These are just a few reasons why I chose to pursue a career as a PA! --- Subscribe for more videos! Smile & Be Positive! Instagram: @freshprinceofhealthcare
Keep in mind when you are interviewing at PA programs, it's not recommended to talk about the length of education as a significant reason for your decision to become a PA! Unless you are older and have a family, I would recommend not mentioning it in your interviews! Enjoy the video!
Hey Justin! For PA school, it's not a big deal what major you are. My best bet is to choose a major you really enjoy! As long as you do well in the pre-reqs you will be fine!
Hey Angelica! Congrats, that is a huge accomplishment :) Very happy for you! :D and yesss 100% agree with you, PA should not be a backup plan to anything else! Best of luck in PA school!
I'm an MD student and I watched this out of curiosity; thought it was a pretty reasonable discussion of preferring the PA route. Earlier financial stability is a really big one, and I think it's great that you state that as straightforwardly as you do. As you say, you get paid way more for on-the-job training as a PA vs as a resident, even when you account for stipends that some residency programs provide. The length of training is definitely another. The idea of "lateral mobility" I found especially interesting and probably a matter of perspective. I understand the appeal of having the ability to work in different fields and how that might be good for avoiding burnout. However, I think it's not necessarily accurate to portray working in "just one" field as a physician as a bad or negative thing. The reason medical school is so long is that you get both breadth and depth of knowledge to then choose (or your board scores choose for you--kind of) what field you want to dedicate yourself to. And then in residency, you get really, really good in that field. If a person enjoys having expertise and being the endpoint of treating complex problems that require a depth of knowledge in a specific field, then MD/DO might be the better choice. And, further, being dedicated to one field doesn't preclude the ability to be a "lifelong learner." I don't think you'll find a single physician who has decided he or she has stopped learning or stopped feeling the need to learn. Treatments change, our understanding of genetics and pathology change, and disease prevalence changes. There are also specialties that allow you to see a broad range of pathology. Internal medicine/hospital medicine treats literally everything under the sun. Emergency medicine has a "jack of all trades, master of none" style that appeals to people who want lateral mobility within a specialty. Anyway, cool and very well articulated video.
Kevin Huang great points. Definitely anyone in healthcare has to be a lifelong learner. I honestly commend anyone pursuing the medical school route and have really positive vibes towards physicians. Medicine as a whole is such a team based approach and it wouldn’t be the same without each individual playing their specific roles. Best of luck on your journey! 🙏🏽
I choose PA because being a single mother raising an autistic son, Medical school would take up a lot of time and I have so many hobbies. I do respect MDs but there's more to life than medicine.
I think I've made my mind up to become a PA. I've always envisioned myself as a healthcare and thought MD was the way to go. But after shadowing PAs, MDs and med techs, I see PA care more and work more closely with patients. I like that. It's not about ego, I just want to help people feel better and live health lives
Thanks for watching the channel! I thought the same thing and wished there were more PA videos on RU-vid. That inspired me to make videos and pay it forward to future applicants :)
Ahh, I’m so excited to become a PA! When I was pre-med, it felt...wrong. Whenever I’d look at the pre-med track, I was terrified. However, when I learned about the PA profession, I felt a calling. Whenever I look at the pre-PA track, I feel motivated and challenged! I’ve never felt that way with any profession. I’m super excited and congratulations!
same. i wanted to be a surgeon for as long as i could remember, but it felt so daunting and i felt like i wasn’t smart enough and was scared to fail. pa seems so much more promising and aligns way more with me as a person. i’m starting undergrad next year and so excited to become a pa!
