Is there more demand for Physician's Assistants than for nurses?

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I'm taking a bunch of science and math pre-reqs this year. I'm looking at various nursing program options and trying to decide what to pursue once I get all these requirements out of the way. But the average physician's assistant program is 26 months - and the average associate's program for nursing is two years - so the P.A. program is not that much longer.

Is there more demand for physician's assistants then there are for R.N.'s? Does anyone who has familiarity with the field have any insights into it?

I've been looking at PA schools in my area and they all require some varying amount of patient contact hours prior to applying for admission. Many have either volunteered or have become EMT-Bs to fufill that requirement. Do you have that in your neck of the woods also??

Well, I am looking literally anywhere in the country where I could get into a PA program - once I finish up the science pre-requisites. I know that whether or not it is REQUIREd, two this that will help me - and that are required in some places - are:

1.) Shadow a PA and report on it, and get a letter of recommendation from that PA, and

2.) Have hands-on patient care experience.

I am going to take a CNA prep test course and then get my CNA license, and either volunteer or work somewhere local, while I get my science pre-req's out of the way. I thought about EMT but it would take a full-time semester to get the certification AND in Orlando, all the EMTs that get hired seem to be firefighers.

Once I get enough science classes under my belt - I'll have worked as a CNA so I can observe both PAs and RNs and make a more informed decision.

But the PA salary is mighty tempting.

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Hi! Just wondering what you have decided on? Im kind of in the same dilemma right now :)

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