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You are here: Home / PA vs MD / A Surgeon Speaks: 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose PA Over MD

A Surgeon Speaks: 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose PA Over MD

June 14, 2015 By Stephen Pasquini PA-C 42 Comments

A Fellowship Trained Surgeon Shares 7 Reasons You Should Choose PA over MD

I am a fellowship-trained surgeon.

Besides the financial aspect, the following 7 points will make your decision of PA vs. MD easy:

1.  It takes on an average at least 15 years (after high school) of head in the sand (books) to complete fellowship and reach the $200,000 debt figure that you are quoting.

2.  A 40-50 hour work week is a dream for most MDs. Most of my colleagues work 60 hrs and some up to 80 hours a week.

3.  Not counting the hours after you go home and come back for ’emergencies’.

4.  Family life is a ‘possibility’ for PAs. Look around and see how many MDs have kids before 30. You will be surprised by the small number.

5.  Most of my PA friends work two jobs (totaling 60-80hrs/week), so their salaries go up accordingly. Ever heard of an MD working two jobs. I guess 120-160 hrs/week is kinda difficult. Huh..

6.  PAs work just as well and earn just as much respect by their patients and colleagues.

7.  The only trajectory this trend is going is upwards. Mid-level providers’ need and utilization has been increasing exponentially.

I am totally happy with what I am doing. But if I were to advise an aspiring student for MD vs. PA, I would totally refer him/her to this post. I think the round 1 showdown is won by PAs, not MDs.

- Dr. S

Dr. S is a fellowship trained surgeon who was kind enough to weigh in on the PA vs. MD debate in the comments section of this blog.

What do you think? Is Dr. S spot on or dead wrong? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.  You probably know where I stand on this debate. 🙂

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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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Comments

  1. Stephen Peter Switek says

    January 2, 2022 at 9:20 am

    I am a retired PA. I worked in general surgery/urology for 20 years, followed by 20 more years in urologic oncology. I don’t get the author’s argument . My first job I made 50 cents more than the OR Techs and 2 dollars less than the RNs. Most of the docs were at best ambivalent and the rest hostile. The only reason the nurses tolerated us was because I was able to get a catheter in somebody they couldn’t, and they didn’t want to call the doc. I was on call as much as any surgeon, and took extra call to pay for my daughters’ college tuitions. As a surgical PA who do you think saw the patient pre-op, updated the consent and helped set up the robot, prepped and draped, etc while the Chief talked to his stockbroker? The office was no better. Mostly listening to patient’s complain about their incontinence and impotence ( even though they were cancer free) for 30 minutes and then when the Chief stuck his head in they would gush how he saved their life. So three quarters of the work for one fourth of the salary did not get annual hunting trips to Argentina.
    So why are you in medicine Doc? Read your Kipling. ” No stairway to heaven, just simple service simply given, to your own kind in their need”
    Thanks for letting me vent. I gotta go now, the fish are biting.`

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      January 5, 2022 at 5:49 am

      Well said, Stephen!

      Reply
  2. Paul says

    May 28, 2021 at 10:40 am

    This is a highly skewed view coming from a surgical MD. Surgical lifestyles are notorious for suboptimal work-life balance (with the exception of some surgical subspecialties like urology or plastic surgery). The majority of this post’s argument against choosing MD is based on a lifestyle factors. They do not even consider higher aspirations such as professional satisfaction and clinical expertise.

    But even speaking to the lifestyle argument: there are plenty of MD specialties that are very well compensated with normal work hours. For example, as an academic anesthesiologist in a large US city, I make $400k/yr and work a median of 45 hours per week and do not work on weekends. My work-life balance is great and my professional satisfaction is very high. It is more important to find the right fit for an individual person than to make blanket statements about the preferability of MD vs. PA.

    Furthermore, the surgeon who authored this post can very easily scale back his/her practice and make a more modest salary in exchange for a much better work-life balance. It is totally feasible. I find that most of my MD colleagues that complain about such things actually prioritize their financial goals over their personal goals, leading to dissatisfaction and burnout. More of a personal issue than an MD vs. PA issue in my view.

    Reply
  3. Matthew Morrison says

    February 3, 2020 at 12:25 am

    Doctors still have to carry much of the weight. They cannot throw off all of their work onto the PAs. Being a doctor despite the good salary does not mask or make up for mental stress and breakdowns that doctors suffer. Not to mention the epidemic problems of substance abuses and suicides. Yes, a lot of doctors in this day and age commit suicide more often than police officers or dentists. If you think money will make you happy – you are delusional and a naive child. Also, doctors salaries are declining and will decline dramatically once a single payer insurance/Medicare for all system is in place. Yes, single payer healthcare (socialized medicine) in the US is a forgone conclusion. If you are going to med school or any health profession to get rich – STOP! There are much easier, cheaper and quicker ways to get rich. One group of people who tend to get rich are inventors with engineering degrees.

