a work-from-home husband, undergrad major of chemistry with cumulative GPA of 4.0 and a PA grad school GPA also 4.0. The way I like to tackle efficiency is just accepting that I'm not going to know EVERYTHING that was taught. Both routes require specific science prerequisites and relevant experience before applying. This post is part of my 5 steps to PA school series to go from zero to PA school hero: Complete the necessary prerequisite coursework; Obtain the required medical and hands-on patient care experience; Successfully prepare for and take the GRE (or avoid it) This is a very personal question that comes up very often. Just keep your head down and power through. It's definitely doable, just understand that everyone around you is going to be stressed and you're going to be stressed. Test at 8:30. I thought that was really good, since I will be able to spend more time for hobbies. Take some deep breaths and enjoy your summer! I start with those to make sure I get that stuff done and then I go to the fluffier stuff, making sure to review the "must knows" as I go along. Am I not shooting for the stars by going into the PA route? Many, but certainly not most. They were all in the slower parts of the ER. Our PA colleagues are a hugely important part of every part of the medical field. You'll figure out your own study tricks along the way. The better PA schools also have MD's running their curricula and their rotations. Being a PA doesn't mean you won't get to participate in these kinds of procedures. One of THE most helpful college courses you can take before PA school … I just started a month ago, and its about 25 hours a week of class and probably 20-30 of studying (mostly anatomy). Like start studying by noon and try to get in maybe 8 hours. I have never seen a physician assistant in the trauma area of an ER. We had a minimum of 2/3 exams per week. I can give a different perspective from the other comments. Some are higher and some are lower, but the AVERAGE student accepted to these programs definitely has GPA scores over 3.0. It's not a big deal. Here are a few tips that will help you ROCK your PA school application if you are having doubts. The more broad your specialty choice as a PA (eg: primary care) the more independence you enjoy. But..last night, while volunteering in a level 1 trauma center, I saw a thoracostomy. Not to say that you won't get a great deal of satisfaction out of emergent procedures anymore, just to remind you that your feelings about them will likely change to some degree. However you must weigh this decision against the consequences it carries. It honestly was not that bad. The rest of the day is trying to figure out what Ortho and Neurosurg want to do with your mutual patient. If the rush of a trauma code is all you really want to be a part of, then being a PA is perfectly fine for that, you'll get to manage plenty of stuff during the workup. However, the ultimate responsibility does not fall on you and you would have to be comfortable with that fact. Depends. Many hospitals use PAs in the main ED and they see everything the physicians see. Yes, GPA is an important component of the application because all schools want to make sure you’ve got the smarts to endure the intensity of the program. “Once I graduated, I felt like there was just a lack of information for all of the other pre-PA students out there. I would caution you a bit about assuming PAs only work in fast track in the ED based on your n=1 experience. I have always been on the fence about the MD and PA pathway, but after some considerations, I thought that the PA route for me. I tried study groups but found that those made me extremely anxious and I ended up doubting or comparing myself to classmates. We are just as liable for malpractice as the MD/DOs, and most certain get sued for it when it occurs. I cannot tell you which is right for you--that answer must come from deep within. What They Didn’t Tell Me in PA School: Five Months to Start Working. For more rural locations this is different, but anything very serious is going to be flown anyways. The only thing I would contradict is. If anyone would like to share what a typical week in PA school is like, that would be great. We had PAs on the trauma service. I'm starting a 2 year program August and I've been psyching myself out this past month because I'm honestly scared of failing out. I have yet to meet a general surgery resident who enjoyed their trauma rotation. "Why do you want to become a physician assistant?" From your story, do you want to be the surgeon in charge? --Better work hours in most specialties and a better personal life. /r/medicine is a virtual lounge for physicians and other medical professionals from around the world to talk about the latest advances, controversies, ask questions of each other, have a laugh, or share a difficult moment. If you choose to continue to be a PA, you WILL experience: --A job right out of school, making good money much faster than the MD's/DO's. Test at 8:30. In many situations, they essentially function as completely independent healthcare practitioners-- monitoring and managing their own patients (particularly in the primary care setting). Please read the rules carefully before posting or commenting. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In a recent blog post titled The Top 5 Reasons … If you don't mind dentistry, then go to dental school… IT IS DO-ABLE. Were there weeks that were awful? A thoracostomy is a chest tube. Get one done then onto the next (though you should probably study for close exams together). As some have mentioned though, the material isn't in itself much more difficult than upper level undergrad science classes (like immunology, genetics, etc) at most reputable universities, it's just a lot of volume and … I want to be apart of this team. That's 4 years med school, and then the hard part, 5 years of general surgery residency, then a trauma fellowship. Things get worse from there. You are becoming a PA because it’s more affordable. Leslie Mean is a 26-year-old single white female who presents to the PA school admissions committee on her first attempt to get into PA school.. She has a 3.6 overall GPA and a 3.5 science GPA.She is holding a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry, had an SAT score in the 1000-1100 range, and a GRE score of 300.. She has two years of hands-on clinical experience working as a … After researching the field for a while, I decided to go back to school to become a physician assistant. So if pa school doesn't work out, I should open a coffee shop in the library and make just as much money on the mentally fried students? In this session of The Premed Years we chat to discuss the differences in the fields to help you decide.Savanna runs a podcast, The Pre-PA Club Podcast, and a website called The PA Platform.She’s also going to post this conversation on her podcast this week. Coupled with OP's previously stated desires, I do believe it would be more difficult to get into PA school from a traditional timeline; however, that is simply my opinion. Put on blinders for everything else and just do the best you can while also taking care of yourself. What advice do you guys have to learn the material in a time efficient manner? The excitement and satisfaction of being able to save a life is seriously tempered by the immense responsibility and stress you feel when someone's life is dependent on your making quick correct decisions. The path to both health care roles begins with obtaining a four-year college degree. PA schools generally require extensive clinical experience. I rotated in emergency medicine and level one trauma. I know how crippling it is to attend an international med school (aside from the strain to the relationship), and come back to the states to match as an IMG especially in anything other than primary care. That can change but you have to think about what is missing now and whether you can be more focused in the future. PAs are rarely ordered around by anyone. Most days at my program are also lectures from 8/9-5pm Monday-Friday with 2-3 exams (I'm talking 100% of your grade exams) a week. When you decide to apply, you essentially will need to submit your application approximately a year before you start school. Of note, I am a second year student, and was on an EM elective last month. Ive worked in 2 ERs and both had specially trained Trauma PAs that did or assisted with all of the hands on trauma care. >>>>> 1-It’s Not All GPA. If you really like medicine, however, get this experience and go to PA school. You need the info to weigh your options and make the best decision for you. If trauma had that big of an impact, try and shadow a trauma surgeon at least once and ask them as many questions as you can about the path to surgery, their lifestyle now, what sacrifices they made along the way, etc. I'm currently a PA student and we have an instructor/preceptor that works in trauma surgery at a level I trauma center. On average, students enter PA school with $37,446 in outstanding educational loans, and $12,051 in non-educational consumer debt before accumulating additional debt related to their PA education. Counseling. I was so excited to graduate from PA school at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in … This is a subreddit for PA students who are looking for general support, as well as lifestyle and study tips. If you are seriously considering an MD, shadow some MDs. As a surgeon I never once considered being a PA prior to going to medical school. PA schools do require more experience prior to going into the field, which a majority of applicants lack upon graduating college at the age of 21 to 22. You really have to look within and reflect deeply on what it is that you desire, and try to gauge your pride. Most weeks were class 8-5, usually with 2 tests at some point during the week. Am I just glorifying ER physicians? Switching from speech pathology to PA school. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Even though you already have an acceptance to PA school, I would still urge you to evaluate whether its truly what you want to do. Get involved in extracurricular activities. I am currently on month 11 of a 25 month program. Join your college’s pre-PA organization or start one—or … Agreed - I'm in a level I trauma center and we have a PA that handles a lot of the pages we get in, until I spoke with him I thought he was a trauma-surg resident. That shit's 100 hours a week type work. The ortho PA's at my hospital, for example, write resident style notes in the charts that are co-signed by the attending orthopedic surgeons. I personally made study guides during lectures which helped me study and pay attention at the same time. As someone who cannot focus for that long, I would try to go on a walk or do something completely unrelated to school during my lunch (which we usually got). My program also gives us the option to do a rotation in trauma surgery. PA school teaches the same things as med school but in half the time without any breaks. I say “I’m going to PA school right now” and many people respond with “Oh! And