There were several factors that influenced my desire to want to be a PA but one of those was the fact that ive never been told by a PA that they wish they had never gone that route. Ive been told by plenty of doctors that they wouldnt do med school if they could it all over again
Here's some other advice for the pre-PAs: * It's physician assistant, not physician's assistant. If a PA school sees that "S" on your application, chances are it'll end up in the circular file. (I'm not kidding.) * Just say "PA." The professional title is a mouthful, the sibilant "S" is a nightmare, and then there's the "Physician Assistant" vs. "Physician Associate" debate. So, just say PA. (Much in the same way you just say MD, DO, or NP.) * There are a lot of ways to get your hands-on hours. Get them lined up sooner than later. * Make your essay personal. Use anecdotes. * If being a PA is a second choice for you, then it's the wrong choice for you.
THANK YOU! I am about to finish my fall semester as a second year pre-med student and I have been feeling a bit wary about becoming a doctor. I have always been so passionate about the medical field, but knowing it will cost a lot of money and time has discouraged me. I am looking towards changing my career path to a PA because I share some of your similar goals and this video has inspired me a bit more. thank you so much!
James Kim PA Student I am currently seeking my bachelors and master (dural enrollment) in healthcare Administration and I was wanting to do PA. I wanted to know what do you think I can do with both degrees together? I have been looking but nothing.
pizza pizza Anesthesia Assistant, which is somewhat similar to a CRNA, except an MD has to be present whereas a CRNA can practice independently under the supervision of an MD. AA is a dying profession....
When talking about money (which shouldn’t be the biggest deciding factor) annual salary is only part of the equation. Yes, physicians (specialty surgeons in huge hospital systems) have a higher annual salary. Duh. But if you have low overhead, a decent wage, and know how to manage your income you can make a lucrative living. This is purely anecdotal, but I know a kick ass charge RN that made 175k last year. She worked hard and managed her money correctly. If you want to make big money look outside the box. If you want power work in a strong program. There was a cardiothoracic PA I worked with that would wear a t shirt and baseball cap wherever he went. He was very respected and could have a cardio ICU bed in 5 minutes when our ED managers would fight 4+ hours for a bed. Don’t let your career be defined by what they put in the college brochure...
I lived with my ex girlfriend for three years of the four years of medical school, everything this man said hits the nail on the head. The financial stress alone to become a doctor is a weight so hard to imagine, plus the stress to keep up pushes nearly every med student to either contemplate dropping out or harming oneself. My ex constantly second guessed herself and wished she had chosen the route of becoming a PA instead, for all the reasons mentioned: time, family, finance, reduced stress. Massive kudos to all whom endure medical school, the world certainly needs as many doctors as we can have. Just know it is not a life decision to embark upon without great deliberation.
This is a great video man, thanks. I first got interested in the PA profession when I found out what a PA was while in the military. I’ve only ever been interested in family medicine, and that was basically what our unit PA did, coughs and sneezes to sprains and breaks. Plowing through the pre reqs as we speak.
I had considered PA school myself at one point but in the end I chose medical school. There's definitely no right or wrong answer it's what works best for you. I have friends that are in PA school and they could've easily gone to medical school but they chose PA school instead because medical school wasn't in line with their end goals. Good job on the video!
@@nicolearguello5224 PA is about 2 years. Med school is 4 years plus 3-7 years of residency, and then 1-2 years of fellowship if choose to do it. A family doctor needs 3 years of residency. Surgeons need 5 years and possibly fellowship as well. Neurosurgeons need 7 years of residency. Resident physicians are paid during training but it’s only $55000-60000 for long hours of work, often 80 hour weeks.
Watching your video has helped me tremendously. I've debated myself for several years after graduating from undergrad in 2013, I still can't figure things out and have just been working entry level jobs. My biggest obstacles at this point would be not having direct patient care hours, though I've worked in a health care related field for several years. I'm in TX so the schools here don't typically require a set number of hours for patient care, but having none at all certainly hurts I'm sure. Pretty positive I'll have to wait another year to even think of applying to PA school, as I would only have one good letter of recommendation and need to take anatomy and physiology still (stupidly I chose to take plant biology during college instead). Thank you, this was very informative for me and has given me hope!
This was really detailed and informative james!. i fell in love with the duties and career line of becoming a PA and now there's no going back . Upload more PA experience videos!
