PA Turned MD Talks About Why He Made the Switch

Session 170

In this episode, Ryan talks with Brad, a nontraditional student who comes from the PA world and is now a first year medical student. Today, Brad shares about his amazing journey, why he decided to take the PA route and then finally decide to switch his path to medical school.

Here are the highlights of the conversation with Brad:

When Brad decided to become a physician:

Wanting to be a physician as a young boy
In undergrad, he took the Emergency Medicine Program
A year after college. he went to PA school
Realizing he was not fulfilled so decided to go to medical school
Brad worked as PA for 5 years

Take the PA route if you:

Enjoy clinical medicine
Are okay not always being a top dog
Are okay not having the physiological and pathological “why’s” to what’s going on with your patient

Why he still wanted to be a doctor, even after becoming a PA:

Having the desire to know more “why” about what’s going on with the patients
Having the full experience
When he wanted to start a system-based program, it requires a physician champion to get it going and spearhead it

Factors that got Brad derailed from premed the first time:

Realizing he had to take classes or a semester in Physics and organic chemistry
Getting a D in organic chemistry the first time, an F the 2nd time, and an A the 3rd time
Getting a C- in physics the first time, a W the 2nd time, and an A the 3rd time
Working at night while going to school in 2007

The differences between PA and physician:

In the urgent care center, there is no physician on site but just electronic communication with them. The PA takes care of the patients.
If you want to come up with a treatment plan, you need to be a physician to back up your point of view.
As a PA, you’re not the one leading the surgery or making final decisions on rounds in the ICU.
If you want to be heavily involved in patient care, procedures, and being clinically confident and more in charge, go to medical school.
The supervising physician is the overarching leader at the end of the day.

Being a PA can be a great job, but ultimately, as a PA you're not the one leading the surgery or making final decisions on rounds in the ICU.Click To Tweet

Benefits of becoming a physician assistant:

Exposure to the whole gamut of patients
No limitation on patient care depending on the kind of job you seek out
2 years of school

Steps Brad took to succeed in his medical school application:

Having a mentor
Contacting the admissions office occasionally
Forming relationships with admissions committees

How many medical schools did he apply to?

Applying within the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut area and Pittsburgh
Applying to 25-30 medical schools

Brad’s path to a medical school acceptance:

Applying early decision and getting nothing
Applying to DO schools
Getting placed on the waitlist
Sending a letter of intent every two months to update the school
Getting a call by the end of June

If you get an acceptance from one med school, you can notify other schools so they know you're in demand and will take another look at you.Click To Tweet

Some pieces of advice for premed students:

If you truly, in your heart, want to be a physician and that is your path, that is your destiny, then you will always want to be a physician, no matter what you do. It’s not going to go away.

Form relationships. Meet everybody. There are thousands of people applying to medical school. Unless you make yourself known, you’re a number.

Stay persistent if you really want to be a physician. Send update letters. Meet people on the admissions committees and form relationships with them.

If you truly, in your heart, want to be a physician and that is your path, that is your destiny, then you will always want to be a physician, no matter what you do. It's not going to go away.Click To Tweet