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You are here: Home / PA vs MD / MD Versus PA Showdown Round 1 – Show Me The Money!

MD Versus PA Showdown Round 1 – Show Me The Money!

January 28, 2014 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 117 Comments

show me the money tom cruise

Before you read this post I want you to take a quick survey.

What do you think?

Physician Assistant vs. MD - Show Me The Money

Often the decision between PA and MD is considered a difficult one, but should it be?

Today I am posting the first in a series of posts to help prove to you why this age-old debate is not a debate at all.

And since the biggest search phrase in Google following the word "Physician Assistant" is "Salary" I thought I would start by addressing the elephant in the room and show you the numbers.

Annual salary numbers themselves are useless, as they are not a good representation of salary in relation to all the hidden variables such as time spent in training, debt, residency, and average hours worked per week.

This post is going to address all of these variables using an elegant equation and we will calculate a more important indicator:

True Hourly Wage!

This post is heavy with numbers so you may need to grab your glasses (and a calculator), but as you will see the results are interesting!

So let's get going...

doctor counting money copy

Medical Doctors (MD) - True Hourly Wage

Becoming a physician is expensive!

For the 2018-2019 academic year, the average total student budget for public and private undergraduate universities was $25,890 and $52,500, respectively.

If one attends an average priced institution, receives subsidized loans and graduates in four years they will have about $33,310 of student loan debt from undergraduate college.

For the 2018-2019 academic year, the median cost of tuition and fees for public and private medical schools was $32,495 and $52,515 per year, respectively.

This does not include the cost of rent, utilities, food, transportation, health insurance, books, professional attire, licensing exams fees or residency interview expenses.

Therefore, the average medical student budget is about $55,000 per year; $40,000 for tuition and $15,000 for living expenses.

If one attends an average priced medical school, receives 1/3 subsidized loans and graduates in 4 years; at a 7% APR, statistically, they will have $200,527 of debt from medical school at graduation.

If one borrows $22,500 bi-annually and two-thirds of this accrues interest compounded bi-annually at 3.5% – their total student loan debt for both college and medical school will then be $300,527. Forbearing this debt through 5 years of residency and paying it off over 20 years will cost about $788,880 of one’s net income.

Loan repayment programs such as those offered by the military are not a solution for the majority. Each year, about 22,000 medical students graduate from U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Each year the military matches 800 students into its residency training programs because that is the military’s anticipated future need for physicians.

The U.S. tax code allows taxpayers to deduct a maximum of $2,500 per year of student loan interest paid to their lender.

This deduction is phased out between incomes of $115,000 and $145,000. Therefore, this benefit is of no help to most physicians.

If one were to start a business, they could deduct nearly all of their expenses. Yet for unclear reasons, one cannot deduct the cost of becoming a physician; not the tuition or even the interest on the money they borrowed to pay their tuition.

During residency, if one makes payments of $1,753 per month, or $21,037 per year, to pay off the accruing interest, their debt will still be $300,527 at the end of residency.

However, they will have spent $63,111 over the course of a 3-year residency or $126,222 over the course of a 6-year residency to keep their debt from growing.

Though paying off the interest during residency is the responsible thing to do; coming up with $21,037 each year from one’s net pay of $40,000 may be quite difficult.

Time spent training, student loan debt and the U.S. tax code makes the income of physicians deceiving. A board-certified internal medicine physician who is married with 2 children, living in California and earning the median internist annual salary of $211,441 will be left with $140,939 after income taxes and $106,571 after student loan payments.

This is assuming a federal Income tax rate of 28%, California state income tax rate of 6.6%, Social Security tax rate of 6.2% and a Medicare tax rate of 1.45%.

You can go to paycheckcity.com to get an idea of what one’s net pay would be for different incomes, states of residence, marital status, the number of children, etc. Paying off a debt of $369,425 over 20 years at a 7% APR will require annual payments of $34,368.

Those student loan payments will continue to consume about $34,000 of their net income for 20 years until they are finally paid off.

What started off as $300,527 in student loan debt will end up costing $687,360. This debt that consumes one-fourth of their net income for 20 years wasn’t accrued because they bought a house they couldn’t afford – it is because they chose to become a physician.

Believe it or not, the amount of money reaching a physician’s personal bank account per hour worked is only a few dollars more than that of a high school teacher.

net-hourly-wage-doctor

In order to make this calculation, we will neglect inflation of the U.S. dollar by assuming that inflation will increase at the same rate as the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar decreases.

We will also assume that physician incomes keep pace with inflation. We will also assume that tuition costs, student loan interest rates, resident stipends, physician reimbursements, and the U.S. income tax structure are as described above and do not change.

The median gross income (income before taxes) among internal medicine physicians is $230,441.

The median net income (income after taxes) for an internist who is married with two children living in California is then $191,939.

Internal medicine is a three-year residency, so throughout residency, they will earn a total net income of about $120,000 and spend about 34,000 hours training after high school.

The total cost of training including interest, forborne for three years and paid off over 20 years as explained above is $687,260.

One study reported that the average hours worked per week by practicing Internal Medicine physicians was 57 hours per week. Another study reported the mean to be 55.5 hours per week. We will use 56 hours per week and assume they work 48 weeks per year.

If they finish residency at 29 years old and retire at 65 years old they will work for 36 years at that median income.

Lets Run The Numbers:

True Hourly Wage for a Medical Doctor

[(140,939 x 36) + (120,000) – (687,260)] / [(56 x 48 x 36) + (34,000)] = $34.46

The adjusted net hourly wage for an internal medicine physician is then 

$34.46 per hour

And Now The Moment You Have All Been Waiting For...

doctor and money

Physician Assistant - True Hourly Wage

The median gross income (income before taxes) among physician assistants is $104,760

The median net income (income after taxes) for a physician assistant who is married with two children living in California is then $76,277

Physician assistants do not have a residency. They spend about 6,400 hours training after high school plus they will need roughly 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience prior to applying to PA School. PA school is roughly 4,300 hours of training. This is made up of 2,000 hours of didactic and 2,000 hours of clinical hours plus the amount of time it takes to get a bachelor’s degree.

The total hours of training for a Physician Assistant are roughly 12,400 hours of training after high school.

The total cost of training if one attends an averaged priced institution and pays off their debt over 20 years at a 6.8% interest rate is roughly $197,176. You can estimate your own payments here.

One study reported that the average hours worked per week by a practicing Physician Assistant was 40 hours per week. Another study reported the mean to be 42 hours per week. We will use 41 hours per week and assume they work 48 weeks per year.

