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Lory
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Mission Viejo, California
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Pros and cons for Physician Assistant as a job?
I don't think I have the drive to pursue an actual PhD so I looked into alternatives and PA happens to be one of them. Any pros and cons I should be aware of?
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James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Subject: The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Physician Assistant Career
Dear Lory,
Let's dive into the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).
Advantages:
1. Less Time in School: The journey to becoming a PA is shorter as it usually requires a master's degree, unlike the lengthy education needed to become a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
2. Balanced Lifestyle: PAs often have more regular work schedules than doctors, which allows for a better balance between work and personal life.
3. Variety of Opportunities: PAs have the flexibility to work in multiple specialties and healthcare environments, giving them a chance to explore various aspects of medicine.
4. High Job Demand: With an aging population and a growing need for healthcare services, the demand for PAs is projected to rise significantly.
5. Attractive Pay: PAs tend to earn competitive salaries, especially considering the shorter education and training period compared to doctors.
6. Collaborative Work Environment: PAs work in close collaboration with doctors and other healthcare professionals, promoting a team-based approach to patient care.
7. Direct Patient Contact: PAs engage directly with patients, allowing them to build meaningful relationships and positively impact patients' health outcomes.
Disadvantages:
1. Limited Independence: PAs are required to work under the supervision of a licensed doctor, which may restrict their independence in decision-making.
2. Emotional Strain: The emotional demands of dealing with patients' illnesses and emotional challenges can be stressful for PAs.
3. Ongoing Education: PAs need to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain their certification, which can be time-consuming.
4. Limited Specialization: Despite the opportunity to work in various specialties, PAs may not reach the same level of expertise as doctors in those fields.
5. Practice Restrictions: The scope of practice for PAs can vary by state and may be more restrictive than that of doctors.
6. Job Stress: Like many healthcare professions, the role of a PA can be stressful due to high patient loads, complicated cases, and time pressures.
7. Career Progression Hurdles: PAs may face challenges in advancing to leadership roles or switching specialties, which may require further education or experience.
In summary, while a career as a PA offers numerous benefits like shorter education, balanced work-life, job versatility, high demand, good pay, team collaboration, and direct patient contact, it also presents challenges such as limited autonomy, emotional stress, ongoing education needs, practice limitations, job stress, and career progression hurdles.
Here are the top 3 authoritative sources used:
1. American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA): The AAPA is the national professional society for PAs in the U.S., providing useful information on PA careers, education requirements, advocacy efforts, and resources for practicing PAs.
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS provides comprehensive data on job outlooks and statistics for healthcare professions like PAs.
3. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): The NCCPA is responsible for certifying and recertifying all PAs in the U.S., setting standards for PA certification exams and continuing education requirements.
May God bless you!
Dear Lory,
Let's dive into the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).
Advantages:
1. Less Time in School: The journey to becoming a PA is shorter as it usually requires a master's degree, unlike the lengthy education needed to become a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
2. Balanced Lifestyle: PAs often have more regular work schedules than doctors, which allows for a better balance between work and personal life.
3. Variety of Opportunities: PAs have the flexibility to work in multiple specialties and healthcare environments, giving them a chance to explore various aspects of medicine.
4. High Job Demand: With an aging population and a growing need for healthcare services, the demand for PAs is projected to rise significantly.
5. Attractive Pay: PAs tend to earn competitive salaries, especially considering the shorter education and training period compared to doctors.
6. Collaborative Work Environment: PAs work in close collaboration with doctors and other healthcare professionals, promoting a team-based approach to patient care.
7. Direct Patient Contact: PAs engage directly with patients, allowing them to build meaningful relationships and positively impact patients' health outcomes.
Disadvantages:
1. Limited Independence: PAs are required to work under the supervision of a licensed doctor, which may restrict their independence in decision-making.
2. Emotional Strain: The emotional demands of dealing with patients' illnesses and emotional challenges can be stressful for PAs.
3. Ongoing Education: PAs need to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain their certification, which can be time-consuming.
4. Limited Specialization: Despite the opportunity to work in various specialties, PAs may not reach the same level of expertise as doctors in those fields.
5. Practice Restrictions: The scope of practice for PAs can vary by state and may be more restrictive than that of doctors.
6. Job Stress: Like many healthcare professions, the role of a PA can be stressful due to high patient loads, complicated cases, and time pressures.