if you don't like the specialty you have chosen, you have to go BACK to residency and train in another one-- which is actually rather difficult to do. A nutrition course taken before entering PA school will give you a better fundamental understanding of dietary concepts and better prepare you to educate your future patients. I check against PANCE PEARLS and Step-Up PANCE prep books to make sure I'm on the right track. Brain dump at 9:30. In surgery, PA's are typically first assist and we get to do a lot. But my school was different. --Little to no risk of lawsuit-- a prospect that terrifies many doctors on a daily basis. So to answer your question, yes PAs can work in that setting. --MUCH better job flexibility and the ability to switch between specialties ANY time with no questions asked. I understand that PA school material isn't necessarily more difficult than anything I learned in undergrad, but the volume is much greater. This is particularly true if you have done poorly in a required course, or, heaven forbid, a required science course. Whether it's dedication, aptitude, focus, desire, whatever it is, it's not there. Press J to jump to the feed. It was incredibly awesome working in the hospital that had patients who had just been stabbed in the heart or shot through the iliac artery. Savanna Perry is a PA who helps pre-PA students get into PA school. When should you apply to physician assistant school? Let me try to answer this in the most diplomatic and appropriate way that I can, as an intern doctor still fresh out of medical school. These schools rejected more than 75% of full-time MBA applicants who wanted to enter in fall 2020, per U.S. News data. Not only that, but afterwards you are paid only a living wage while you are a resident physician. Find the rhythm that works FOR YOU and stick to it! The debt of most medical school experiences these days would be as much or greater than 200k for 4 years of school. I saw physicians and nurses rushing into the room to put on face masks and boot and shoe covers. But that was the worst semester. As gfpkdo so aptly described, most PAs are highly autonomous, but not completely so, especially in surgical specialties. Definitely. Trauma surgery PA, certain hospitals and surgeons will give them plenty of independence when it comes to these scenarios, working under the guidance of the surgeon, but more advanced situations like the thoracostomy or anything requiring OR time, you will be the assistant not the primary, so it depends what you are ok with. Thank you for this. Then didactic year blew that out of the water and I somehow thought getting a B was horrible. I've spent the past 3 years side by side with med students and we know so much more than they do a this point. And, if you're serious about getting into PA school, it might be necessary. When it comes to PA school admission, looking at minimum requirements isn’t as helpful as considering the averages of accepted students. I’ve been a practicing speech pathologist since 2017 and I’ve spent literally thousand and thousands of hours with patients. I don't mean to bash on physician assistants, but I think I want more responsibilities. Like start studying by noon and try to get in maybe 8 hours. When I shadowed PAs in ER, ortho, and neuroncology, I saw that the PAs were less stressed, with less responsibilities. Weekends were when I hit it hard, but usually could take friday nights off. Just got done with my first week and I'm like, what just happened. --MUCH better job flexibility and the ability to switch between specialties ANY … Haven’t taken the MCAT yet but started studying and plan … But as a whole it was fine. I was an overnight CNA and endoscopy tech before starting school, so I didn't have really great experience with meds or how providers function like some of my classmates who were EMTs or scribes in the ER who seemed to know everything before starting school. Yes, PA school is rigorous, and yes, you will be challenged. Show me a PA school now that does not require a BA. Since you have no medical experience thus far, I would say DMD/DDS. I also had a few PANCE review books during didactic year that I would look through, I thought that was helpful to pick up "buzz words". The chief performing surgeon, the chief opinion of the consulting service, a head of department, etc. Finally, I'm going to be brutally honest, someone with a low GPA doesn't (yet) have what it takes to be a trauma surgeon. This is going to be location dependent, but it would be a big exaggeration to say that it is easy for a PA to work in the main ED of a busy center. Once you learn how your professors test and write questions it will get easier to study for tests. It immediately gets infinitely better after those finals. Best of luck and obviously everything I write is probably biased toward the PA route because it's the one I chose. I should have taken her up on it, but I’m embarrassed to say that never did. For didactic we had class from 8-6 Monday through Friday which was pretty brutal for me. First, being “on-call” is MD friendly, not PA friendly. Don't pre-study! Pray that everyone else did the same as you so you pass. Decide that being a PA is your dream, then go out and CRUSH IT. Probably shadow a few ER docs too. The cost of PA school, like the cost of all higher education, has risen substantially over the past few decades. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I am not a stellar student by any means but I felt the vast majority of the program was doable.

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