If they finish PA School at 27 years old and retire at 65 years old they will work for 38 years at that median income.

Since most PA's do not receive a pension we will say our hypothetical PA will get a 3% employer match for 38 years and I am going to ignore interest on this income so it is about $114,000.

Lets Run The Numbers:

True Hourly Wage for a Physician Assistant

[(76,277 x 38) + (114,000) – (197,176)] / [(41 x 48 x 38) + (12,400)] = 42.63

The adjusted net hourly wage for a Physician Assistant is then 

$32.29 per hour

And Just For The Fun of it Because Both of My Parents are Teachers

Rich Teacher

True Hourly Wage - High School Teacher

The median gross income among high school teachers, including the value of benefits but excluding their pension, is about $57,720.

The median net income for a high school teacher who is married with two children living in California is then $44,791.

This is assuming a federal Income tax rate of 15%, California state income tax rate of 6.6%, Social Security tax rate of 6.2% and a Medicare tax rate of 1.45%. You can go to paycheckcity to get an idea of what one’s net pay would be for different incomes, states of residence, marital status, the number of children, etc.

Teachers spend about 6,400 hours training after high school, the amount of time it takes to get a bachelor’s degree.

The total cost of training if one attends an averaged priced institution and pays off their debt over 20 years at a 7% interest rate is $186,072.

At this income one would be able to deduct the interest on their student loans from their income taxes; however, those savings are not accounted for in the calculation below.

High school teachers have about 10 weeks off each summer, 2 weeks off during Christmas, 1 week off for spring break and 1 week of personal paid time off. Therefore, high school teachers who work a full-time average of 40 hours per week for 38 weeks each year.

Yes, teachers spend time “off the clock” preparing for class, correcting papers, etc. However, physicians also spend time “off the clock” reading, studying, going to conferences, etc. If a high school teacher finishes college at 22 years old and retires at 65 years old, they will work for 43 years.

Most teachers also receive a pension. We will assume their gross annual pension including the value of benefits is $40,000 which is a net pension of $35,507. If they die at 80 years old they will receive this pension for 15 years.

Lets Run The Numbers:

True Hourly Wage for Teacher

[(42,791 x 43) + (35,507 x 15) – (186,072)] / [(40 x 38 x 43) + (6,400)] = $31.67

The adjusted net hourly wage for a high school teacher is then

$31.67 per hour

For The Love of Money

The median gross income among internal medicine physicians is $211,441.

The median gross income among high school teachers, including the value of benefits but excluding their pension, is about $57,000 per year.

The Median gross income among physician assistants, including the value of benefits is around $115,000 per year.

Accounting for time spent training, student loan debt, years worked, hours worked per year and disproportionate income taxes – the net adjusted hourly wage of an internist is $34.46 per hour, while that of a high school teacher is $31.77 per hour and that of a physician assistant is $32.29.

Though the gross income of an internal medicine physician is 4 times that of a high school teacher, the adjusted net hourly wage of an internal medicine physician is only 1.13 times that of a high school teacher and 1.07 times more than that of a physician assistant! Click To Tweet

PA vs. MD Round 1 - goes to MD (but by an extremely narrow margin)

*Oh yeah, and how about that stay at home 35-year-old living in the basement in our poll? If anybody has time to do that calculation please post it in the comments section... We may all be working way too hard!

If you liked this post please feel free to share with a like 🙂

- Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Have you seen the PA vs. MD infographic?

PA VS MD
The PA VS MD Infographic

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life and Smarty PANCE Board Review websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin says

    April 21, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    Hi there. I am really struggling. The only two things that I have always wanted to do are practice medicine and be a mother. I have to apply within a year, and I just can’t make a decision. I realize many female MDs work full time and are amazing mothers. I fully support that, and I am happy for them. Please understand that I am not criticizing these mothers, I just know myself and I know that once I have kids, I will not be happy working full time, at least when they are young. I would have absolutely no problem in med school. I LOVE school, so that is not an issue. I am not too worried about debt; I have a full ride for undergrad and I know that whether I go MD or PA, my salary will be high enough to pay off my debt. I am mostly just concerned about lifestyle. It is important to me to be home with my family, which points me in the direction of PA school. However, I have heard that the PA field is oversaturated, and it is hard to get a job lately because the profession is becoming more popular. I have heard it is especially hard in Missouri, specifically St. Louis, as this region generally prefers NPs. Is this true? I am hearing so many things and would love if you could weigh in. Thank you in advance.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      April 26, 2022 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Erin, I can tell you have given this a tremendous amount of consideration, so I am sure you will make the best decision for your situation. As a family practice PA working in California, I am always blown away when people mention that PAs are having trouble finding jobs in various parts of the country. The healthcare shortage is profound, so I find it hard to believe that the PA profession is saturated anywhere. But is that the case in Missouri? You may know better than I! I receive recruitment letters weekly from all types of specialties offering competitive salaries, relocation bonuses, and great benefits. The job market, according to the oft-quoted Bureau of Labor Statistics National Occupational Outlook Handbook, predicts a 31% increase over the next ten years. In California, we have been gaining ground on NPs even in family practice, and I notice the County of Santa Cruz, CA where I work (which has notoriously been bullish on NPs) has been hiring many PAs… I like to think it is because of our amazing track record.? As far as family is concerned, my partner and I have raised two children now, ages 12 and 14, as part of a healthcare family (my wife is an RN, and I am a PA), and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know several MDs who I work with who have been integral in their children’s lives and raised very happy children, and I am fairly sure they would also say they wouldn’t have changed a thing. The one caveat here is choosing the right specialty. I think this applies to both the PA and the MD profession. Avoid surgical subspecialties if you want to be happy and part of your children’s precious childhoods. In my experience, the on-call hours and the constant grind can be exceedingly difficult to maintain while prioritizing your family. Maybe somebody else would like to weigh in on this, but that is my experience and I have seen many MDs (and PAs) lives upended because of it.

      Stephen

      Reply
  2. Alexis Rice says

    February 17, 2021 at 10:13 am

    I an currently a undergraduate student trying to figure out which route is best for me. I want to be able to build/maintain a family. I am trying to decide between NP, PA, or MD. My specialties will likely be between Obstetrics Gynecology (the more likely option), Pediatrics, or maybe even Dermatology. I am confused because when I look up average salaries it sometimes says that Nurse Practitioners make more than Physician Assistants and that they have more Autonomy, even though I also read that it varies by state. I want to be able to deliver babies and have independence. I like working in groups sometimes. I imagine myself actually working with the patient and being there for them. I could see myself being in states like CA, GA, FL, NC. Where would you recommend I do? I don’t want to be overworked which I heard is the case for nursing positions. But in my desired specialty there are barely any PA positions that will allow them to help birth babies. HELP!

