S
Smber2c
Guest
A.M.D.G.
Hi all, my wife and I have been spending the last couple weeks discussing an issue and while we are getting deeper and deeper into understanding pluses and minuses, we really haven’t been able to move toward a decision. I thought some people a little further along in life may be able to offer some insights. (in addition to advice we’re already getting and prayer
)
See, I’m a nurse, an LPN and 25 years old. My wife, she’s a elementary school teacher and 23 years old. My wife is due to deliver our first child (a daughter) in early May (yay!). And of all things I’m really wanting to get back in school this August. She agrees it’s a good idea, b/c we both want 5-10 kids and would love for her to be able to stay at home with them as soon as I could make that possible.
Our basic questions are these:
Med-school would be:
2 years prerequisites
1 year basically sitting out b/c they need MCAT scores 11 months before admission
4 years med-school
- my daughter will be 7 at this point & a minimum of 1 more should be around., maybe 2 or 3.
3 years residency (at I’ll be getting paid a little more than I am now at this point)
-daughter 10, and hopefully 3 others, maybe 4. I’m 35 and my wife 33.
PA (physician assistant) school would be:
2 years prerequisites (maybe 1.5, but every program I’ve seen only starts in August, so…)
2 year program
-daughter 4, hopefully 1 other child, I’m 29 and my wife 27.
Loking at years, PA seems obvious. But the direction of medical practice is also really important, and doctors have way more ability to decide that.
See, my dad’s a family practice doctor with his own clinic and he’s always given poems (that are really prayer cards) and prescribed quite reflection of not prayer to his patients. He tells them to find a focus in life that is bigger than themselves, to do more charity. I’d love to do that and some more - having time on Sundays that I could offer free medical care to the poor, giving holy cards with Saints pertinent to different conditions or handing out selected CD’s with talks from some of my favorite pastors/speakers for those fighting addictions, depression, terminal conditions, etc…
Working as a nurse now, I know that if I’m an employee - I am told what to do and how to do it. Work is work. Sure I can have side ministries, but work as a ministry will always be a very limited thing. PA’s can’t be self employed, they always work under a doctor’s supervision. Only finding a like minded physician to work under would allow me to practice medicine at the best level I think possible.
The #1 reason I’d like to be a MD is to be able to set a course for a medical clinic that pours love and charity into the community it serves.
The #2 reason is because I see how much more the RN’s know that I do as an LPN know - I expect the knowledge gap b/t MD and PA to be even larger. In the couple months I’ve worked as a nurse I’ve seen that the more I know, the more I can help, the better I can educate pts. and family, the better I can console, and the more people trust what I tell them. I’d prefer the 4 years of med-school to get that knowledge for what I hope is a 40 year career over the 2 years of PA school for a 43 year career.
Careerwise - I’d prefer med-school. But before a career come family and that’s where my dad struggled. He was so devoted to medicine he’s work 80-100 hour weeks - which made home time scant. Either a PA or MD could fall into that trap, which I think I would avoid; however med-school would require those 80-100 hours weeks regardless. With all that time in school I’m not sure I’d be a very good family presence.
Anyway, very long post I know - I’m sorry, hopefully God directs 1 or 2 helpful souls to read it. But if anyone’s done this or done similar - how did it go? How much will I miss during those older children’s first years if I’m a studentaholic? Is it okay to sacrifice family development for career development if there’s a pretty decent alternative that’s less trying on the family?
(note: due to my dad being a successful doctor, money isn’t a big problem. He’s offered to pay rent and tuition if I go back to school - so we’d only have food, cars, insurance, phones…much easier with his help. And the end salary for these jobs isn’t a big deciding factor either as PA’s get 100-120K annually and MD…well they vary a ton, estimated as maybe 150-275K and either is enough for my wife and I whole live somewhat simply and desire to simplify our lives more. I think either salary will easily pay the bills of our growing family for years to come.)