This video really hit home for me. I was originally pre-med but switched over to PA for most of the reasons you mentioned. Now I'm preparing for my first PA school interview this week and couldn't be more excited! Thanks for making great videos, they've been extremely helpful.
Christina! You're very welcome! Congratulations on receiving an interview! That is a huge step in getting closer to your goal. Be yourself and stay positive! :)
This is AWESOME! I'm currently working towards my BSN and have been debating PA or NP. Still on the fence about it, but your videos are very informative! Thanks so much for posting!
Wow, this video was SO helpful!!! I have been wrestling with knowing whether going to PA school is the right decision for me, and your video put a lot of that at ease and I think that it would be a good fit for me. Thank you!!
Thanks for taking a moment to recognize the sacrifices that people make to become physicians. It means a lot to anyone who chose that path. I think a lot of people take physicians sacrifices for granted simply because they are well compensated. If you're only in it for the money it's definitely not worth it.
I enjoyed listen to you. I would like to keep watching your video. I believe that all you shared was helpful and motivated me to keep learning about the different pathways that my bachelor can offer me. This is helping me to keep searching, to have options a decide eats better. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this! I was currently applying to medical school, but the burnout I was already feeling was unreal. I couln't make up my mind, but I was looking at the loans I already have from my masters program and post-bacc program. I couldn't let my loans sit for 8-10 more years lol I feel that we have similar viewpoints and it actually helped me really be good with my decision! Good Luck:)
Hi James! I just rewatched this video after 3 years! You've come SO far, SO quickly! MAN, I'm so PROUD of you! I hope we meet someday! May the good Lord grant you continued success in your positive endeavors!😊👨🏾⚕️
I'm a senior in high school and this video has really solidified my thoughts on becoming a PA. Many of the reasons that geared you towards this career path are similar to mine. Thank you so much for your insight.
I just came across this video today and I would like to thank you for your advice and personal perspective! I'm currently an incoming pre med at my University and my first step is to shadow as much physicians as I can. Thank you so much for making this video! I'm definitely going to have to do a lot of exploring soon.
This was really helpful James! I've done most of the leg work towards applying to med school but for nearly all the reasons you've stated, it's been looking less and less attractive. I'm going to go look into shadowing a PA... thanks so much! also, you're so beautiful whatever family you create will be gorgeous :)
Really great advice man........I'm in grade 10 and I've really been thinking about what I want to do in life now so that I don't feel uncomfortable and start panicking when it's time to make the decision. I've been doing some really deep research into multiple jobs in the medical field (I know my life is headed towards that) and although the high salary of a physician is quite enticing, I don't feel comfortable going into that field because it doesn't seem as though I would have enough time for family, friends and just an adequate amount of interaction outside of work. I want a job that pays me enough to make a really decent living, but also gives me enough time to spend with the people I care about and just relax in general. Watching videos like yours really ensures me that I'm making the right decision. Thank you so much!
I'm about a month away from finishing my first semester of PA school! I chose PA school over med school for many of the same reasons as you. So far, I've learned a lot and enjoyed it as well. Good luck and enjoy your time before school starts, it's non-stop!
Thanks for the videos James they've helped me a ton. Hardest decision of my life but after reading hundreds of accounts from PA's and doctors...I decided to go for PA. I'll have to come up with a better interview answer...but it was honestly down to the time investment and stress levels of becoming a doctor vs PA. I have too many goals outside of work to devote my life to a specialty in medicine. Plus I'm seeing PA jobs offering over 200k in my area which works for me. Maybe if I started my journey at 21 I would have chosen med school but I don't want to wait until I'm 40 before I make good money, and many doctors mention the time sacrifice involved.
Hey James, glad to see you making videos about the profession, as a fellow PA prospective I wish you the best of luck in PA school and cant wait to see more of your videos.
Thank you and appreciate it! I will do my best to make videos while in PA school to give you guys more perspective! Wish you the best on your journey :)
You should definitely keep it up if you can (I've heard PA school is a full time gig) so I hope you have the time, I suggest you make a video about the stereo types guys face going into the PA profession regarding their gender.