    Reply
  4. Jill says

    October 24, 2019 at 4:54 am

    Oh please! Seriously? My son is an attorney and my daughter-in-law a physician. Yes, they work long hours but they also make phenomenal salaries! Enough to pay off any student debt within a few years.

    Reply
    • Matthew M. says

      February 3, 2020 at 12:28 am

      Oh puhleez! You embellish! Don’t be so thin skinned.

      Reply
  5. LHahn says

    March 22, 2019 at 4:03 am

    Hi –

    I am a practicing PA and I’m going to rebuttle every single statement above.

    1. It takes on an average at least 15 years (after high school) of head in the sand (books) to complete fellowship and reach the $200,000 debt figure that you are quoting. —> very falsely representing medical school and scaring people away without facts. A PA also takes on average 6 1/2 years after high school and has about 200k in debt / then they start working. A medical student is about eight years after high school Before they start getting paid and also have 200-400k in debt. The difference between when a PA and a medical student start generating income is only roughly two years. Once a medical student is a resident they are making a salary (and I know plenty of residents that are making about 60 K which is not far off from a starting salary of a PA.) Some medical students may have more debt than PAs (and they may not be getting paid as much is PAs as residents or fellows initially) however they’re taking a short term loss for a long-term gain, as once they graduate and are officially working as doctors their income is significantly higher than that of a PA for the rest of their life. The other big difference is that when doctors graduate they graduate with prestige and a lot more respect than what PAs get – also a significant amount more of education making them the expert and not a jack of many trades and a master of none.

    2. A 40-50 hour work week is a dream for most MDs. Most of my colleagues work 60 hrs and some up to 80 hours a week. —> I know many PAs working 60 to 80 hours a week just with their one full-time job. A lot of doctors are dumping work on their PAs so that they can have shorter work week’s which is in turn increasing the PAs workload.

    3. Not counting the hours after you go home and come back for ’emergencies’. —> Doctors are punting their call on PAs. Doctors do not like to take call so many PAs are the ones doing the night call for them now. This may be different for people who are surgeons that physically have to go in and do the surgeries that PAs cannot. But if you’re not working in a surgical department I would say for the most part doctors are giving up their call schedules to their respective PAs for an easier work life balance for themselves.

    4. Family life is a ‘possibility’ for PAs. Look around and see how many MDs have kids before 30. You will be surprised by the small number. —> Also completely in accurate. I know plenty of women who have gone through medical school that had children during the first four years. I also personally know somebody who was a Harvard graduate it attorney that went back to medical school and had one child each of her for years of the first four of medical school and is top of her class. Medical schools are more accommodating to women having children as you do not need to graduate with the class that you started with. Unlike PA school where you will graduate with the class that you started with because you don’t have the ability to stop and take a break if you needed to then jump back in.

    5. Most of my PA friends work two jobs (totaling 60-80hrs/week), so their salaries go up accordingly. Ever heard of an MD working two jobs. I guess 120-160 hrs/week is kinda difficult. Huh.. —> MDs don’t need to make money working two jobs because they’re usually making enough doing one. PAs are working two jobs to try to pay down their student loans or get out of debt and they’re working themselves to the bone to barely make what a primary care physician is. there will be a couple people from the top 1% who are probably making close to 180 or 200,000 but I would encourage those who are looking from the outside to look at the reality of PA salary reports or the AAPA salary port and see what the average salaries are that are being reported and keep in mind that average are those in between new graduates and people who have been working a very long time and you will see that the salaries are still nowhere near those numbers . Also to say that most PAs are working more than one job would be completely in accurate. I know plenty of PAs who are working for more than 40 hours a week just in their first job and the last thing they want to do is go work a second one afterwards.

    6. PAs work just as well and earn just as much respect by their patients and colleagues. —> Completely disagree with the statement. I have never been more disrespected then I have as a PA. I constantly feel like the middle child. The public still really doesn’t understand what we do and the hospital by laws in a lot of areas do not reflect their respect for us as we are restricted in what we can do practice wise. There are many positions that refuse to speak with PAs in demand to only speak with the physician. There are patients who asked to see doctors over their PA. There are administrators who will not speak with PAs and PAs are not allowed to park in the same parking lot as most positions or get free food in the hospital as positions are or access to the doctors lounge in many areas.

