Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

From PA to MD: An appreciation for physician education

Christin M. Giordano, PA
Education
October 6, 2014
8K Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

shutterstock_151464374

My journey in medicine began as a young child: I was the typical kid who knew I wanted to a be a doctor since I was a child and was thrilled when I was accepted into an 8-year college program which culminated in a medical degree. However, by the end of my undergraduate program, medicine was changing: doctors were spending less time with patients and more time with paperwork and administrative tasks. The doctor of my dreams did not seem possible in our current reality. At that time, my mother was hospitalized and she told me about her physician assistant (PA) who was the one who spent time and developed a relationship with her. Intrigued, I investigated the profession and turned down my admission to medical school, taking a year off to complete pre-PA requirements and ultimately attending a 24-month master’s program.

By the second year of PA school, I worked alongside medical students, often outperforming their physical exam and history-taking skills because of the patient-intensive training of the first year of PA school. Upon graduation, I took a position at an academic institution despite a significant pay cut because my thirst for knowledge simply could not be quenched. By my sixth month, I hit a ceiling in my knowledge in the sub-specialty I was working. While I was proficient at my job, often caring for patients with little supervision, I was acutely aware of the lack of depth of my knowledge. At the same time, one of my female attendings became my mentor; demonstrating how she could have a family, spend time with her patients, perform research and teach. In short, she was the physician I had dreamed of becoming as a child but had thought was impossible in the current constructs of medicine.

Two years after becoming a PA, I started medical school. Within the first month, it became clear that the depth of knowledge expected of physicians was vastly different and more intense than that of PAs, although the focus was less clinical and more theoretical. As I went through the first two years of school and ultimately took step 1 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, the respect I had had for the physicians I had worked with previously grew tremendously.

Now nearly halfway through my third year, and finally back with patients on a regular basis, my appreciation for physician education continues to grow. I process information completely differently than I had before. I no longer work just inside an algorithm but can now critically evaluate and develop unique plans for my patients in a way that my prior training did not allow. As a PA, I knew how to treat adequately most patients but as a future physician, I now know the why of the algorithms and can, hopefully, develop my own for patients who do not quite fit that algorithm.

It was common, and I am sure it still is, for us, as PA students, to talk of PA school as comparable to medical school. Having now done both, I can unequivocally say that it is not. With that said, the goals of each educational program are different. PAs and ARNPs serve one role and physicians another, both of which should be respected. However, the goal of every provider should be the same: to know one’s limits, ask for help when needed, and work as a team to provide the best care for our patients.

Christin M. Giordano is a physician assistant and medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Money is a poor way to motivate doctors

October 6, 2014 Kevin 5
…
Next

Team-based care needs to be more than a buzzword

October 6, 2014 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Money is a poor way to motivate doctors
Next Post >
Team-based care needs to be more than a buzzword

More by Christin M. Giordano, PA

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The difficult conversation everyone must have

    Christin M. Giordano, PA

More in Education

  • Breaking the silence: the truth about mental health challenges among medical students and why medical schools must take action

    Erin Waldrop
  • Breaking the stigma: Encouraging mental health help-seeking in medical trainees

    Anonymous
  • I’m not so different from Lionel Messi – and neither are you

    Lauren Tien
  • 6 ways ChatGPT can help you succeed in medical school

    Drew Bergman
  • Is it time to say goodbye to medical school rankings?

    James Goldchild
  • The unintended consequences of ERAS: Are we losing unique applicants?

    Ank Agarwal, Aditya Narayan, Joshua Leaston, and Akshay Bhamidipati
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 45 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • 'Medically Relevant to Saving the Life of Your Patient': What We Heard This Week
  • Want to Solve the Nurse Shortage?
  • Why Are Female Doctors Sued Nearly Half as Often as Male Doctors?
  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

From PA to MD: An appreciation for physician education
45 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...