Health care is a large and diverse field containing many possible career paths. Many people often find themselves deciding between becoming a physician assistant or a physician. Physicians and physician assistants work closely with patients to treat and diagnose medical conditions. Although very similar, both consist of differences in their education, lifestyle, and duties.
To become a physician assistant, students are required to earn a bachelor's degree. There is no specific major requirement to get into PA school, only the specific course requirements required by each PA school. Additionally, pre-physician assistant students usually obtain around 3,000 patient care hours, although, the requirements for each PA program are different. Some examples of this are through working as a paramedic, CNA, medical assistant, scribe, and even shadowing a physician assistant. Once obtaining a bachelor’s degree, students must attend an accredited PA program and earn their master's degree. These PA programs often last about 3 years including clinical rotations.
The road to becoming a physician is much longer. Similar to becoming a PA, pre-med students are required to earn a bachelor’s degree. On top of that, they must complete 4 years of medical school and an additional 3 to 7 years of residency depending on their specialty. Aspiring physicians are also not required to obtain as many patient care hours for medical school.
Overall, physician assistants enjoy a much better work-life balance than physicians. On average, physician assistants usually work fewer hours per week and are rarely required to be on call. According to Mayo Clinic, physician assistants work an average of 40 hours per week. Whereas most physicians work an average of 40 to 60 hours per week. Physicians are also more likely to work on weekends and holidays as well as be on call.
Like physicians, physician assistants are able to diagnose and treat medical conditions, prescribe medications, and perform physical exams. However, physician assistants are not able to run their own practice as they must be supervised by a physician. According to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, physician assistants are also not able to perform surgery on their own. Physician assistants are also easily able to switch specialties throughout their careers, unlike physicians who usually stay in one specialty.
In short, although physicians and physician assistants perform similar jobs, there are some key differences that aspiring healthcare professionals should consider. For example, how important is work-life balance? Are you planning on owning your own clinic one day? How long do you want to spend in school? It is important to remember that every person is different and has their own goals and ideas of what they want to achieve.