| Topic Name: |
Change of career |
| Message Name: |
PA future |
| Date Posted: |
03/04/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
I am a recent grad and am currently employed as a healthcare analyst at one of the leading consulting firms.
I enjoy my work, however I feel I am leaving behind a big dream--becoming a physician's assistant. Since junior year in college, I wanted to be a PA, but felt it was too late (i.e. would not graduate on time b/c I would need to take all of the needed science courses (I was a business major)).
I am really starting to feel that I should pursue this opportunity, but would appreciate some advice. I understand that I will be taking a paycut in that in two years (after PA school) I could have easily surpassed my PA salary with a consulting salary. Really though, money is not an issue. I just want to make sure that I am making a reasonable decision before I stray away from consulting and start racking up more student loans.
Any advice on PA opportunities/thoughts on PAs/thoughts on the future of healthcare consulting would be greatly helpful.
Kind regards,
Confused |
| Message: |
According to the National Board of Labor (or something like that), the market for PAs is expected to rise about 50% in the next 10 years. I also read yesterday the medicine is one of the few "recession proof" careers. Despite all that, you should change careers if you think you'd love it, but spend some time with a PA to make sure.
I was in the same position after my first year of law school. Decided law wasn't for me but thought it was "too late" to go back to school. Well, after 12 years of wishing I were in medicine, I'm finally going back to PA school. I finally came to the realization that I'm going to get older anyway, why not do it in a field that I enjoy. If you just graduated, you are still young. I figure that if you finish by that time you are 50, you still have 15-20 years of work ahead of you. wouldn't you rather be doing something you like?
Bottom line: It's never too late to do something you enjoy!
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