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      February 18, 2021 at 8:13 am

      Hi Alexis,

      Have you investigated nurse-midwifery as an option? Just want to add a bit more to your confusion :-)… Take a look into this and let me know your thoughts.

      Stephen

      Reply
  3. Miki says

    September 18, 2019 at 1:58 pm

    Stephen,
    Thank you for writing this post. It truly helped me decide to be a PA instead of a MD.
    I like to help people too, and I also want to have a life and hobbies outside of my career. It is great to read what you wrote!

    Reply
  4. Eugene C SANTILLANO says

    June 23, 2019 at 8:03 am

    Current loan interest can be consolidated under 4% (3.75 last offer I received in mail).

    Specialty matters, this calculation is for primary care specialist.

    For someone nervous about carrying debt, PA school is an easy decision….. but you need to apply and qualify. It may be easier to get in, so that is also a stress relief, but you may need to broaden WHERE you are willing to receive your training.

    Loan repayment programs are changing, most recently the CA loan repayment program for primary care doctors will help pay up to 300K in educational debt! This applies to primary care, let’s face it, specialists salaries are much higher, and they can afford to pay their loans.

    Many employers are able to offer loan repayment as additional salary benefit, so educational debt really should not be the reason to not choose Medical school.

    Time for training, location, family, and ultimately work life are all real. The is a major trend supporting PA training and the job availability is plentiful.

    The ability to find employment where you want to live is definitely favorable…. and you can change specialties as a PA because your not tied to board certified training limiting your job opportunities.

    Reply
    • Tim says

      July 28, 2019 at 3:41 pm

      Physicians comp varies greatly. PCP is at the bottom tier, then academic vs employed vs private practice as well as geographic region. For Family Medicine, your logic makes relatively good sense.
      However, add two more years residency/fellowship and the board certification and compensation skyrocket. Both starting comp and average comp are at least double. Easily in reach is over $500k plus large retirement plan opportunities. It is competitive and sacrifices are made. PA’s have much more limited upside. Read Medscape physician compensation surveys.

      Reply
  5. Cole says

    June 18, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    I am seriously considering the PA route. However, I am leaning heavily into the research aspect of the career… I want to research new ways to treat the brain. I have no initiatives for creating/maintaining a family, don’t mind dashing upwards of a 60+ workweek, and want to pour myself into the concepts of neurology, neuropathology and perhaps a touch of psychiatry. Also, employment autonomy and being the “final word” are important to me in a salient decision-making team. For these “personal” reasons, a lot of people suggest I should go MD or DO. Do you agree?

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      June 19, 2019 at 2:26 pm

      Hi Cole, yes, I agree that you would probably be better off (and happier) pursuing your MD and going into research as you have suggested. And what better place than in the field of neuroscience!! You will never be bored!

      Stephen

      Reply
    • Eugene C SANTILLANO says

      June 23, 2019 at 7:43 am

      MD for research, maybe even MD/ PhD! Most combined PhD programs will pay your MD educational debt

      Reply
  6. Max Vinograd says

    March 17, 2019 at 7:43 pm

    Why not just “Why my wife is happy I am a Physician Assistant”? Do we need to downgrade another profession just to further validate our own?

    PA can be the perfect profession for some, but not for others. Also it turns out that no PA working today would have the ability to work without a supervising MD. We need great doctors! Future healthcare providers need to know all of their options when choosing a career path – and should be educated on it. But he/she should be making this decision on his/her own.

    Disclaimer: I am a PA and I love my job!

    Reply
  7. A. says

    February 24, 2019 at 8:42 am

    This isn’t how things work in real life. Doctors work more and make more than teachers and PAs- let’s not use numbers to fabricate reality here.

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      December 13, 2019 at 11:22 am

      I was wondering if someone was going to bring up REALITY in response to this obviously biased article. I am a college advisor and previous high school teacher, and my husband is currently pursuing medical school. We’ve done the math, and these numbers are way off because of faulty assumptions. One such huge assumption is that all doctors make and stay at around $210K/year. Not even close to true, especially when you get into different specialties. Another faulty assumption is that a doctor is going to take the maximum amount of time to pay off student debt, and that they have debt from their bachelor’s as well. Both would be wrong in most cases. The entire teacher’s salary calculations are waaaay off due to many factors, and I would know. This guy can’t possibly think that a high school teacher takes home within $3 of what a doctor makes, accounting for all the factors he is (mistakenly) taking into account. With the type of mathematical logic he’s using, I’m surprised at his education level. Doctors make way more than teachers, and much more than PAs as well. Let’s not fool ourselves. All one has to do is look at their differing socioeconomic lifestyles, net worths, and assets to know that. We could have saved him making up data to fit this narrative.

      Reply
      • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

        December 17, 2019 at 8:26 am

        All good points Melissa and you are right…

        – “One such huge assumption is that all doctors make and stay at around $210K/year. Not even close to true, especially when you get into different specialties.” Yes, for a doctor pursuing surgical subspecialties it is common to make well over 400-600k per year.
        – “Another faulty assumption is that a doctor is going to take the maximum amount of time to pay off student debt and that they have debt from their bachelor’s as well.” Yes, if you are able to fund school without accruing debt this will create a much more favorable situation (for both the teacher and the doctor)

        In the end, all financial breakdowns and comparisons are going to depend on a multitude of factors that have nothing (or very little) to do with the cost and length of education and the average pay scale. One can become just as trapped while playing a game of lifestyle inflation and hedonic adaptation making 20 million dollars a year. Just look at so many artists who have found themselves bankrupt at a very young age! The truth is if you play your cards right and educate yourself on finance at an early age you can make decisions that will help you attain your goals whatever they are. Whether that is working in the Peace Corps as a doctor, helping inner-city youth as a teacher, becoming a college professor, or opening a business as a plumber, working on the NY stock exchange, or even retiring early to a sunny beachside in the Bahamas.

        Thanks for your comment, I am sure your students are lucky to have you as their college advisor!!

        Warmly,

        Stephen Pasquini PA-C
        http://www.smartypance.com
        http://www.thepalife.com

        Reply
        • happychineseboy says

          June 29, 2020 at 8:30 pm

          I have 2 major bones to pick with your calculations.