Currently I am a biochem major deciding between becoming a Doctor or a PA. This video pointed out that the lifestyle I want lines up better with a career of a PA, so thank you I needed this video.
I've been going back and forth with this topic for a year or so now, and I am a sophomore in college. This video definitely put things into perspective for me and I cant thank you enough for that!
Good points, thanks for sharing! I’m in the med route, and I definitely wish we could switch specialties easier. We don’t even get a lot of exposure to all the different subspecialties, so it’s sometimes challenging to commit to which specialty to pursue.
I’ve finally found the career that I truly admire and love. I applied to university in Canada. Just waiting for their reply. So, that I can start my nursing major and French minor and get my Bsn and then apply to PA school for the Masters PA program!!!!! You’re amazing!
Loving the videos James. I'm a 1st yr Pre-Med student currently and have been weighing a few options on what type of career I'd like to pursue. I've done a lot more research since entering college on what it takes to go to med/pa/chiropractic schools. From listening to you, we seem to share a lot of ideals. Which is why I think I'll shadow a few PA's this summer I think.
hi james! so glad i found your channel today! your videos are all so helpful! I'm a dreamer and becoming a PA or an Orthodontist were my dreams 6 years ago (big difference lol i know) but I wasn't ready mentally or academically for the science courses. I had personal and academic issues so I put the research and dreams on pause then went back to school 2 years ago. I am a web design major and I think that was more of a hobby and wanting a degree in something I enjoy but I have a passion in helping people, thus wanting to become part of the healthcare field as my career. I've been working at a dental office for 3 years now and I am still scared on how well i'd do in the pre-reqs or if I can even get into PA/Dental school, but as time flew by, I thought, if I don't start now with the pre-dental pre-reqs I wouldn't know if I can't actually succeed, time doensn't wait for anyone - so I basically prepped my course outline, prepped my mindset for dental school and finally took BIO1 + 2 and Chem 1 and to my surprise I received A's and B's! The more I think about Dental school though and how old I am (2 years older than you), I feel like I'm digging myself into a big hole, so I am currently reviewing all of my research that I compiled in my PA dream folder and it seems like a better option - why didn't I settle with this sooner and realize the benefits now!? watching your videos today opened my mind up more too. I feel like i have the same aspirations and wants/needs as you do in terms of being a continued lifetime learner, wanting to be in different fields and wanting a family in the future, and most of all, not wanting to be drowned in debt. sorry for this long comment lol I really thank you for your channel and I will continue watching them today lol I haven't watched all of them yet, but I was wondering if you can make a video for non-traditional students wanting to apply for PA? Like what kind of transitions do we need if any? I am not that much of a science-based class person either ._. but i love math. should I rethink my decision for PA too bc of that?
Hey! Thanks for watching the videos and glad they've been helpful! I will most definitely add a video on my advice to non-traditional students to my list of videos to make! I think to begin you should definitely figure out if you want to fully commit to dental or PA, as they are very different things and you need to really figure out which one would you enjoy more and put in the necessary work to get there. If you truly enjoy working in your dental office, why not go the dental school route? It's only 1-2 years more than most PA programs and you can definitely pay off student loans quickly if you are diligent. If you choose to pursue the PA route, continue to finish all the necessary pre-req courses as they are required when you apply to PA school. It's okay to be a web design major as long as you complete and do well in your pre-req courses! You say you're not a science-based class person but you received A's and B's in BIO 1 & 2 and CHEM 1. So lets get that notion out of your head because you obviously can handle science courses and have done well in them. I would check with PA programs if your dental office experience counts as patient care experience. If they do not accept it, you will most likely need to get direct patient care experience either through EMT, CNA, MA, PT aide, LVN, just to name a few. Whichever route you decide to choose, if you're really passionate about it, you're never too old to pursue it. You are still fairly young so just carefully weigh your options and go from there! Hope that helped!