    7. The only trajectory this trend is going is upwards. Mid-level providers’ need and utilization has been increasing exponentially. —> I want to make it clear it’s been an active trend to not refer to PAs and NPs as “midlevels” as we do not provide midlevel care. More People are using us because we are cheap labor. I strongly believe with the changes in education for nurse practitioners and PAs changing to online format versus in person schooling we are generating a diploma mill that could result in over saturation. In many markets we are already dealing with oversaturation and it is driving down salaries.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      March 22, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      Hi LHahn. Would you mind if I published your comment as a post on the blog? I appreciate your comment and it would be great to open this up to a wider audience.

      Stephen

      Reply
      • Lhahn says

        March 23, 2019 at 3:01 am

        Lol you’re welcome to but let’s fix my spelling errors I was doing talk to text early in the morning after a night of call

        Reply
        • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

          March 23, 2019 at 6:58 am

          Thanks! What you have said is timely and a very good rebuttal. Do you want to edit this and send it back to me for publication or are you OK if I perform the edits myself? Is there anything you would like to add to this?

          Reply
          • Lhahn says

            March 23, 2019 at 1:50 pm

            I could probably add a lot more to it. Shoot me an email

            Reply
    • Jared Wilson says

      June 8, 2019 at 9:37 am

      Lhahn, your rebuttal is spot on and hilarious to me… I was saying the same things to myself as I was reading the surgeon’s arguments.

      Reply
    • Jill says

      October 24, 2019 at 4:57 am

      You’re exactly right!!!

      Reply
    • Mal says

      July 16, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      I 1000% agree with everything you said!! Exactly why after working as a PA for almost 8 years, I decided to go back to school to become an MD and will be starting soon, I’m over getting crapped on and getting paid 1/4 of what the docs make

      Reply
  6. Christina says

    December 22, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    I disagree with this post. I am a practicing orthopedic surgery PA. First, being “on-call” is MD friendly, not PA friendly. The MD only gets called for being on-call if there is a surgery or procedure needed. The MD is paid by hospital per call just to be on call (not do anything) and then get additional pay by billing for any procedures they perform. PAs, on the other hand, must take all phone calls from ER, patients, pharmacies without extra pay PLUS attend any procedures, ER visits or surgeries. We are salaried and do not get paid per case while MDs do. MDs are much more motivated to work harder thus the PA works harder. But the PA doesn’t get paid per surgery or patient so the motivation is not there. I agree with above that the MD is living in expensive homes and buying cars in cash while the PA lives a much more modest lifestyle while working many, many more hours. Moreover, patients will criticize and complain much more freely to a PA than their MD and show more appreciating to their MD. Additionally, from an investment standpoint, there are few to none investment opportunities to PAs. Ambulatory surgery centers, medical device, medical billing, depositions and IMEs are all “physician only.” PAs can not invest and thus not gain capital like physicians can. If I could start all over again, I’d be a MD for sure. It is the financially savvy and lifestyle friendly way to go. MDs must choose a speciality to fit with a comfortable lifestyle. But ultimately, MDs make the schedule and can work when and how they want.

    Reply
    • LHahn says

      March 22, 2019 at 3:46 am

      I agree. I am a PA and if I could do it again I would do MD / DO any day of the week, I disagree with the statements from the surgeon above.

      Reply
    • Erica C says

      September 3, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      One benefit of being a PA (at least in my mind) is the ability to live where you want. It is important for me to be around family and have my children have their grandparents in their lives on a regular basis. As a PA whose able to work in many different fields, I could apply to various job listings. A physician who is specialized in one area, often only has a few options for job openings in a particular geographic area at any given time. The more specialized they are (us specialties etc), the more that could become a factor. Of course they can choose to open a private practice as well.

      Reply
      • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

        September 7, 2021 at 4:41 am

        I agree with your Erica! I have implemented this strategy myself, and it is a big advantage of being a PA.

        Stephen

        Reply
  7. Iryl says

    December 18, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    Why are we as patients having to spend just as much money for a PA as an MD on a visit that is just Not right. That is so wrong on so many levels ..corrupt even. We spend just as much for an office visit but we do not get a REAL Doctor ..

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      December 19, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      Offices and hospitals are often not reimbursed at the same rate for PA visits. Medicare and Tricare, for example, reimburses at 85% of the same visit performed by an MD. https://www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Third_party_payment_2017_FINAL.pdf

      Now, what the hospital, urgent care, ER or doctors office charges the consumer is entirely up to them. Should you be charged the same amount to see the PA? I’m a PA and my answer is no, but the entire system is unfortunately rigged against the healthcare consumer. That includes myself, who when I’m not providing care for my patients I or my loved one are consumers of it. Laws need to be changed and people need to stand up and demand more. We’re certainly paying more than anyone in the world for our healthcare. It would be nice if we actually got something out of it or consumers could enjoy a high level of care from PAs while also seeing a financial benefit as an option.

