Perhaps this is true, I’m not sure. Not too familiar with the PA program itself. But regardless of any differences in curriculum, they are both trained to treat the “horses”, no?
It’s difficult for me to judge as I don’t know first-hand the content of the PA programs. I suspect that them being enrolled in some of the same courses as the MD students is primarly due to the PA programs being based “under” a medical school - so the same model of medical education is followed.
I know as an NP student it was a very rigorous master’s program taking about 2 1/2 years figuring in the clinical time. I suspect clinical requirements are very similar (a certain number of various types of office visits and procedures). Because NP programs are based out of schools of nursing in general, or independent but taught by PhD and ND nursing faculty, they tend to develop their own curriculum, but not less rigorous as a result.
There is a difference in licensure. PA’s can only practice with a physician. NP’s in many states are licenced independant practitioners. It was that case in my state for CNM’s - could open my own office, follow my patient load throughout prenatal care, delivery in the hospital, and postpartum, and the patient never needed to see a physician. Could write my own scripts. But needed a “consulting” physician who reviewed my protocols/procedures and did random chart review of my scripts on some unspecified number of occasions yearly.
I have no doubt that my own NP education was as if not more rigourous that a PA program.
I’m not upset with your comment at all - just wanting to offer my own information and surmises.
Kate
Hi there,
Ditto on everyone.
My story is that I was a midwife (lay midwife), then decided I wanted to become a FNP because I wanted to do more family practice. I did an accelerated program, and in my last year of the FNP program, knew that I had made a “mistake” in not doing medicine. I talked to my mentors, who dissuaded me. When I started my first FNP job 5 years ago, my main mentors dissuaded me when I told them that I thought I should really go back to medical school, saying that all neophytes feel that way. When I decided 18 months ago to go back to do my pre-reqs, again, I was totally dissuaded by everyone I knew (especially doctors).
Well, 5 years after becoming a FNP, with a 2 and a 4 year old, and 35 good years behind me, I am now enrolled in O chem, ochem lab, and biology. I stopped listening to everyone else’s experience, and just listened to myself and followed my own deep, deep intuition.
I struggle daily with “this is crazy” scheme, but feel 100% relieved to be working 1 day a week, and taking 3 classes (which, BTW, is a full-time job). I plan to apply to medical school after finishing my pre-reqs and taking the MCAT, 2013 or 2014 and am very delighted with my decision to do this career change. I figure I’ll be 39 or 40 by the time I start. I’d rather spend 10 years (pre-reqs +school) and get to where I want to be than the next 50 regretting it. And…it’s an interesting journey.
Trust your gut!
As a new NP I recieved most of my training on the job, and thank God I have a good Doctor who trains me and teaches me. He is patient. There were so many cases and things I saw that I didnt know how to approach it. I really felt I lacked the knowledge. Dont get me wrong. I think I can say that I was a good student and that I did really well on most of my exams in NP school. But yet I lacked the knowledge I needed to treat the cases I saw initially at my new job. This really was scary to me. Now with a little bit more experience and by doing my own readings I am able to diagnose and treat because of familiarity.
This is why I really crave to get the training I will recieve if I am a med student… and one day a resident. I want to do E.R rotations and ICU rotations and everything else and know that my knowledge base and what I learned in school assisted me in helping save the life of a patient.