Hi Kwaniie! I'm also not feeling confident about taking these science courses for PA school. I read you got A's and B's in Bio and Chem! do you have any tips on how you overcame the fear? and any tips on how you achieved As and B's in those classes? thank you!!
thank you soon much for this video. I have an appointment with a pre-health advisor tomorrow and i was unsure of what to ask, but this clarified so much. My personality is very similar to yours and I think i would excel in this profession! thanks again :-)
James Kim PA Student the meeting was amazing! I haven't felt this excited about my future in so long. Only problem is that my family isn't thrilled because I have had the dream of being a doctor since I was three years old, and they don't fully understand the PA profession, but hopefully they'll come around :-)
from Joel: James, Your comments are right on target! After a career as a U.S. Army officer (Signal Corps), I was a PA for 30 years before fully retiring >10 years ago. I'm now 84yo and have absolutely no regrets about becoming a PA.🙂
I'm glad that i ran into yr vid, understanding the PA route a bit more now. I will be applying to a surgical technology program by the end of the year (also interested to apply for CNA program) but now I'm questioning my decision because I'm interested in PA school after watching this vid. This is hard. Anyway, loved that end caption "Don't forget to be my blood type, Be Positive"
I'm applying to PA school this summer. Married with three children. Length of education is a big plus, especially in my stage of life. A lot of your reasons are my reasons.
The biggest factor for me when it comes to choosing a career is how much time i will spend with my future family. I chose to specialize in dentistry, most likely orthodontia.
omg!! thank you so much for this and i really feel like this might be the one for me instead of MD esp with me being so impulsive and i always wanted to try peds, surgery, ER, and cardio and with MD i cant switch between the four of them 😭😭😭
AMAZING video! currently a freshmen in college and was accepted into an amazing direct nursing school. has had doubts with continuing with nursing school because I don't see a future with nursing, more interested in the doctoral duties.
Dude I’ve been struggling to finish my med school applications for months now, primarily because I’m also an “impulsive” person like you described. I want to learn and do it all and was afraid that if I became a physician, I would switch specialties MULTIPLE times later on. I tried looking for a specialty that’s super broad so I can keep as many doors open as possible but, I still couldn’t convince myself that this was truly what I wanted to do. After exploring other options, I’ve realized that becoming a PA is a WAY better fit for my personality/impulsiveness and I couldn’t be happier! All the anxiety and fears of choosing a single speciality are gone! Lol
I’m 2 years late on this video😂 but I’ve wanted to be a doctor my whole life but having a big family is the most important thing to me. Because of that (and other reasons), I just decided being a doctor most likely won’t be the right path for me. I was literally about to just give up and then I was told about being a PA. And I think I just found out, for certain, what I wanna be. So thank you.
This is amazing. I've been wanting to become a PA for years and just expected that I'd have to sacrifice my big family dreams like most college heavy careers, but I had no idea just how conducive the profession is to starting a big family young
Good luck! Just rechecking this video comments. I start clinicals on Monday. PA school is definitely the most difficult thing I have done in my entire life, but it will be worth it in the end.
My mother was a pa and than after she had a few kids, she went back to med school and she says that being a pa helped her figure out her specialty. She went to Med school at 33 when all me and my 3 siblings were old enough to go to school and didn’t need to be cared for all the time and she was a practicing doctor by 41 because her med school was a 3 year program and her residency was only 5 years. She also had my dad who made about 70 k as a teacher to take care of us when we were out of school. It’s never too late and you don’t have to sacrifice a family for it. She was around a lot growing up and I think it’s a misconception that doctors don’t have time for their families. She had passive income because she invested while working as a pa and bought properties to rent out so that was enough to keep me and my siblings accounted for while she was in med school. She paid off her loans after only 3 years because she maid 350 k a year and gave about 75k a year. She has passive income so she isn’t worried about having debt in retirement and she has passive income that will still come after she retires so she isn’t worried about not having saved enough to retire. The reason she switched is because she always wanted to do surgery and while physician assistants can specialize in surgery, they can only do small things like cutting abscesses and inserting chest tubes and my mom longed to do more complex procedures. Shes now an attending general surgeon at a hospital and shes happier than she’s ever been. If you want to do something, don’t let time or age deter you. You’ll be that age anyway. You just may not be as fulfilled. If she didn’t do it, she would be 41 anyway but she wouldn’t have been as happy as she is now.