          1.) PAs get employer matching contributions, teachers get a pension, yet physicians get nothing? This is unlikely and unrealistic. Give the physician 3% match and this will add a cool $250k ($230k x 3% x 36 years) to the numerator.

          2.) MD training is 34,000 hours and PA training is 12,400? I am curious how you pulled 34,000 out of thin air. 6,400 for undergrad (consistent your other two career choices) and 3 x 3,000 (80 x 30 + 40 x 15 + 0 x 8) hours for residency (3 years since you are assuming the salary of a IM physician with a 4+2 schedule working 80 hours /week during IP blocks and 40 hrs/week during OP blocks plus 4 weeks for vacation and 4 weeks for “research” if pursuing a specialty but since the assumed doctor will not specialize this research time will be spent researching Netflix’s catalog of movies and shows). This leaves about 18,000 hours spent in medical school? Unlikely and terrible assumption. The first 2 years of medical school is about 4,000 hours and the last 2 years take up no more than 3,000 hours of “training” for didactic/clinical work. The denominator should really be reduced by about 10,000 hours.

          Make these realistic adjustments and MD earnings will dwarf a PA’s earnings.

          Even the least ambitious MDs will blow your average PA out of the water. I hope PAs are never allowed to work independently of MDs. Honestly a MD should have been required to sign off on this pathetic work of yours.

          Reply
          • SN2me says

            September 18, 2020 at 8:14 am

            Your mother should have been required to sign off on your ability to access the Internet. She either failed to teach you how to disagree cordially or you lack basic social skills. Grow up.

            Reply
        • Eddie says

          February 6, 2022 at 6:29 pm

          I have 500 k debt.
          I will pay 250 k in total and loans will be forgiven… this is via pslf.
          I am internal medicine.
          I made 420 k 2021 and expect to push 500 k this year.

          PA vs doctor aren’t even close for pay. Both great fields but not close.

          Reply
  8. CherrieAnn Lindsey says

    July 19, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    I read your article, and it was interesting to say the least. However, there was one small error…and because your parents are teachers you should know…that teachers rarely work fourty hours a week. I’m and English teacher in Kansas. My yearly income is 37000. I work Monday-Friday, but my day starts at 7:30 and I leave the building at 4:30 on a good day. I don’t get bathroom breaks, coffee breaks, and if a fight breaks out on my way to lunch…I don’t get my 25 minutes to snarf food. I also spend two to three hours a night at home grading, planning, and writing tests and lessons at least three days a week. I also must read and re read everything I as my students to read. I am also required to attend workshops and seminars often on the summers. Then couple in the students who I care about showing up to school sick, scared, or worse and worries come home with me. Please also remmwber I don’t get off everyday your child does. I have in-service days, parent teacher conferences, and work days. You job is critical don’t get me wrong. Your college costs are astronomical I agree. I also spend at a minimum 400.00 a year out of my own pocket for items needed in my classroom. Teachers work an average of 51 hours a week for fourty weeks. That translates into 39.2 hours a week for 52 weeks. Then you get you hourly wage of 15.45 per hour and I didn’t calculate for my student debt. I’ve paid 150.00 a month for the past 13 years and have 33k left to go and…I didn’t subtract my out of pocket expenses from my salary. Just saying I’m not a mathematician but your numbers might be off. Show me a teacher who works only 40 hours and only works 38 weeks a year.

    Reply
  9. SK says

    May 10, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    I want to thank you for sharing this. I am a second year college student majoring in biology and I frequently go back and forth between whether I want to go to PA school or Med school next. As a girl I tend to think a lot about the family aspect, as I wish to have all my kids before the age of 35, and be able to be a mother who is able to be around a lot as my kids grow up. This just made me about 90% sure that I want to be a PA (which is the most sure I’ve ever been). Thank you again 🙂

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      May 10, 2018 at 10:08 pm

      Hi, SK, I am glad I was able to nudge you in the right direction! I am pretty biased, but in today’s medical climate, I think it’s safe to say that you’re making the right decision. Let me know if you ever have any questions.

      Stephen

      Reply
  10. David Garrell says

    May 8, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    I was fortunate enough to have medical school payed by my parents so I earn tons more. My father was a physician so he could afford it in the old days. My son is going to go to Med School in 2018 and I can afford to pay his entire tuition. Doctors are often a family trade just like fireman, so keep it in the family or forget it from a monitary stand point

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      May 8, 2018 at 4:44 pm

      Good advice David, I am sure a vast majority of those who want to be doctors are not doing it for the money, nor should they. It is good to have that validated.

      Stephen

      Reply
  11. Peter Terry MD says

    July 16, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Thank you for this fascinating and insightful analysis. many people both MD and PA are not aware of the actual return on investment of their time, money, emotional strength, health etc required in training and work. either over or underestimating it.

    I request that you analyze the cost/revenue provided by the MD and PA training career track much as you have done, but with the following aim: to arrive at a number for the future value which results from each track. that is, viewing each track purely as an investment. I would be interested in seeing a future value at the time of say 10 years into post training practice, and at retirement age. thus answering the question, if you undertake this track, what value will be created at the 10th year of practice and at retirement. feel free to ignore taxes and inflation.

    my son is interested in ortho and I want him to realize the actual cost so as to make an informed decision.

    Reply
    • Will @ Financing Medicine says

      September 21, 2017 at 12:41 pm

      Interesting take on income from an hourly perspective! That’s crazy that the hourly difference is so narrow!

      Also, Dr. Terry, I’ve actually done exactly what you asked for except for a family practice doctor. (Your ortho son would be better off financially than the family practice doc.) I used some info on PA’s on this website to do it.

      I compared the salary at every age for a family practice doctor vs a PA after taking into account taxes, debt payments, and investing for retirement. I even did 2 scenarios: a financially conscious PA/doc and a not financially conscious PA/doc.

      I did this because I never really knew if a PA or family practice doctor was better off financially.

      Check it out if you’re still curious https://financingmedicine.com/2017/08/22/pa-vs-family-practice-doctor-financial-perspective/

      Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      September 22, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Hi, Terry,

      Orthopedics is much more “profitable” than general practitioners. In fact, I know some orthopedic MDs who make well over 500-600K per year. Of course, time and quality of life is a big factor here as well. Specialty orthopedic PAs can make around 125k-150k per year. If an MD works for an organization the numbers are lower but probably still in the 200-300k and you don’t have all the stress of running a practice. I also think Osteopathy is an interesting choice especially for people interested in orthopedics.

