Which do you think is the better route to go into?
It depends on how many years of schooling and work you’re willing to go through. To be a physician assistant, you would have to go to medical school (which is super expensive) and have to do a residency for a couple years. For a physical therapist, you would definitely have to get a bachelor and master’s degree - and I think Doctorate. (I’m not sure about this one)
What kind of patient do you think you’d like to work with? Would you prefer to run your own business (more likely for a DPT) or would you prefer to work for someone else (more likely as a PA).
Both careers will take you about the same length of time to train (usually four years for your undergrad followed by three for the specialization), but do have the advantage of getting you into the workforce sooner, and for a lot less money, than if you would go the whole medical school route.
PA is the best route (but I’m biased, as son is PA)
- Salaries are higher for PAs
- You can specialize in any area of medicine and change specialties at any time
- PAs are Masters degrees, whereas most PTs are doctorates, so more schooling for PTs (my son's program was only 5 years total)
- Residencies not required for PAs
And to clarify, PA’s do not go to medical school.
They both are wonderful careers. It depends on the kind of interaction you want to have with the patient and the level of care you want to give. PA’s deliver care that is aimed at treating the person’s illness which can be anything from heart trouble to fractures. You assess them with the same tools doctors and nurses do and provide treatment based upon a diagnosis of anything wrong in the body. You work under a doctor’s auspice, similar to a nurse practitioner. PA’s learn about delivering patient care through the medical model. Nurse practioners thru the nursing model.
PT’s provide care to people through their knowledge of the musculo-skeletal system. They are entirely focused on how muscles pull, spasm, weaken and align. They are closer to a Chiropractor in that way than a doctor or a nurse.
Yes they need doctorates but the programs now incorporate the doctorate so I think you are done in 6 years. The DPT is a single program.
PT’s provide direct hands on care in separate settings than doctors. They can have their own offices and own staff and work under a doctor’s prescription which is usually very broad so they have autonomy to decide how they want to treat the patient. PA’s do not work separate from a doctor. The work in a clinical/ medical setting as one member of the doctor’s team.
PTs require doctorates? My friend simply went to a top PT program (after BA.) We shouldn’t confuse the DPT with a PhD.
Some reports predict PA’s will begin working even more independently. Ours function much like the docs do. A friend now finishing a PA program is on her ER rotation, doing the same as the med students, diagnosing, suturing, etc.
Yes that’s true and I wish they would not call anyone with a DPT or PHD a “doctor” but they do. This DPT program is only 6 semesters. It is done as one program. http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/pt/dpt