clinical career worth it?

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

Hi all, I have read this and the PA forum for a long time now, and am in the process of interviewing for PA school now. I like you guys better so i am asking this here :) I have always wanted to see patients, but after a couple years as a pharmacy tech, I am in a position thanks to a friend to take a job with a great clinical research/pharmaceutical company with a couple possible tracks (clinical data manager/CRA- in training). There is a lot of room to advance. Assuming I get into PA school, what would be the best course of action? Part of me is ready to get a start on a career, and I know i would enjoy a job with the research side of things, and another part thinks I would want to practice medicine. A realization I just had is that life may just be better for me and my family doing a more 9-5 type job with the research company, and maybe I would be less stressed. Any thoughts?

[BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP]

I had always worked in health care, but not in direct patient care roles. I did the whole advance up the management ladder thing and found I really wasn't happy. I ended up going back to school to be a NP and have never been happier. If you truly want to do hands on patient care, go to PA school. You can have a good schedule as a PA or a NP. I work outpatient and have regular hours with no nights, weekends, or holidays. You need to go with what feels right and speaks to you.

Best of luck with your decision.

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

thanks, yeah i am accepted already to an RN program for next year, so if PA school doesnt pan out, I can do that, then later go into pretty much anything as a nurse, NP, mgmt, IT or research. I just dont want to have that little voice in my head for the rest of my life if I dont do the PA/NP thing