      Stephen

      Reply
    • JG says

      February 6, 2019 at 10:03 am

      While I can identify with your concern, you have to understand that PAs are trained on the same medical model as an MD. It is my belief that it all boils down to the individual who is treating you. I have worked with amazing PAs and absolutely atrocious MDs, and vice versa. MDs and PAs are both required to maintain continuing education. If the individual wants to be an amazing practitioner, then they will strive to do that and you wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference.

      Reply
  8. Tom Carrino says

    June 13, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    I am a PA married for 34 years to a physician (Otolaryngologist). We met in the Air Force soon after I finished PA school and she finished her residency. She talked me out of applying for medical school saying more than a hundred times “I wish I were a PA instead of a doctor”. Our son, who we always thought would go to med school, saw the differences in our lifestyle – me going to all his soccer games; her being on call and going to the hospital/surgery instead. He is now a PA. Enough said.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      August 26, 2018 at 9:37 pm

      Yes! Enough Said!

      Reply
  9. Luke says

    March 1, 2016 at 9:11 am

    This was an extremely helpful post, and I sincerely appreciate this surgeon’s integrity and honesty in posting these thoughts. There are a few out there who absolutely LIVE for the study of science and medicine; they eat, sleep, and breath it. However, those that I’ve known who are this way (not to sound mean at all) are NOT very well rounded in their interests. This is okay with them. They like it that way. For most people though, there is a desire to see and do a multitude of places and activities, respectively. I, for one, love to travel, read, daydream, exercise, be involved at my church, support my wife and family, and so on. My wife always tells me “You likely could be a neurosurgeon, a dad, a husband, a _______, etc. but you’re NOT going to have time to be GREAT at all of them. Something has to give. You have to decide what YOUR priorities are going to be in life.”

    My wife is super wise. I chose to go to PA school because I want to be more than a healthcare provider. I want to be a good dad, a good husband, a good friend, a good musician, a good brother, etc. and I knew that being a PA was going to give me more TIME to attempt to be those things in life, while still allowing me to touch peoples lives with the help of others, doctors, nurses, and PA’s alike.

    Bottom-line: I think it’s okay to be honest about it, in the right way. Telling someone you want to benefit others outside of medicine isn’t a bad thing.

    Reply
    • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

      March 1, 2016 at 12:58 pm

      Right on Luke!

      Reply
      • JOHN says

        August 13, 2016 at 6:16 pm

        I work for radiologists that work 40 hrs a week. They make 350 to 400 thousand a year. I think you need to look at more than internal medicine. The surgeon who states she works 60 hrs per week makes overer 500 k a year. I worked for neurosurgeons making 700k plus. Yes they work extreme hours. I think the numbers you obtained are from inaccurate sources or just internal medicine data. Most of it is extremely off. My mds pay cash for 70k cars and cash for 500 k homes, some literally drive a new 200k porsche to work. THEY SEND THERE KIDS TO PRIVATE GRADE SCHOOLS COSTING 25 K A YEAR. They are not making 32 per hour. I think we need to stop assuming being an md is a bad thing and stop THE NONSENSE PITY I FEEL sorry for them.
        Most pas saying this have regrets about their decision to become a pa and I believe are trying to somehow justify there chosen life. FYI I know those docs who drive a 200k porsche paid for in cash and live in $1.3 million homes. Where do you get your numbers they are nonsense. Don’t falsify the financial ability of all mds and don’t generalize. It make it seem like it was a great financial decision to become a pa vs md. I have been a pa a long time and make 110 000 a year pretty good for pas in general. But …..i sincerely do at least 60 percent of the work of my radiologists, work similar hours, and make 25 precent of what they make. I have been asking for a raise for 3 years and have not been given one. I have an extremely high level of responsibilities and do high risk procedures daily. I would rather be the radiologist and get paid adequately. FYI If you look at my PROCEDURE numbers I should be making over 150 k plus a year.

        Reply
        • Mark says

          January 23, 2018 at 10:06 pm

          Can anyone adequately address the concerns and examples of this poster? I dont know where he/she is from, but where I am at it is the same way. Most of the PAs I hear from are upset about the “ceiling” on the salaries when the actual duties (not legal this or additional training that) EXACTLY mirror that of the physician. If everyone (regulators, policy makers, public, etc) are in agreement that PAs are able to provide the same care (i.e. same procedural codes as in the above example) as those who have tens of thousands of additional hours of training (as the article states), then why the cap on the salaries for those doing the same tasks? Someone make good sense of this please.