      Stephen

      Reply
  12. JD says

    July 2, 2017 at 12:21 am

    After reading all this I’m kind of glad I did Engineering.
    Cost of bachelors in Aerospace Engineering – $6000 (Loan I took out to go summer school. Rest of tuition was paid by scholarship and grant)
    I have been working for 5 years now and my salary now is -$92,000

    Then again not everyone goes to become a doctor for the money. They want to help people so it’s about personal preference and satisfaction at end.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      September 22, 2017 at 7:46 am

      I agree completely, although I know a doctor who has both his engineering degree and is an ortho spine surgeon, so I guess there is some overlap here 🙂

      Reply
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Shannon B. Pre-PA

Even at the busiest time of the year for applications, they got me my edit in a matter of days. They did a great job with grammar, punctuation and suggestions. I am very satisfied with the draft I got back from Sue.

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Phillip, Pre-PA

Sue did a wonderful job. I know this is an extremely busy time of year as CASPA is accepting applications and Sue was great about responding to my initial submission and getting back to me. She provided thoughtful feedback and quality editing. Fingers crossed for an acceptance to PA school!

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Deanna was very opening to helping me with my essay. Although I had the material, the way she edited gave it a very nice and easy flow for the reader. She gave me her critical suggestions and comments that I would have otherwise missed. I am so glad I chose The PA Life revision services for my personal statement for PA school.

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I am so thankful that this editing service exists. The personal statement is incredibly important which is why I was so nervous about it. It took me two weeks to even get started because I was so nervous about writing the wrong thing. After Carly helped me with my essay, I am now so much more confident in it. Her edits were very thorough and showed that she had a really good understanding of what is important for a PA personal statement. Her email detailing her overall impression of my essay also showed she understood every single point I was trying to make and what kind of feeling I was trying to give to people reading my essay. This has been the most reassuring thing.

Angela, Pre-PA

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Fariha, Pre-PA

I just want to let you know I received multiple interview invitations and got my first acceptance a few weeks ago! I am still preparing for more interviews, but at this point, I am pretty certain I will be going to Midwestern University, and I think so much of my success with applications is because of your help with my personal statement. Because of this, I wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU! I really appreciate your support and I would definitely recommend this service to anyone applying to PA school 🙂

Alli Cowan, Pre-PA

Sue was great to work with. Very prompt in responding to my submission. Asked good questions and incorporated my responses into my essay nicely. I appreciate the work.

Mary Peterson, Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

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This experience was great. They took my essay and gave great constructive comments that made it an even better essay. Very fast and efficient process.

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Very detail-oriented and took the time to explain the process, so our expectations were on the same page. Excellent editing and feedback on the content. Helpful comments on how I could maximize limited character count to make the most impact on the reader. I very much would recommend this service!

Esmeralda, Pre-PA

We worked on my essays back in summer and oh, how much work it was! But it all paid off because I just got accepted into the school of my first choice! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to my success. I will also be glad to recommend your services to other pre-PA students at my school!

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Carly was incredible! Her prompt edits were extremely helpful, and I will definitely provide updates on the status of my application later down the line!

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I submitted my application this morning so I am not able to answer if I received an interview yet but I am THRILLED that I found this service. Sarah has been such a blessing working on my personal statement with me. She took my ideas and mediocre paper and turned it into a beautifully written story about my life. She helped me write exactly what I wanted to say and guided me with how to say it. I would recommend, without reservation, this service to anyone who is applying to PA school. I am one hundred times more confident about applying knowing my personal statement is exactly where it needs to be. Instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed when I submitted my application this morning, I had complete peace. Thank you, for being a shining light full of kindness to applicants like myself.

Savannah, Pre-PA

After receiving two edits from Carly I feel extremely confident in my personal statement. She not only fixed grammatical error and syntax, but helped me better organize my thoughts into a competitive essay. To other Pre-PAs looking to submit their essays: I know it’s a bit of an investment but the peace of mind, comfortability, and confidentiality is so worth it! Thank you The PA Life!

Elizabeth, Pre-PA

I’m so happy with the amount of time and attention that Duke and Sue put into helping perfect my essay. I’m extremely fortunate to have come across Stephen’s page and this opportunity- I would have sent in an essay that unknown to me at the time, had issues and needed many improvements. I’m almost to the point where I’m going to submit my application, and will definitely update the team on prospective interviews. I cannot thank you guys enough for having this essay review service available, you definitely make it worth every dollar and more.

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Sue did an amazing job editing my personal statement. She included all the aspects that I wanted in the statement and made it flow so much better. Thank You! Thank You!

Kendra Perkey, Pre-PA

Sarah was amazing from beginning to end. Her listening skills are just superb. She edits in a manner that captures your story in a raw format and complete format. I loved my experience.

Vivian, Pre-PA

I worked closely with Duke and Sue for the revisions on my personal statement. They must have edited my original version half a dozen times before they felt it was good enough to send off and never made it seem like an inconvenience. They always responded to my e-mails within a 24-hour time frame but usually got back to me within a few hours. I am very pleased with how my personal statement turned out thanks to all of their time, ideas and direction. The service the PA Life provides is well worth the money spent!

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Michelle Murphy, Pre-PA

Sue did a wonderful job. I know this is an extremely busy time of year as CASPA is accepting applications and Sue was great about responding to my initial submission and getting back to me. She provided thoughtful feedback and quality editing. Fingers crossed for an acceptance to PA school!

Jo Lynn, Pre-PA

I have recently been accepted to a program that was one of my top choices, and I also was waitlisted with two other schools. I wanted to thank you again for all your help Duke.  Not only am I grateful for your knowledge of writing and grammar (which were invaluable), but most importantly your kind word and motivation, which I needed so much at the time.  You’re a great person!

Alex Taylor, PA-S

I just wanted to share that I got into USC! Woohoo!!! They just called me to share the good news. I’m feeling pretty shocked since that interview did not go as well in my head. I can’t believe I got into school during my first round of applications. This would not have been possible without you, and I really appreciate all the support you gave me throughout this process. ?

Tiffany, PA-S

Sue Edmondson was VERY thorough in her editing of my essay, as well as the promptness of her responses to me. She not only took the time to edit the grammar of my essay but helped me remove a large portion of it to focus on the important aspects of it and draw in more details. Overall, a fantastic service!

