Are there any Physician Assistant's on this forum?

i'm also interested in anyone answering this question.. i've considered the field multiple times, and I still might go for it in another year or two

 

I personally know two people who are Physicians Assistants. One works for a 24 hour clinic for something like 80K a year, and the other contracts with various Doctor Offices as a fill in for something like $55 an hour.

The money can be good. The guy that contracts LOVES his job because there is a big demand for what he does, but he can also only work as much as he wants.

They both inform me that they end up knowing as much as the Doctors they work for after a couple years, and one told me that he really wishes he had gone into medical school to become an MD because he basically could work at the same place and make 3-4X as much for the same basic job (24 hour clinic guy).

 

Most folks don't have the grades to get into medical school. Its a big time commitment as well. Meaning you first have to take all the science pre-requisites, then take the MCAT. Once in med school, it takes 4 years. When finished with med school, you have to do residency (making 40K per year) which can last another 4-6 years. If you want to be a doctor, just add 10 on top of your current age. That is when someone will finally become a full fledged doctor.

 

My thoughts (as a pediatrician):

primary care residencies(family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics) are 3 yrs. most surgery programs are 5 years (some like eye surgery 4yrs). specialties like cardiology are 3yr residency then 3yrs fellowship. so yes it is a time commitment.

as far as PA's knowing as much as the MD's. yes and no. most PA's know a good amount about routine cases in what they do, but unusual cases and they usually have to defer to the MD they work with -PA's are required to be "under the auspices" or a physician, whereas nurse practioners (RN's who get an extra Masters degree) can practice basic medicine without having a physician mentor.

I know many PA's that make about 80-100K in pediatrics, and the average salary for a pediatrician in the first 5 years of practice is 120-150K

as far as salary- it's funny because I know a few MD's that feel PA's make a heck of a lot for the time of their training, compared to how long it took them to get to be an MD. also PA's are often being hired by large groups instead of hiring more MD's because of the savings between salaries.

prestige is often not a big issue for many patients since many of them call the PA where I work, "Dr." anyways. and if someone wanted a 9-5 job in medicine where the pay and rewards are good, without the time commitment of studying for 7-10 years, I do think PA school is a good option.

another advantage is that they often can change jobs easier than physicians. Physicians often have non-compete clauses, lengthy required quitting notices (I had to give 90 day notice the last 2 jobs I had). \And if A PA gets bored in their field then they can change fields (I know PA's that went from pediatrics - adult medicine - back to pediatrics).

 

Good response by bronxfan. As he said, I think PA is a good way to go for pretty good money versus time committment.
As for their comment that they know as much as doctors, I think that's funny. Basically I think it's a 'you don't know what you don't know'. Or in this case, you think you know it all because you don't know how much else goes on. As in any other job, a doctor might use just 50-60% of his skills on a daily basis. Everyday you do nearly the same thing. So maybe the PA has got this part down pat. It's the other percentage where you really want a doctor.

Bronxfan,

Nurse Practitioners need to practice under the license of a doctor too. The doctor has to review 20% of their cases - one day out of the week for example.