          Reply
          • Sandra says

            May 20, 2018 at 8:18 pm

            ^bump up!
            Does anyone have a thorough explanation/answer to this? Interesting point!

            Reply
          • Michelle says

            June 26, 2018 at 10:37 pm

            Stephen Pasquini PA-C,
            Will you please address the posts above with your viewpoint and potential solutions for better pay/equity for PA’s? Looking forward to it!!

            Reply
        • mike says

          July 14, 2018 at 10:41 am

          Maybe you should leave your employer then if you are not getting adequately subsidized for your continued contributions to the practice. I feel like your entire post was based on the money factor, one cannot base their decision to go into something as difficult as medicine solely on money, and you cannot look at what others make and cry foul; you don’t like it leave, its that simple. You sound like a bitter employee, and if I was driving that 200K Porsche I would fire you so I could by the 90K dollar Range Rove to pull my 500k boat to my 2 million dollar beach house while I thanked you for your efforts.

          Reply
          • April says

            October 3, 2018 at 9:23 pm

            To be sure, the three posters above you didn’t ask about how you felt-they asked for a sensible position/statement of fact/explanation about the scenario outlined. You didn’t seriously address any of it. There is a ceiling and once you hit it, you can’t work “smarter”, but you WILL continue to work harder than your physician colleagues on the “team”.

            Reply
        • Brittany says

          August 26, 2018 at 10:05 pm

          I would say the fact the Medicare reimburses PA care at 85% of what they reimburse the same care given by a physician has something to do with it. AAPA has been working diligently to correct this. But as long as Medicare does this, most other insurers are going to follow a similar trend. Therefore, we will be paid less. I don’t agree that it should be this much less. But I work with several physicians who tell me they wish they had gone to PA school. That doesn’t reflect on me. I happily passed up on Med school to go to PA school because I wanted the flexibility of switching specialties freely and the better work life balance that is found for PA’s in most areas of medicine when compared to doctors.

          Reply
          • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

            August 28, 2018 at 10:01 am

            I agree, although I do see the reasoning behind different reimbursement levels. PAs were created as a lower cost high level solution to expand healthcare access. We do have a lower level of training when compared to MDs and it seems reasonable to reimburse less for our services because of this, even if in the end services rendered may have been essentially identical.

            Reply
          • Johnny says

            October 3, 2018 at 9:26 pm

            YES! the reimbursement needs to increase. Thank you for the added information you provided.

            Reply
  10. Megan says

    February 19, 2016 at 8:17 am

    I totally agree with all of these aspects, in fact they are why I changed my mind about becoming an MD after wanting to be a doctor my entire life (and your post about why your wife is happy you’re a PA and not an MD). But how do I explain this to an admissions committee without sounding lazy or selfish? I know that being a PA is tough work and will require long hours and lots of sacrifices, but spending 11 more years in school to work 60-80 hours a week and maybe have a family doesn’t sound like the life I want for myself. Is it really ok to be that honest about it?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 13, 2016 at 11:49 pm

      Megan,

      I completely feel the same about this. It’s one of the main reasons as to why I am leaning towards PA school as well. I know at least 3 MDs on a personal level and they all seem to have either raised a lovely family without any issues or have been able to enjoy their personal life just as much as their work life. However, I know myself best, and I know that I’d prefer to have more time to doing other things that I am passionate about. I’m just afraid that the admissions committee would see it as, “You don’t seem to be dedicated to the field of medicine.” So I’m in the same boat as you and I’d like to know whether it would be OK to inform the committee of these things.

      Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 23, 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Yes! You can absolutely be honest about that in your interview! They will most likely ask you why you chose PA instead of MD or NP, so you should be prepared with an answer. You can definitely say you want a life, or you like the aspect of changing specialties, or you don’t want to spend 10 years in school, you could even say you want to get out and start helping people as soon as you can (though that may sound cheesy? Not sure…). They know all the perks of choosing PA, and it shows you understand the difference.

      Reply
      • Megan says

        June 24, 2016 at 8:38 am

        Hi Jessica!
        I’m not exactly sure what I all said during my interview…it was such a blur! But whatever I said worked because I start WesternU’s MSPA Program in August!! Woohoo!!

        Reply
        • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

          June 24, 2016 at 12:35 pm

          Congratulations!!! I wish you the best, you will have a great time!

          Stephen

          Reply
      • Stephen Pasquini PA-C says

        June 24, 2016 at 12:36 pm

        Great advice Jessica!