@@amaltaher2717 Not all of us are privileged with wealth and a spouse who makes good income to pay off medical school debt. Good for your mom, but most of us don’t have that luxury. “Just buy more properties and investments” lol as if it’s that easy.
James Kim. I'm a single mom of two boys with a dream of being a dermatologist. Of course going to medical school is probably not a good idea for someone in my situation. I'm 25 so I'd like to start school now. This video definitely put a smile on my face and I'm so thankful for it. I will now plan on becoming a PA in dermatology. I'm inspired and hopeful I can really do it. I will really give it all I got.
Hi, your video is very helpful for my daughter who got a seat for DO school and now she is also trying to get in PA schools. she is confused what to do and not 100% sure about DO school . now after watching your video ,we can decide to be PA. thanks a lot & God bless you.
It's funny how you guys have separate p.a school in the states. Here in the UK, to become a p.a, we have to go to medical school. Although, some unis (less prestigious ones) offering the p.a course don't even have a medical school. Also, the official title here in the UK is physician associate and not assistant. I think that may be because assistant is a separate, very specialist role in anaesthesia. We do a 3 year undergraduate science degree (post-18 years of age) and then a 2 year p.a studies masters degree. So overall, the route is 5 years, which seems shorter than the US route
Thank you so much for these videos. I am a junior in high school and am trying to get into a BS/MS program right out of senior year. Not many schools offer a program with direct entry so I love watching your videos and seeing your perspective. Keep up the awesome work! :)
Thank you for elaborating on your decision. I’m currently a firefighter in the Air Force reserves and have always wanted to be in the medical field. I have considered becoming a paramedic but I’m leaning more towards PA since I’ve always wanted to be a doctor but I just can’t fathom being in school for another 10+ years when I’m already 25
zena shamoon most important of all is to make sure you gain health care experience!! That’s one of the most important steps!! Start shadowing and volunteer nowwww!!
I've been thinking a lot about this recently and I'm having a hard time deciding what to choose. I currently have acceptances to DO and NP school. I'm a paramedic and worked in EMS around 10 years. Ive been out of pre-med over a year and I'm really enjoying having a life again. I really wanted to be an emergency physician but I just don't know if I can do that time commitment anymore, I'm getting older I want a house, start dating again etc. I wont be able to do that if i go to DO school. I know I'd probably be happy being an NP in the ER and I really like the fact Ill be licensed in 3 years. I'm just worried if I pass up my med school acceptance to be an NP I might regret it later on. Great info in your video!
Hi I am a rising junior/senior. I am graduating early and I really want to become a PA. I’ve looked for potential professions for myself for months now. I knew I enjoyed interacting with people and I also knew that I wanted to help people. My goal is to graduate college in 3 years as well and get into PA school. But, I’m kind of confused on how all of this PA school stuff and college classes work. I heard that you have to take specific majors in college in order to fit PA school criteria. This whole PA thing to me in unreal. The amount of years required for a PA is way less than most doctors. I was completely shocked to discover this profession. I was absolutely thrilled to even find out how much they pay you a year. Essentially I’m doing a job I enjoy and I’m getting paid well. May you please inform me on what major you decided to take in college and how your 4 years of undergrad has a way of playing a huge role in PA school. Basically, may you please explain the classes you took and your journey into becoming a PA. I am currently 16 and will be 17 when I graduate. If I do 3 years of undergrad at college and 2 years of PA school, can I be earning money and be out into my profession by the age of 23 or 24?
