Doctor or Physician Assistant?

epiphany
Wed, 15 Apr 2015 03:52:25 +0000

Dear OP,
It would be better to ask that question in the light of what your short-term and long-term goals are as someone working in the field. A relative of mine, after carefully considering M.D. and discussing it with the whole family, chose P.A. because she valued her lifestyle + long & frequent vacations-- so dearly. (She travels internationally at least twice/yr because her husband has relatives abroad.) She did consider the 3 medical specialities which, she said, do not require on-call duty, but given that she is so practically oriented and was in a hurry to get practicing quickly (it was a career change for her), she felt that P.A. fit her lifestyle and fit what she expected out of that position.

She has gotten a lot of satisfaction out of her job and much responsibility. In addition, she has helped out our family medically quite a bit. Her diagnoses, despite not having the title of M.D., are amazingly accurate. My own internist respects her so much that she sometimes considers her opinion when treating me!

Also, she really was not constructed, at any age, for all-nighters – either in medical residency or as an on-call physician such as a pediatrics, obstetrics, etc. She’s one of these people who needs her sleep and goes to bed early. So for her she made the right choice. I also subscribe to what happymom said.