Tufts Blogs

For the last few years, I've wrestled with a decision that has consumed countless conversations and sleepless nights: should I pursue physician assistant school or medical school? If you ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I've confided in them repeatedly about this choice. They might even say they're still not sure what I've decided! This back-and-forth hasn't been without reason—after all, we're talking about deciding the trajectory of my entire life.

As someone who has always been passionate about medicine and direct patient care, I’ve known with certainty that I belong in the medical field. However, pinpointing exactly what that looks like has been my greatest challenge. Being a PA versus an MD has its perks and vice versa. Both paths offer rewarding careers in healthcare, but they come with distinct differences in education, responsibilities, and lifestyle. After careful consideration, I finally decided that PA school is the right path for me, a choice I reached only after creating a detailed pros and cons list and speaking with healthcare providers around me.

The timeline difference played a significant role in my decision. The path to becoming a PA on average takes two years compared to medical school which takes 3 to 4 years followed by residency which for me personally would take 3 to 5 more years. If you wish to specialize in your field and pursue a fellowship, 1 to 3 more years can be added to your journey.  

To me, the amount of time it can take to obtain a medical license is daunting and has been one of the big reasons holding me back from going to medical school. Additionally, medical schools are often much more expensive than PA school ranging from $200,000-$400,000 (unless attending school with a stipend) compared to $70,000-$120,000. However, more time in school leads to a more specialized degree and thus a larger salary, which shouldn’t be your deciding factor, but it is still important to consider.

Something that really helped me decide PA school is that PAs often enjoy more predictable schedules and greater flexibility in changing specialties throughout their careers. This is intriguing to me as I can jump to dermatology to plastic surgery for example, if I wish to. The shorter training period means you can start your career sooner and potentially achieve work-life balance earlier.

Physicians, particularly during residency, often work longer hours with more demanding call schedules. The intensity varies by specialty, but the training period is generally more grueling. However, once established in practice, many physicians have more autonomy in their work and can shape their schedules, especially in private practice.

As a junior who has finally made this decision, I now realize all the stress I put on myself as an undergrad and even in high school was not worth it! I still have time to complete the requirements needed; however, this would not have been possible without getting a head start. It definitely made it easier knowing I wanted to go into the medical field to begin with, so at the very least I was able to take all the general requirements before I had to select the pathway. If you too are reading this and see yourself in what I am saying, I recommend beginning as early as possible to get the basic level requirements. Both PA school and medical school will require you to take general chemistry and labs, basic biology and labs, basic math classes (such as introductory calculus or statistics), etc. Look into what you would need for both possibilities and keep your options open as you enroll in courses.

The bottom line is both PA and medical school paths lead to rewarding careers in healthcare. The "right" choice depends on your individual circumstances, career goals, and personal preferences. Take time to shadow both PAs and physicians, speak with mentors, and honestly assess your long-term objectives before making your decision. Ultimately, it took me time to make this decision and lots and lots of research. That was the only way I could have made this decision after all!