        Reply
    • LT D says

      March 5, 2018 at 3:28 am

      Too much responsibility as a MD which means more time and energy. Taxes and liability for a doctor especially in private practice are highly expensive save you a whole lot of $$. PA Less time in school. PA Freedom to choose where you practice or if you want to practice or take a sabbatical. It’s also good for ppl like me coming in late in life and not interested in the rigor of MD life. I’m combining Dietitian work, Chaplaincy and becoming a PA so I can do more clinically and balance with the way I want to practice Western and untraditional medicine and not as a Chiropractor. If you’re interested in research and/or teaching while practicing, becoming a PA and later obtaining a Phd can give you the room for such and it may satisfy the desire to be called “Dr” When budgets are low and economy down, PAs will be hired to save $$ The route of training will have an impact on practicing style. Quality of life makes the difference between MD/DO vs PA. ..the hugest benefit, outside of the obvious pay. There are some ppl obviously gifted to combine skill and training to take the definite MD route. Gotta know your motives and outcomes you desire. The life of a FT MD is going to be more demanding. The good thing is you can start off training for PA and move upwards if you’d like without wasting time or $$. I would imagine a single parent could become a PA and not totally write off the practice. Being a PA could be a great fit or maybe even better fit for anyone with intellectual or medical disabilities (i.e. Narcolepsy) that won’t allow for the rigor MD work will bring. They could work as a PT if and when necessary and still have a living wage/salary without the debt to worry about. And please note not all disabilities of any type occur in grade school years but can develop anytime thereafter be it young enough to the latter adult years. I think one of the best guides is knowing which is your vocation or call or both and where does your passion lead you.

      Reply
      • Lucie says

        August 26, 2018 at 5:36 pm

        I love what you said! So true. Starting out at 34. years old to me and wanting to still have a family very soon seems to me that the MD route may not be worth it — I want to teach later on so your advice on the phd is awesome. What fields would you say are best for PhDs when wanting to teach PA students and medical subjects?

        Reply

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Miranda, Pre-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for your help with my personal statement. I received compliments about my essay at every interview I had. I also wanted to let you know that I will be attending Duke’s PA Program – my top choice. Your help was amazing! Thank you so much again!

Kelli Tseng, PA-S

I just want to thank you again so much for being so awesome and helping me perfect my statement. I promised you that I would let you know if I got into any programs, and I was offered interviews at all the five universities I applied to. And I got offered positions at my top two school choices shortly after I interviewed. I am so ecstatic to say that I will be going to my number one school choice. I know multiple factors contributed to this opportunity being offered to me and the personal statement was surely a big one. Thank you so much for all that you do. It was really a great investment to have you edit my paper. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!

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I want to let you know that I got accepted into Misericordia University PA program starting the Summer of 2021. So far, I have had two interviews, one rejection and one acceptance. I have two more interviews coming up, and other schools are still reviewing applications. You have been a huge part of my application process, and I just want to appreciate your time and efforts you put in during my application. Thank you, and God bless

Jani, PA-S

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Jasmine, Pre-PA

A couple of months ago you worked with me on improving my personal statement. I wanted to reach out and let you know that it worked out! I got 5 interviews and so far have been accepted to 2. I am so so thankful for all your help as I don’t think it would have worked out without your amazing editing skills. Thank you for all you do! Not just me but for all the applicants you helped get accepted this year!

Matthew B. PA-S

Sarah was amazing and so helpful with thoroughly explaining her edits! I was so impressed with the first edit. She really took my theme to the next level and really helped tighten the flow of my essay. During our first phone call, I was amazed by how quickly she incorporated my new ideas/suggestions. Sarah is extremely clever with re-wording and cutting down unnecessary words, allowing you to elaborate more on important things. I can’t say enough good things about Sarah! I am so thrilled with my result!

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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

I absolutely loved working with Sarah! She provided the best feedback to my personal statement, while also being sensitive to the details regarding personal family trauma. At the end of our sessions, I always felt confident in the statement and knew that Sarah would help me best articulate into words what I wanted to say. My statement now is something I can be completely confident in, and know that Sarah has been able to help me achieve a statement that prospective schools will pay attention to. Thank you, Sarah (and The PA Life) for everything!

Elizabeth, Pre-PA

Sarah did such an excellent job editing my personal statement that I wanted her expertise for my supplemental essays. I’ve had multiple interview invites so far. I’m so glad I used this service, and I’m so glad I had Sarah’s help! She really took my essays to a whole new level and had good suggestions. I’m recommending her to my peers.

Emily Crenshaw, 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 wanted to update you that I got waitlisted for Drexel but accept to Dominican University of California. I still have other interviews coming up. Thank you for your help!

