NP vs PA

Larry3373 · Jan 27, 2015

You can do whatever you want to do if you work hard enough. There are tons of programs to help pay for school and even living expenses. As I'm sure most people will tell you, it is a waste of time to go the np or pa route if your ultimate goal is to be an MD. Both will still require a considerable amount of time and money. NP is better because you can be more independent in the sense that you may be able to have your own clinic (in some states), and a PA always has to work with a physician (hence the title physician assistant). If I were you, I would go to the local medical school and financial aid office and find out what the requirements are. Ask about student loans, stipends, scholarships, and state programs that pay for medical school and/or living expenses. I basically lived off my student loans and a grant in nursing school. On the other hand if you try to go another rote first you will have waisted a lot of time and money taking courses that will not help you to get into medical school. No one can do the work for you, you have to do the research for yourself.

CalderonLuis · Jan 27, 2015

I apriciate your honesty and the time you took to answers my question. Another interesting fact that I forgot to put on the post Is that I work 40 hours a week to pay rent and still manage to go to LVN school. I'm paying most of the school

Aside for my living expenses. Even though I have little time my grades are pretty good compared to the time I put studyng. I can't afford quitting my job, I live on my own. No support form anybody, that is the reason I said : not everything is possible. You can say : everything is possible if you try, well I'm trying really hard on my first goal wich is LVN. As the time progress my best option is NP, but who knows. I'm between those options. Another thing is that is not a waste of time because i have met several doctors who started as nurses etc.

Thanks Larry ðŸ‘ŒðŸ˜„

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2015

I would choose NP vs PA because NPs are better trained to provide their patients with quality care. PAs can major in history undergrad, and, as long as they take a handful of prereqs, they qualify for admission to PA school. This means they don't necessarily have any pertinent background. NPs, on the other hand, must have a BSN (so more undergrad training) & typically have yrs of experience under their belt before pursuing an advanced degree. PA programs are general programs that expect you to learn enough to be competent in many, many specialties within 2 years. An NP student is in a program that is specialized, such as family (primary care) or psych. What I'm trying to say is that, in general, NPs are better prepared and more educated/experienced to serve their patients.

Larry3373 · Jan 27, 2015

You can go that route if you want, but those courses that you are taking are not prerequisites for medical school. I have met a few people that were nurses or resp therapists and went back to medical school, but what is the point? Don't assume that it is impossible. In MS for example, we have a rural doctor program that will pay for your entire medical school. Then you could probably live off student loans. My point is, you don't know until you try.

CalderonLuis · Jan 27, 2015

So true, the sky is the limit. I'm starting as LVN to get money because I need it lol. Im considering all my options. I'll take the time to look on several Med schools and figure this life thing out

THANKS

I agree with you Marie!

A&Ox6, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2015

If you do an M.D. PhD program, you may not have top pay for med school or expenses at all...

elkpark · Jan 27, 2015

PAs can major in history undergrad, and, as long as they take a handful of prereqs, they qualify for admission to PA school. This means they don't necessarily have any pertinent background. NPs, on the other hand, must have a BSN (so more undergrad training) & typically have yrs of experience under their belt before pursuing an advanced degree.

This isn't true. There are scads of the so-called "direct entry" NP programs for people who already have a BA/BS in another discipline, but no nursing background or experience, and graduate them two or three years later as an NP. There are plenty of people with an undergrad degree in history, or anything else (when I was in grad school, some of the direct-entry students at the school had undergrad degrees in French literature), and a few prerequisite courses, who are getting into and completing direct-entry NP programs, exactly the same as the PA programs. These programs are incredibly popular (just look around this site). You can no longer assume that NPs had a nursing license or any nursing experience before becoming NPs.

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Jan 27, 2015

This isn't true. There are scads of the so-called "direct entry" NP programs for people who already have a BA/BS in another discipline, but no nursing background or experience, and graduate them two or three years later as an NP. There are plenty of people with an undergrad degree in history, or anything else (when I was in grad school, some of the direct-entry students at the school had undergrad degrees in French literature), and a few prerequisite courses, who are getting into and completing direct-entry NP programs, exactly the same as the PA programs. These programs are incredibly popular (just look around this site). You can no longer assume that NPs had a nursing license or any nursing experience before becoming NPs.

Elkpark, I personally don't know why anyone would be handed a prescription pad after only 2 years of pertinent training. Hopefully nurses are more often becoming NPs by the traditional route.

elkpark · Jan 27, 2015

You're entitled to your opinion (and I'm no fan of these programs, either), but that doesn't change the fact that they are wildly popular. I don't know any specific numbers, but I doubt we can even assume that the majority of new NPs are graduating from traditional programs (licensed RNs with experience). Even lots of the students in the traditional programs are people who just graduated from nursing school and went directly into an NP program. Look at all the threads here in which people talk about how they're only going to nursing school so they can become NPs. The days when all NPs were RNs with years of experience before they went to grad school are long gone. On the other hand, the direct-entry programs have been around for decades now, and there don't seem to be any problems with the graduates -- if there were any significant safety or professional issues with the graduates of those programs, one would think that you would hear something about that.

blackeyedsusan · Jan 27, 2015

You might want to check out Shortage Designation: Health Professional Shortage Areas & Medically Underserved Areas/Populations

There are government programs that agree to pay significant amounts of your student loans in exchange for several years of work in a medically under-served area after you graduate. I don't know a lot of specifics, but I believe it's available for NP, PA, or MD. Definitely worth checking into - I'm going to get some more information for myself as I head toward NP school.

Good luck!

Larry3373 · Jan 29, 2015

I have never heard of a direct entry nurse practitioner program that doesn't first require a BSN. You might be able to get a BSN by taking an accelerated route if you have a bachelors degree in another field, but this will still require you to pass a rigorous and accelerated nursing program for your undergrad degree including many clinical hours. Then you can apply for direct entry. So it is not true that people can get into direct entry nurse practitioner programs with no nursing background. If I'm wrong please provide the citation.