Hi all, my wife and I have been spending the last couple weeks discussing an issue and while we are getting deeper and deeper into understanding pluses and minuses, we really haven’t been able to move toward a decision. I thought some people a little further along in life may be able to offer some insights. (in addition to advice we’re already getting and prayer
)See, I’m a nurse, an LPN and 25 years old. My wife, she’s a elementary school teacher and 23 years old. My wife is due to deliver our first child (a daughter) in early May (yay!). And of all things I’m really wanting to get back in school this August. She agrees it’s a good idea, b/c we both want 5-10 kids and would love for her to be able to stay at home with them as soon as I could make that possible.
Code:
Our quandary is if medical school is a possibly and intelligent choice or if PA (physician assistant) school might not be better?- How many years back in school are too many to be worth it?
- How much will I miss this time with my daughter and potentially with new children while being in med-school/PA school? And would I sorely regret being in such a demanding position while my oldest child is 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 years old?
- How hard is it to be a faithful Catholic and a faithful husband/father while in med-school? (I saw another post claiming that saying you will not prescribe contraceptions when interviewing for med-school will get you instantly rejected)
Med-school would be:
2 years prerequisites
1 year basically sitting out b/c they need MCAT scores 11 months before admission
4 years med-school
- my daughter will be 7 at this point & a minimum of 1 more should be around., maybe 2 or 3.
3 years residency (at I’ll be getting paid a little more than I am now at this point)
-daughter 10, and hopefully 3 others, maybe 4. I’m 35 and my wife 33.
PA (physician assistant) school would be:
2 years prerequisites (maybe 1.5, but every program I’ve seen only starts in August, so…)
2 year program
-daughter 4, hopefully 1 other child, I’m 29 and my wife 27.
Loking at years, PA seems obvious. But the direction of medical practice is also really important, and doctors have way more ability to decide that.
See, my dad’s a family practice doctor with his own clinic and he’s always given poems (that are really prayer cards) and prescribed quite reflection of not prayer to his patients. He tells them to find a focus in life that is bigger than themselves, to do more charity. I’d love to do that and some more - having time on Sundays that I could offer free medical care to the poor, giving holy cards with Saints pertinent to different conditions or handing out selected CD’s with talks from some of my favorite pastors/speakers for those fighting addictions, depression, terminal conditions, etc…
Working as a nurse now, I know that if I’m an employee - I am told what to do and how to do it. Work is work. Sure I can have side ministries, but work as a ministry will always be a very limited thing. PA’s can’t be self employed, they always work under a doctor’s supervision. Only finding a like minded physician to work under would allow me to practice medicine at the best level I think possible.
The #1 reason I’d like to be a MD is to be able to set a course for a medical clinic that pours love and charity into the community it serves.
The #2 reason is because I see how much more the RN’s know that I do as an LPN know - I expect the knowledge gap b/t MD and PA to be even larger. In the couple months I’ve worked as a nurse I’ve seen that the more I know, the more I can help, the better I can educate pts. and family, the better I can console, and the more people trust what I tell them. I’d prefer the 4 years of med-school to get that knowledge for what I hope is a 40 year career over the 2 years of PA school for a 43 year career.
Careerwise - I’d prefer med-school. But before a career come family and that’s where my dad struggled. He was so devoted to medicine he’s work 80-100 hour weeks - which made home time scant. Either a PA or MD could fall into that trap, which I think I would avoid; however med-school would require those 80-100 hours weeks regardless. With all that time in school I’m not sure I’d be a very good family presence.
Anyway, very long post I know - I’m sorry, hopefully God directs 1 or 2 helpful souls to read it. But if anyone’s done this or done similar - how did it go? How much will I miss during those older children’s first years if I’m a studentaholic? Is it okay to sacrifice family development for career development if there’s a pretty decent alternative that’s less trying on the family?
(note: due to my dad being a successful doctor, money isn’t a big problem. He’s offered to pay rent and tuition if I go back to school - so we’d only have food, cars, insurance, phones…much easier with his help. And the end salary for these jobs isn’t a big deciding factor either as PA’s get 100-120K annually and MD…well they vary a ton, estimated as maybe 150-275K and either is enough for my wife and I whole live somewhat simply and desire to simplify our lives more. I think either salary will easily pay the bills of our growing family for years to come.)