Megan Hunstad, Pre-PA

My editor knew exactly what kind of edits I was looking for and addressed all of my questions/concerns I had about my essay. I will definitely be recommending this service to my club members and friends.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

I felt our mock interview was an absolute necessity to prepare for the Academic and Personal interviews from Yale School of Medicine PA Program Online. I felt the calibre of questions you had asked me, in addition to the coaching and post-question feedback, really helped me understand what an ideal response looks like and gave me time to reflect and prepare my responses for the formal interview just two days later.

During my interviews I was asked plenty of questions I didn’t have a prepared response to (and I had combed through tons especially in the days following our mock interview!) I can say that I answered each question genuinely, authentically, and showed both interviewers the best version of myself. I didn’t stammer or lose my place, and I felt confident in my words and expressions. I don’t think I would have been as comfortable, calm, or confident without having accepted your guidance and feedback and learned from our time together.

Gratitude for your words, encouragement, and support is an understatement. Thank you, Sarah!

Best Regards,
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Jacob, PRE-PA

Sarah is an amazing writer. She helped clarify my thoughts and encouraged me on this journey. When/ if I get an interview, it will be because of her amazing writing skills.

Araceli, Pre-PA

Loved this service and working with Sarah. She was super helpful and easy to talk with. Will definitely recommend this service to others.

Diana, Pre-PA

Sarah was absolutely wonderful. She not only helped take my personal statement to the best level, but she also made it easy to understand why certain changes were better. In the end, she went through and used a highlighting method to show how we connected things to PA and skills that were good. This made it easier to visualize everything. I’d recommend Sarah to anyone applying to PA school that needs that extra push on their personal statements.

Taylor, Pre-PA

I used the personal statement editing service through The PA Life, and I worked with Sarah. She was AMAZING and made such a difference in both the quality of my personal statement and in my confidence as an applicant. That said, I’m so grateful to say I’ve been accepted into two out of the three programs I applied to and have an interview with the third on Friday of this week. I couldn’t be more excited!

Nikki, PA-S

I just wanted to let you know I accepted a spot at the University of Dubuque’s PA program! I want to thank you for all your help and support in this process and for all the positivity you brought my way. Thanks for all you do and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you! I would recommend you highly to anyone.

Meghna, PA-S

I am writing this because I wanted to share with you that I have been accepted to the University of Iowa PA program.  I would like to once again thank you for your insight and guidance while writing my personal statement, it came at just the right time.

Eugene V.PA-S

Sarah was beyond amazing, she was always on time with my essay edits, took the time needed to really listen to what I had to say. Sarah pretty much transformed my essay form caveman style to an easy, awesome flow good content easy and fun to read essay. I am very thankful for her collaboration, I could not have done anything that resembles her quality of work. Thanks a million!!!!

Jerry C, Pre-PA

An amazing experience. Glad to have worked with Duke. He did his best, and it was very enjoyable.

Anand T. Pre-PA

Sarah Morris Schultz was my PA statement editor and she was absolutely fabulous! She helped to shave my original 4-page long, winding PA statement down to a 2 page impactful, poignant, moving statement that lead me to get accepted to a Doctor of Medical Science program in Physician Assistant Studies. She has such a gift for writing and knowing how to say things in just the right way and use the right words! One of the DMS PA program committee members started off my video conference online interview by stating that my PA statement was the best he ever read, not “one of the best” but THE BEST statement. My heart leapt. My PA statement years ago had caused me NOT to get accepted to the school that I had hoped. I did get accepted to a good PA school, got my degree, and started practicing in this field that I love. However, this time I decided to humble myself and get help writing a good statement. Praise God, it paid off. I am so grateful for the PA Life service and fee for the one-on-one service is worth every penny! I recommend everyone get Sarah Morris Schultz. She’s the bomb.com! I love you, Sarah 🙂

Sonja D. PA-S

I used the personal statement editing service with Deanna Matzen (April/May 2021) and the mock interview service with Mary Jones (June 2021). Both were exceptional to work with and helped me to achieve my goal. I applied to three schools and received interview invites from all three (I’m a first-time applicant). I was waitlisted at one in June and later accepted in November, received early acceptance to my top choice in November (UTSW), and I chose to decline my third interview scheduled in December. Thank you for your services!

Rachelle, Pre-PA

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for helping me with my personal statement. I have been accepted at Cornell, and will most likely be entering their program in March 2017. I have also received interview offers from Wake Forest, Duke, Pitt, Quinnipiac, Oregon Health Sciences, and Chatham so far. I am happy to share my success up to this point, because I would not be in this position without your guidance, wisdom, and talent.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with you, and I am profoundly grateful for your help. I wish you all the best in the future.

Stephanie Dwyer, PA-S

I’m not sure if you remember me but you helped me a couple of months ago on my PA personal statement. Just wanted to let you know — I got accepted into University of Pacific’s PA program! I’m overjoyed!

Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement! I really appreciate it.

Jennifer MurphyPRE-PA

Sue’s comments were very helpful. Her quick turnaround time is very impressive. She responded to my concerns and questions promptly. She clearly knows what to present to the PA school admissions team. I am very happy with her work.

Kitti, Pre-PA

Great feedback and turn around time. Utilizing this feature gave me even more confidence that I was trying my best to be the top candidate.

Kristopher, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for making the personal statement process less stressful! Although I had been planning and brainstorming for months, the process of writing my journey in 5,000 characters was just daunting and overwhelming. Thank you so much for your kindness, flexibility, and your patience that helped me through this process. I appreciate how you listened and incorporated my feedback to make my personal statement a work of art that is truly representative of ME! I would highly recommend your services to any aspiring PA students who feel lost or overwhelmed by the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Cintia, Pre-PA

Sarah Schultz was a great editor and was easy to communicate with. She answered my emails very promptly and made great suggestions while also helping me cut down and condense my essay to be in the character limit. She made me feel more confident in my work and helped me develop an essay that I am proud of. I would definitely use this service again!

Katie, Pre-PA

Duke is great! I had such a great time with him editing my personal statement. So glad I found this site!

Melissa Nicole Aguilera, Pre-PA

I owe you a lot! Thank you so much for helping me in this important process. God bless you.

Catalina, Pre-PA

Sarah was a pleasure to work with the entire time. I felt very overwhelmed when I was working on my personal statement on my own, but once I started working with Sarah, she made me feel at ease while getting my personal statement to look its best. Sarah is very knowledgeable, understanding, and professional. One of the things I loved the most about working with her is that no matter the time of the day she was always available and got back to you in a timely manner. The whole time we worked on my personal statement she made sure I felt comfortable with changes that had to be made and I appreciated this as well. Sarah is excellent at what she does and I would recommend her and this one on one service to anyone that needs it.