Karmen Wu, Pre-PA

I have been accepted to my first-choice program!! UC Denver, I don’t have to move! I have also received three other interviews so far. Thank you so much for your help with my personal statement. You eloquently helped me state my desires and strengths for the career. I am beyond thrilled and thankful.

Nika (Future PA)

I was accepted into PA last cycle and am currently in my second semester! I am a part of the inaugural class at Keck Graduate Institute. Your services really helped me during the application process. I enjoyed working with Sarah on my personal statement. She helped me view my experiences from a different perspective, making my personal statement more unique and stand out amongst other applicants. The mock interview was also very helpful and prepared me for my one and only interview. I was given great pointers and feedback on how to refine my answers. Thank you again for your services!

Michelle Chen, PA-S

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted in the UW MEDEX program at my home campus in Anchorage, AK. After the long journey I’ve had, I finally was accepted to my top choice! It still seems surreal and I couldn’t be more excited! Thank you so much for the help and insight you gave me. I truly believe it helped prepare me and not be as nervous. I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is applying in the future.

Melanie, PA-S

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 finally have amazing news. So first of all, in total, I was offered 13 interviews. I was just offered a seat at Nova Orlando! I am finally going to be a PA and a big part of that was from all of your help with my personal statement. So thank you very much for helping me succeed during this round.

Jennifer, PA-S

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

I just wanted to email you and let you know that 3 weeks post-interview with Gannon, I was accepted into the class of 2023! I am so excited and thrilled and I know that your help, helped me. So, thank you!

Cailin, PA-S

The service provided was excellent. I really appreciate Duke taking the time and reviewing my essay multiple times and at that same time, making sure I am comfortable with the wording. Thank you for all your help!

Foram Patel, Pre-PA

I am pleased to tell you that I have been accepted to PA school, starting in 2-weeks.? I appreciate everything you have done for me, from helping with my personal statement to preparing me for interviews. You have been with me since the beginning of the application process and I really wanted to thank you.

Shane, 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!

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Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

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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

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

Very helpful. I needed help figuring out what to cut and Sue was great at showing me what could go without sacrificing what I was trying to convey.

Dave, 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

Sarah from The PA Life was an incredible resource for editing my personal statement. Her edits took into account the big picture of the message of the statement and helped guide me when writing additional content my statement was lacking. Her edits and responses were both prompt and thorough, and I truly feel that she made a huge positive impact on my personal statement.

Travis, Pre-PA

I’ve had several people look at my essay in an effort to gauge whether the content was strong and to help clean it up and cut characters – none were as helpful as Carly. Carly’s editing truly helped make a difference in the quality of the essay, and while there’s still quite a bit of character cutting I have to do, I am more prepared now than I was before. I am so happy I chose to work with The PA Life.

Kristen, Pre-PA

Sue was extremely prompt and thoughtful in providing her comments, edits, and revisions. My essay had a good start but she helped me write it with admissions committees in mind. I will keep you updated on if I get interview invitations.

Kirsten, Pre-PA

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

I just wanted to share some amazing news with you! I have been accepted into the MEDEX PA program in Seattle!!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help!! I am beyond excited and still can’t believe it is actually happening! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!!!! 😀

Pavitra, PA-S

I was so glad that I chose to have Duke look over my essay, he turned it from long, rambling, and scattered to a much more concise, well written essay. I really feel as though it represents me well! Duke always responded quickly and I felt as though I got a lot of value for the money. Thank you!

Jennifer B. Pre-PA

Sue Edmonson has been a great help in ensuring my personal statement made sense and fit what information I was trying to convey. Her ability to find the pertinent parts in an essay and gain more information about me to make the essay seem relative to my pursuits was truly a Godsend. Would recommend her and your company to others. Thanks!

Christopher Ohsie, Pre-PA

Deanna (my editor at The PA Life) is the GOAT. She went so far above and beyond all my expectations. My jaw was on the floor reading my personal statement after she worked on it.

Austin, Pre-PA

I am so happy with the service Sarah provided! My personal statement turned out exactly how I was hoping it would!

Jennifer, Pre-PA

Working with Sarah felt like working with an old friend. Her thoughtful insight made the revision process easy. She had great advice for improvements to make while remaining within that difficult 5,000 character limit. Thanks, Sarah, you helped a ton!

Ryan, 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 was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

I came into this with a half written personal statement and not a lot of time left. I am beyond pleased with the work Sarah and I were able to accomplish together, and I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to work with her. She has helped me so much with getting my writing to where I wanted it to be, and has instilled in me a great sense of confidence in myself and my abilities. I highly recommend this service to anyone going through the stress of applying! Keeping my fingers crossed as I submit my applications!

