This or That? Medical School vs PA School

Imagine this: you are a sophomore in undergrad and you still have no idea what you want to do after school. You’ve always thought you wanted to attend medical school, but now the extra 8+ years of schooling seems a little daunting. Now you’re considering other options. You are learning more and more about the physician assistant profession but aren’t sure if it’s for you. I have been there friend. Deciding on what you want to do after college is such a BIG decision. Some people are super clear on what they want for themselves after school and others aren’t so sure. Either one is okay. I am going to discuss some key differences between medical school vs pa school in the hopes that it may offer some clarity over the nagging question or at the very least give you a different view to consider.

The degree of difficulty in acceptance

Both medical school and PA school have low acceptance rates. This will differ from school to school. According to Shemmassian Academic Consulting both US medical schools and PA programs had an average acceptance rate of 7% in 2019-2020. Less people applied to PA school vs medical school during that time frame. Only 41% of medical school applicants started a medical program versus 32% of applicants who started a PA program within the same year. So according to these statistics, PA school and medical school are comparable in the degree of difficulty in acceptance.

Don’t forget that certain prerequisites such as standaridized testing and required patient contact hours are a part of this formula. Medical schools require the MCAT, which is a much more grueling exam than the GRE. On the other hand, PA programs typically require more clinical experience prior to applying. Depending on the PA program you wish to attend you may need to take time off between undergrad and PA school before you are eligible to apply, in order to achieve the minimum required patient contact hours.

Years of schooling

This category can vary based on chosen residency post-medical school or if someone wants to pursue a fellowship. Taking only residency into consideration the average time someone spends in medical school is 8.5 years. Compared to an average of 27 months or roughly 2.5 years for PA school. Medical school plus residency is on average 6 years longer than PA school!! This was one of the main factors I considered when deciding between the two. You can be in the workforce, making a living and helping patients much sooner if you decide to attend PA school.

Debt

This category will also vary greatly depending on a number of factors such as: where the school is located, if it is a public versus a private program, and if you are paying for in-state or out-of-state tuition. I pulled through some statistics to help. According to Education Data Initiative, the average medical school debt for a student is roughly $202,000. You can compare this to PA graduates who have an average debt of $112,500, according to The Physician Assistant Life. These numbers do not include any debt prior to school.

Salary

Now let’s look at salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for physician assistants in 2021 was $121,530 per year, versus the median salary for physicians in 2021 which was greater than $208,000. This will also look different based on medical specialties. Dermatologists, cardiologists, and plastic surgeons can generate incomes greater than $400,000 per year. The truth is becoming a physician takes more time and money so of course they will be compensated accordingly.

Lifestyle and career satisfaction

A positive factor about having a career as a PA is that you have the ability to easily switch specialties at any time. If you were to decide you no longer enjoy a certain field of medicine as a PA you can make that switch. Physicians, on the other hand, don’t necessarily have that luxury, at least not easily. Furthermore, while PAs are required to take call for certain jobs, it is more likely a physician will be required to do so over a PA. In some hospital settings, physicians may have long and irregular hours. According to Mayo Clinic, PAs are more likely to have regular schedules and work an average of 40 hours a week. In a discussion paper by The National Academy of Medicine, on burnout and job and career satisfaction, it was determined that PAs and NPs experienced higher rates of career satisfaction (95%) compared to physicians (82%).

I believe a lot of this is extremely dependent on which school you attend and which medical specialty you choose. You also have to take into consideration that if you attend PA school you will likely have a much easier time choosing your desired medical specialty. If you go to medical school it is not guaranteed you will match into your chosen specialty. I am happy with my decision to attend PA school and become a dermatology PA. My salary is above average after only 2 years working, and I am on track to pay off the entirety of my student loans before the end of the year. Most importantly, I have both lifestyle and career satisfaction.

What other factors are you considering when making the choice between medical school vs PA school? Let us know in the comments below!