PLEASE give me advice. start PA school SOON!

[shaolin]

I am currently scheduled to enter PA school in AUGUST and am having second thoughts but want to enter into medicine as soon as possible. I currently have 41 credits including the classes below. I have a 4.0 GPA

Nutrition 2 cr.
A&P 8 cr.
Intro Inorganic chem 4 cr.
intro organic/biochem 4 cr.
Gen Psych. 3 cr.
Intro Soci. 3 cr.
Alternative Med. 3 cr.
Phys Ed. 1 cr.
Human growth and dev. 3 cr.
English 3 cr.
college algebra 3 cr.

what do you guys think? Should I just finish my PA program (3 years) and get a masters and worry about whether or not I want to get the MD later or should I consider a combined **/MD degree program? If the combined degree program wouldnt take much longer than my PA program I dont see why I shouldn't get the MD? Thank you for your help... Thank you.

Chris

edit: I left out microbiology 4 cr.
and of course all sciences had appropriate labs and A & P had cadaver study.

[emt036]

You have to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life -- do you want to be a PA or an MD?

Going to PA school if you want to do MD later is just silly - so pick a single path and stick with it.

(Though for MD school, looks like you will have to take a few more pre-reqs...)

[ZnS3104ever]

I was in the same situation as you.......see to me if your in your late 20's early 30's then yes go to PA school...but when I went to PA school..it was really strict and they would tell you that med school is easier because I was in school from 9-9 M - Th , fri till 12...22credits...now in med school its spread out...I am 22 now and I will be totally done with everything when I am 29 or 30...so I decided to just not do this PA stuff because I dont want people bossing me around ....I want to be the doc and be the boss...If I were you I am telling you from my experience I am so glad that I am not in PA school anymore...I am so glad that I made the decision to go to med school...I know so many people that are tellin me I am so lucky that I am gonna go to med school...I am currently at SGU premed program because I have some pre reqs that I need to complete..because there were some courses that werent required for PA school...so I decided to go to the premed program where I was gonna go to med school..so if you needed someones advice I am giving you mine .... dont go to PA school...the rest is up to you...its good experience and what not... its tough...I know med school isnt easy...my brother is almost done with PA school...but his GPA has dropped and hes having a hard time getting in...so think about it...

[krust3]

well, i am a PA. master's trained and practicing for two years..... i start med school next fall if that gives you any indication of how i feel about being a PA.

it's not to knock them. they practice the same as docs and do all the same stuff. it's mostly a pride thing i guess cause economically it doesn't make sense to everybody. i'm so F@#$%ING tired of explaining to patients what a PA is, then getting the raised eyebrow look from them throughout our 30 minute or so encounter until they finally realize i'm competent and know my pooh pooh. with docs, some respect you, some don't. and for pay it's good, but if i'm gonna do all my supervising doc's work (literally, he comes in the clinic once a week), then i might as well be an M.D. and get his salary.

for some people, the PA route is perfect. it's a great career with lots of options, and great pay for the time you have to put in to your education.

if you want to be a doctor, you won't be happy as a PA. this is what i've learned so i'm passing it on.