Celine, PRE-PA

Deanna was professional, prompt, and easy to talk to. I truly enjoyed working with her one-on-one for my personal statement. Her suggestions elevated my writing, and I appreciate all the work she put in my essay.

Jamie, Pre-PA

My experience with the PA Life personal statement collaborative was simply remarkable. My editor did an outstanding job making sure that my personal statement reflected my BEST work and addressed all of my concerns regarding the essay and other questions I had about my application. I can’t thank you enough for all the help I received during this process. Thank you!

Erika, 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

Sue is so incredibly kind! I needed so much help on cleaning up my personal statement and overall flow of the writing. She provided great insights and explanation.

Laila, Pre-PA

Duke helped me with my essay and he was great! He really helped me fine tune my essay so it’s ready for submission and answered all of the question I had about small details in my essay. He was also great about responding to emails in a timely manner. I definitely recommend this personal statement review service to anyone who’s applying to PA school…even if it’s just as a final read-through before submitting it on their application.

Tyler J. Pre-PA

I really appreciated Carly’s attentiveness to my writing style and working to keep my message and content but working it in a way that reads easier. I appreciate her turnaround time, as well as priority deadlines for programs, are quickly approaching!

Jacob, Pre-PA

Carly was helpful and gave insightful comments while helping me to create more impact within my sentences. I feel confident and at ease knowing that my supplemental application has been reviewed in a thorough manner. Thank you for all your help!

Mina, Pre-PA

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

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

Sarah Schultz is such a gifted and talented writer. She is super sweet and is a joy to work with. I could not have asked for a better editor. She was able to articulate all of my ideas and thoughts seamlessly and effortlessly. Although challenging at times, her suggestions and edits were very insightful and necessary into creating a spectacular essay. I am extremely pleased with the outcome. It is now a true work of art. I am so grateful to Sarah for offering her time to helping individuals like myself to write the best possible personal statement. I would not have been able to write such a cohesive and smooth flowing essay without her help. Thank you so much!! I would unhesitatingly recommend The PA Life Essay Collaborative and Sarah Schultz.

Patrick, PRE-PA

I just wanted to give you an update! So far I have had two interviews and been accepted to both! I have three more interviews scheduled as of right now, and still waiting to hear from a handful of schools. Thank you so much for all of your help with my essay!

Jennifer Bidwell, PA-S

I just want to follow up and let you know that I have been so fortunate enough to have conducted 3 interviews and received 3 acceptances, and I have decided to continue my educational journey at the OHSU PA program. I can’t thank you enough for all the help you’ve provided me, from helping me with my personal statement to mock interviews. I couldn’t have done this without your help, thank you.

Yomiyu Gafesu, 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 was very pleased working with Duke on my personal statement. I’m currently in the middle of applying to PA school, so I haven’t heard back from the programs. I’m looking forward to the experience though.

John R. 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.

Tiffany Ly, Pre-PA

Your services have eased the stress and anxiety that results from guessing whether or not your essay contains the content that many PA programs are looking for. Your services were prompt and genuine. It is clear that you have the applicant’s success at heart. Thank you!

Madison Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that the majority of my interviews have gone really well! So far, I’ve received six interview invites and have interviewed for five schools. Midwestern (AZ) just got back to me a bit ago, and they sent me an acceptance email! I am beyond thrilled! I just wanted to thank you so much for your help! Your mock interview gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to carry into my interviews! I appreciated having the opportunity to practice my interview skills with you. I wanted to let you know just how much you’ve helped me with my application process (with my interviews, personal statement, and just my confidence in general)! Thank you so much for all of the advice over the past few months!

Sneh, PA-S

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.

Gabby, Pre-PA

Deanna was amazing! She really went above and beyond the single-edit that I could afford. I consider myself a pretty good writer, but she helped me focus and ground my story without sacrificing the overall creativity of the original piece. All I can say is wow! If there ever was something worth the money, this service is it!

John S. 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

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

I just wanted to let you know that I got accepted into the RFU PA program! Thank you for all your help and support during the application process. Couldn’t have done it without you!

Zakira, PA-S

Ms. Edmondson was incredible! She provided great feedback and answered all of my follow up questions. I will keep in touch as to my interview offers.

Ashley, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.

Keith G, Pre-PA

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. Pre-PA

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101 PA School Admission Essays

Admissions Directors Know What They Want. Shouldn't You? You’re slaving away at your personal statement, but can’t help wondering if anyone will read past the first line. A troubling thought, isn’t…

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How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement

What Makes This Book Unique? We have worked with 1000’s of applicants through our Personal Statement and Essay Collaborative and have interviewed PA school faculty and Admissions Directors from 12…

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