Odilia, Pre-PA

Thank you for all of your help with my essay. You used my content, but refined it and made it more relatable. I believe due to your help I gained three interviews this cycle! I was accepted to two of the three schools and I will be going to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston this May. Again, thank you for all of your help, it has definitely changed my life.

Lauren Clewley, PA-S

I wanted to give you an update and thank you. I just received my first acceptance and at the interview, they commented on how well written my personal statement was. I appreciate your hard work and working with me to create such an awesome piece! Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we talk- maybe our paths will cross again one day!

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

Deanna was so amazing! She was really thorough and strengthened my essay in one edit! I feel so confident submitting my essay and I have high hopes for interviews! Thank you for providing these services to those of us with stories that need help being told. I would definitely recommend this service to everyone who wants to apply to PA school!

Valeria, Pre-PA

Thank you once again for your help in reviewing and editing my personal statement for PA school. Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of accepting a position in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program. The class begins in July 2022, and I am excited to begin this next chapter of entering the PA profession. I have no doubt that your invaluable assistance helped me produce a personal statement that promoted my application and paved the way for my successful interview, and I am sincerely grateful.

Angela, PA-S

My editor was amazing! She took everything I asked and did editing that was above and beyond. She was also great at communicating and taking my comments/opinions into consideration. 10/10 would recommend!

Ravee, Pre-PA

I have never used a service like this before. All I can say is that I wish I had discovered it sooner 😀

Rebecca G. PA-S

I received an acceptance call from USC! I’m going to be a PA! ??‍⚕️ I’m so overfilled with joy and gratitude!! All of my experiences led to this, and I can’t help but feel immense gratitude for every single person that was part of this journey. You were a huge component of this journey, and I am so appreciative of all of your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Cintia Chávez, PA-S

Carly blew away all my expectations. She not only suggested edits to refine the content, but she also made grammatical and structural changes that fine-tuned my essay and allowed it to flow. I came into the editing process feeling hopeless about my personal statement, but with her edits, I feel confident that it will stand out. On top of all that, Carly was very timely in editing and returning my essay – I got it back within a few days! I’m very pleased with her service and recommend it to anyone out there who needs a fresh, professional set of eyes on their personal statement.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

Well worth the money. I consider myself a decent writer but found I was stuck on a few key points of my personal statement. After a few edits on my own and with a few people I trust, I decided to submit my essay for editing through ThePALife to make sure I was really on the right track. I am supremely satisfied. The essay I wrote turned out to be a solid base, but Sarah went to work, and every change and suggestion had a logical place. She polished it up and made it shine. Thank you so much!

Conor K. Pre-PA

Sarah helped to condense my detailed thoughts into a powerful essay. Over the phone, she was careful to collaborate with me before making any changes so that the piece remained under my control and in my voice. She served as a guide and insured the essay brought out my strengths and reasons for pursuing the PA profession. Overall, I’m incredibly happy with the service!

Julie, Pre-PA

Hope everything is going well! I just wanted to let you know I’m 2/2 so far with receiving interviews. I know your help with my essays has played a huge part. I just wanted to update you and tell you how grateful I am for all of your help!

John, Pre-PA

I am very happy with your service and would highly recommend it to any PA applicant. Duke helped me to put my thoughts in order and to make significant changes. My personal statement sounds great and seems easy and interesting to read now.  He took a lot of time to explain his way of thinking and to understand what I am trying to say. Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate what you are doing for others.

Olga N. Pre-PA

I loved this service! Not only did my editor transform my essay, she helped me feel more confident in my application moving forward. She was extremely personable and efficient. I love my essay and now I’m even more excited about applying for school because of the help I received from The PA Life! Highly recommend!!

Aubrey, Pre-PA

I had such a great time working with Carly. She is very prompt, understanding, and reliable. She made my personal statement very easy to read and helped me convey my words the way I intended it. I’m couldn’t be happier with my final essay and I really appreciated Carly’s effort to edit and re-edit until we were pleased with the result. I’m so glad that I worked with Carly and I thank her for what she did with my PS!!!

Zulhumar, Pre-PA

I wanted to send you a quick life update and another BIG thank you! I received my acceptance at the University of Utah’s PA Program on Monday and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all your help with my essay and interview prep. Both of these services that you provided were so helpful in my success. I will highly recommend you to any future PA student.

Lily, Pre-PA

Sarah did such a great job editing my personal statement! She was receptive to my concerns and had awesome ideas to make my essay stand out. I am very happy with how it turned out and I am excited to submit it. Thank you!!

Hannah, Pre-PA

Just found your site today while trying to update my resume. Also, I have to recertify next year so your tests are great for a refresher course. I was in a specialty area of medicine so I now realize how much I forgot in the past 5 years. Thank you very much and I will pass on to other PAs.

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

You helped me revise my personal statement for PA school admissions earlier this year, and I wanted to let you know how much you helped me. I got eight interviews and five admissions this cycle! I’ll be attending Pacific University this May. Multiple interviewers commented on how much they liked my personal statement. They described it as “eloquent” and “genuine.” I cannot thank you enough for your help earlier this year; I feel that it was a big part of my success this cycle.

Monica Harris, PA-S

Sarah was a tremendous help to me and provided me with thoughtful edits that really made my personal statement stand out from the crowd. She was very easy to work with and really seems to care about each of her clients. I really enjoyed working with her and highly recommend her as an editor. As of today, I have 3 interviews scheduled, including one at my top choice school! Thank you!

Andrew, Pre-PA

The edit that I received from Sue was exactly what I was hoping for. She was able to tighten up my draft beyond my personal skill level and made edits that I was would have never thought to make. She has definitely made my personal statement stronger. Thank you, Sue!

Ethan, Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda Pre-PA

The comments and edits made by Sue are exceptional! They’ve helped a lot in terms of helping me express my thoughts more clearly and effectively. It felt as if she was there with me, reading my thoughts and helping me with the entire process in person!

Amy, Pre-PA

I received an early acceptance! I just wanted to thank you so much for all your help. You are a pro and I’m so thankful for you! You helped me more than you’ll ever know! I’m so excited! You saved me!!!!

Shelly K. Pre-PA

Carly took the time to listen to my concerns about my personal statement and apply them to what I had already written. I was so appreciative as I wasn’t sure where my personal statement stood before submitting it. I now feel more confident in my statement!