7. Career Progression Hurdles: PAs may face challenges in advancing to leadership roles or switching specialties, which may require further education or experience.
In summary, while a career as a PA offers numerous benefits like shorter education, balanced work-life, job versatility, high demand, good pay, team collaboration, and direct patient contact, it also presents challenges such as limited autonomy, emotional stress, ongoing education needs, practice limitations, job stress, and career progression hurdles.
Here are the top 3 authoritative sources used:
1. American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA): The AAPA is the national professional society for PAs in the U.S., providing useful information on PA careers, education requirements, advocacy efforts, and resources for practicing PAs.
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS provides comprehensive data on job outlooks and statistics for healthcare professions like PAs.
3. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): The NCCPA is responsible for certifying and recertifying all PAs in the U.S., setting standards for PA certification exams and continuing education requirements.
May God bless you!
Thank you so much!
Lory
Martin Schoen
APRN
282
Answers
Ocala, Florida
Updated
Martin’s Answer
Choosing to become a physician assistant, or PA, is indeed a fantastic career path, but not for the reasons you've mentioned. It's not a fallback option if you're not keen on pursuing a PhD. If you're comparing it to the current educational requirements for a nurse practitioner, which includes obtaining a doctorate, then I'm completely on board with you. However, that doesn't seem to be the point you're making. If being a PA isn't something you're passionate about, it's best not to go down that road. This is because it won't provide you with personal career fulfillment, but just a job. Moreover, the journey to becoming a PA involves a lot of studying, both before and after graduation. Working in healthcare requires genuine dedication, not just a willingness to settle!
I think I didn't phrase it well. I meant the educational requirements for it! I feel like pursuing a PhD is definitely admirable and arduous but for my personal circumstances, it won't be as readily available as pursuing a PA degree (both degrees I'm equally passionate about) . But I completely agree with you! Thanks for answering!
Lory
Martin Schoen
APRN
282
Answers
Ocala, Florida
Updated
Martin’s Answer
I completely get why you might hesitate to pursue a PhD, and honestly, I'm right there with you, unless research is your passion. At the moment, Physician Assistants (PAs) only need to finish their Master's degree to get licensed, but there are doctoral programs available too. When it comes to Nurse Practitioners starting fresh, they're required to earn a doctorate degree. However, fewer NPs are choosing the PhD path these days. Most prefer the more hands-on, residency-like DNP route. Personally, I believe the more real-world clinical experience you gain, the better equipped you'll be to serve your patients and yourself post-graduation.
Writing a thesis, unless you're aiming to be an educator or researcher, seems pretty pointless to me, especially considering that using the title "doctor" in a clinical practice, even if rightfully earned, could land you in legal trouble or cost you your license.
One crucial piece of advice: don't enroll in a PA program if deep down, you really want to be a physician. The two roles are very similar, but the limitations of each license and coursework could leave you feeling unsatisfied. A couple of years might seem like a long time right now, but once you start practicing, it will feel like a mere blip in your career timeline.
Writing a thesis, unless you're aiming to be an educator or researcher, seems pretty pointless to me, especially considering that using the title "doctor" in a clinical practice, even if rightfully earned, could land you in legal trouble or cost you your license.
One crucial piece of advice: don't enroll in a PA program if deep down, you really want to be a physician. The two roles are very similar, but the limitations of each license and coursework could leave you feeling unsatisfied. A couple of years might seem like a long time right now, but once you start practicing, it will feel like a mere blip in your career timeline.
Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep that in mind!
Lory
Ethan Ramsey
Physician Assistant
2
Answers
Weston, West Virginia
Updated
Ethan’s Answer
I’ve been a PA for about 4 years. It’s awesome! It’s a fulfilling job with good pay and good work/life balance. It’s fulfilling if you have a passion for taking care of people and medicine. You need to like the idea of life long learning. It’s not something where you get a degree and you’re done.
Two real cons would just be administrative staff. Like anything healthcare is run as a business so you have people in suits that have never seen a patient that come up with ideas that suck.
Second con is Big Pharma.
Two real cons would just be administrative staff. Like anything healthcare is run as a business so you have people in suits that have never seen a patient that come up with ideas that suck.
Second con is Big Pharma.
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to answer. You mentioned that "anything healthcare is run as a business". Does that mean that administrative staff is not just in jobs like a PA but for most of the other healthcare jobs as well?
Lory