PA School

I'm not really sure how to start this post, so I'll just dive right in.  Ever since I started really thinking about applying to medical school, I have also thought about applying to the physician assistant program at my school.  The main reason I didn't to begin with, is it required a few extra classes that I couldn't quite fit into my schedule. They were classes that I wanted to take, but they have labs and I only have so many hours that I can make up at work, so I just decided to stick to the MD route.  Well, lately I have been thinking about the whole PA thing in a more serious light - I haven't given up on the MD thing, I am just opening up my options. PA school might be better for me because even though I am still "young" I am 31 and I can finish PA school by the time I am 34, if I get in next year that is. I will still be able to practice medicine, live in a small town, and make a decent living. Plus my loans won't be as high and if I work in a rural area I will be able to qualify for a repayment program where I get my loans paid back for every year I work in that setting.  Right now the only thing that my application is lacking is direct patient care experience.  With medical school, only shadowing is required, but PA school looks for people with actual patient care experience.  A lot of students come in with a CNA, EMT or some other form of certification and/or training, so this might make it a little more difficult for me.  On the list of qualifying activities is chiropractic assistant, and there is one down the street from where I live that is open on Saturdays, so I am going to ask if they would like a volunteer.  :) I will be a little more strapped for time this semester, but I might see if I can volunteer in the ER or a hospital this summer after I take my MCAT.  If I can't get in with the chiropractor, I may go down to my local hospital's same day care clinic and see if I can volunteer there.  I may not be able to get the required hours in by the time I apply, but at least it will be a start, plus it will be really good experience for both the MD and PA apps. 

So my plan at the moment is to take Intro to Microbiology and Human Anatomy and Physiology next semester, then study for the MCAT from May - July and take the exam on July 27.  After the MCAT I will try to volunteer at the hospital for the rest of the summer.  I will then take Statistics and Pathophysiology for the fall semester, then Pharmacology and Advanced H&P for the spring to finish up the classes I need to take.  By this time I should know if I got in to KU or WSU (this is the PA program I'm applying to), and if I get in then awesome! and if not then I will focus on the direct patient care and community service part of my app and focus only on PA school.  This will be my last attempt to get into KU.  I would love to be a doctor and have that M.D. behind my name, but at this point in my life, I really just want to practice medicine and start helping patients and the M.D. part of it really isn't necessary.  I know that I would love being a PA-C just as much and really, there are not a lot of differences between the two as far as job descriptions go.  I guess only time will tell which road I travel.