Many of us have had that thought run across our minds at some point in our lives, “what if I could become a doctor”. While being a doctor is one of the most respected professions in our society, the long training and arduous lifestyle can be discouraging to some folks. Fortunately there are plenty of other career paths in field of medicine, one of which is becoming a physician’s assistant. Check out the table below to see a comparison between a physician and a physician assistant…you may be excited to find that a career in medicine is still a possibility for you!
Medical Doctor Versus Physician Assistant
| Medical Doctor (MD) | Physician Assistant (PA) | |
| Education | 4yrs college + 4yrs medical school + 3-7yrs of residency training | 4yrs college + 2years PA school |
| Major national exam requirements | +/- SAT or ACT for college
+ MCAT for medical school + USMLE Step 1, 2 & 3 exam for residency +Board exam for licensing +Board recertification exam every 10yrs for the rest of your career |
+/- SAT or ACT for college
+GRE for PA school + PANCE after PA school +recertification exam every 10yrs |
| Cost of education | Varies but takes into account 4yrs of college + 4yrs of med school | Varies but takes into account 4yrs of college + 2yrs of PA school |
| Work hours | During residency training the hours are 50-80hrs/wk (no overtime pay)
After residency training you can work as little or as long as you want |
After PA school, hours are very flexible, average 40hrs/wk |
| Patient encounter | You’re in charge of the patient care. | You take care of patients under the supervision of a physician |
| Work setting | Hospital vs. clinic vs. operating room | Hospital vs. clinic vs. operating room |
| Compensation | During residency you receive a fixed salary ($50-60k/yr)
After residency it depends on your specialty and work hours (avg $170k – $320k/yr) |
After training avg $100k/yr |
| Specialty | Dozens of specialties to choose from | Over a dozen to choose from |
| Liability | More likely to be liable for error in patient care | Less likely to be liable for error in patient care |
Now that you know the difference check out this article on how important having a mentor can be for a career in medicine.
Author,
Juliet Essilfie
Medical Doctor