Chelsea, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for helping me with my physician assistant program application essays and interview! I am so excited to let you know that I received multiple PA school acceptances and have decided that I will be attending Cornell University’s PA Program in New York City. The program begins in February 2019 and I cannot wait to begin!  I truly appreciate all your help and encouragement throughout my PA application process.

Christine Chen, PA-S

I just want to let you know I got into the pa program! I want to give you a huge thank you for helping me nail the interview and make a great essay. Thank you, x 100,000!

Rachel J, Pre-PA

I had an excellent experience with this service. Deanna was thorough, attentive to my essay, and very easy to contact. She did a great job and I would highly recommend this service to anyone.

Grant, Pre-PA

Beth did great at editing my personal statement. I feel that she corrected a lot of my grammar and made my personal statement very well-spoken while not changing what I wanted to convey. She gave me additional thoughts to consider if I wanted to edit the essay again afterward, but I feel quite content! Thank you, PA Life!

Audrey, Pre-PA

I just wanted to send you a quick email, letting you know that I finally got accepted into PA school! I will be attending Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and will be starting this fall. I could not have made it this far without your help! This was my third time applying and during my first two cycles, I didn’t think that I needed outside help. But this time around, I decided that I needed to change my tactic and I am so freaking happy that I did. Your guidance and advice on my personal statement absolutely made a difference. I had 6 interviews and got accepted into 4! You have helped changed my life and I am forever grateful. I have several friends who will be applying this cycle so I will be referring them to you!

Christian, Pre-PA

I am extremely pleased with this service. It is exactly the kind of constructive criticism I was hoping to receive. I had my essay reviewed by “myparesources” and was not very satisfied with their general comments. Sue put a lot of time and effort and gave me concrete examples of how to change my essay for the better. I WILL recommend this service over all others. Thank you so much!

Joe, Pre-PA

This is Tyler. I hope you remember helping me with my essay back in May. As promised, I wanted to update you with news of my PA school journey and I am excited to tell you that I was accepted to Stony Brook’s PA program!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for helping me write an essay that was truly reflective of who I am as a candidate and as a person! It played a pivotal role in this whole nerve-racking process and has helped me achieve a major life goal. You are a godsend to Pre-PA students.

Tyler, PA-S

Awesome editing service! Everything was detailed, and I could tell that my editor really cared about helping me produce a great personal statement.

Ashanna, Pre-PA

I am mind-blown by my editor Carly’s work. My original essay is like an ill-fitting suit. She hemmed and adjusted it in all the right places and now it looks perfect. I don’t think I’m a bad writer, but I don’t write often and I have spent the past 10 years of my life focused on health sciences. I may have never been able to do this on my own. Thank you thank you, I consider this essay service a bargain.

Rebecca, Pre-PA

I was at a point where I kept reading my essay over and over again and not knowing what to change. After Sue looked over and thoroughly edited the essay, I had a completely new focus! I knew exactly what to tweak and her service really cleared up any uncertainty I had with my essay. I’m now much more confident as I finish up my CASPA applications!

Julia Spalding, Pre-PA

I can not speak highly enough of Sarah. She was extremely helpful and easy to work with. I think she did an especially admirable job packaging the message I was trying to get across in my essay in a concise format that flows smoothly. Thank you again!

Ian, Pre-PA

Carly Hallman did an amazing job helping me with my personal statement! I was feeling conflicted and uncertain about my own personal statement, but she helped set my mind at ease! I now have peace of mind regarding my personal statement. She was so helpful in correcting any grammar errors and also informed me of what I could add to my essay. I knew I was missing something in my essay, but could not quite put my finger on it. Carly identified what was missing so I could make those changes to my essay. I’m so thankful for her help because I do not think I could have figured out that “missing piece” had it not been for her. I now feel confident about my essay and I am extremely happy with it! 🙂 Thank you so much!!!

Ramsha, Pre-PA

Mr. Pasquini was very patient, accommodating and direct in his editing/advice. He was honest, in a way that I needed due to the importance of the letter. I even picked up a few tips to enhance my writing from our meetings. Great experience and will definitely recommend him to others!

Alana P. Pre-PA

I truly appreciate the ideas and comments Deanna provided for my personal statement. Without her expertise in having an understanding of what PA programs are looking for in a personal statement, I would have gone in a completely different and possibly wrong direction. I highly recommend this service!

Victoria, Pre-PA

Carly did more than help revise my grammatical errors and flow. She was able to show me the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts of my essay. She was able to tell me what it was missing as well as praise me for what I did correctly. It gave me confidence in my writing, and I truly believe it will make an impact on the way PA programs view me.

Sherry, Pre-PA

It was an absolute pleasure working with Sarah. She was prompt to respond, professional, and kind. Sarah is an excellent writer. I was consistently impressed with her edits and suggestions for my personal statement. After working with Sarah I feel confident that my final essay will be well-received schools and help me stand out as a candidate.

Leah, Pre-PA

Sue was awesome and ensured I received my edited version of the essay in a timely manner. The editing was above exceptional and exceeded my expectations. Thanks so much!! You guys are awesome!

HK, Pre-PA

Deanna was an absolute joy to work with. Not only was she a wonderful writer and editor, but she helped me develop my thoughts and produce a personal statement I was proud to submit. She helped me refine my ideas, and concise my writing to illustrate my reasons for wanting this career. She was also very prompt in responding to my emails and questions. I am very happy with my personal statement and would recommend this service to anyone who is considering this service or feels stuck in their writing process.

Maddie, Pre-PA

I got in!! I got into PA school and I can’t thank you enough for your hand in helping me with this process. I received 7 interviews out of 12 applications, I was waitlisted at Jefferson, Salus, and Chatham. And I was accepted at Drexel and Stony Brook. I will be starting PA school in June! Thank you so very much!!

Natalie, Pre-PA

Carly edited my essay, providing a generous amount of comments on why she believes that her changes make for a stronger essay. She gave amazing advice and I know that my personal statement is much more well written than before the edits were made. Definitely worth the money!

Alexa, Pre-PA

Thanks to the PA life and Deanna I was accepted to ECU PA program this cycle. I’m starting my program next fall. I have been part of the PA life community and a member of the leadership team at the virtual pre-PA club with Deanna and others. I’m preparing a video presentation about how to become a PA for IMG. I’m a nontraditional app and abnormally normal applicant 😆. The video will be posted on the IMG space of the community. I’m so happy to share my experience and help pre-PA like me.

Shynar Johnson, PA-S

My editor with The PA Life was amazing! I will definitely suggest these services to anyone else applying to PA school. Thank you for everything!

Margarita, Pre-PA

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