Hi,
I have a BS in Psychology and I'm currently enrolled in school completing pre-req courses to enter PA school. I planned on continuing with the PA Associates degree. The plan was to obtain an AA, pass the exam, work in the field and then continue my education and maybe have the hospital I'm working for pay for an advanced degree.
I had a conversation with a friend who was considering PA school and she said that the requirement will soon be a Masters degree and some hospitals in Miami don't have the funding to pay for continuing education should I consider pursuing. She also said that there has been talk about having PAs obtain PhD's.
Is this true? What is the difference in the jobs I will have available to me - AA vs M? Is it okay to continue on my plan to obtain AA and have it all work out?
Thanks so much!
Roxy
Is an AA good enough?
Re: Is an AA good enough?
Hi, Roxy.
First, the PA field will never require a PhD. There are PAs who go on to get their PhD, but that is and always will be optional. To practice, you don't need a PhD, and having one doesn't change your medical scope of practice. There are very few who choose to go on for a doctorate, and usually the only reason to do so is if you wish to teach at the Masters level, which requires a PhD.
As for BS/BA vs AS/AA, your friend is mostly right. The PA profession is becoming a Masters degree. There are now very very few PA programs that offer a certificate only (= accepting people with AA/AS). Soon, the profession as a whole will officially make the Masters its degree, which will require all who go to PA school to already have a bachelor's degree. When this change is made, everyone who is already in the field without a bachelor's will be "grandfathered" in.
In terms of jobs for Masters vs Associates, there may be difference based on the employer. There are probably employers out there who require a masters, but when I did my job search, I didn't see any. What they are all looking for is the certificate. I can only see having a certificate without a masters costing you anything 1) with those rare employers who may be out there requiring it, but whom I've never run across, and 2) with employers who pay differently based on your level of education. The last one because some employers could make the argument that they should pay someone with an AS less than a MS. But again, what they seem to be paying for is the certificate.
Either way, I strongly encourage you to get your bachelor's degree. If you don't need it to get where you want to go right now, you will in the near future. We are living in a highly educated society, and a bachelor's degree has become a near requirement for employment in most non-labor jobs. Take the time - learn about the world, get that BS/BA. It may not open doors for you, but not having it definitely will close some.
First, the PA field will never require a PhD. There are PAs who go on to get their PhD, but that is and always will be optional. To practice, you don't need a PhD, and having one doesn't change your medical scope of practice. There are very few who choose to go on for a doctorate, and usually the only reason to do so is if you wish to teach at the Masters level, which requires a PhD.
As for BS/BA vs AS/AA, your friend is mostly right. The PA profession is becoming a Masters degree. There are now very very few PA programs that offer a certificate only (= accepting people with AA/AS). Soon, the profession as a whole will officially make the Masters its degree, which will require all who go to PA school to already have a bachelor's degree. When this change is made, everyone who is already in the field without a bachelor's will be "grandfathered" in.
In terms of jobs for Masters vs Associates, there may be difference based on the employer. There are probably employers out there who require a masters, but when I did my job search, I didn't see any. What they are all looking for is the certificate. I can only see having a certificate without a masters costing you anything 1) with those rare employers who may be out there requiring it, but whom I've never run across, and 2) with employers who pay differently based on your level of education. The last one because some employers could make the argument that they should pay someone with an AS less than a MS. But again, what they seem to be paying for is the certificate.
Either way, I strongly encourage you to get your bachelor's degree. If you don't need it to get where you want to go right now, you will in the near future. We are living in a highly educated society, and a bachelor's degree has become a near requirement for employment in most non-labor jobs. Take the time - learn about the world, get that BS/BA. It may not open doors for you, but not having it definitely will close some.
Re: Is an AA good enough?
Thanks, Paul! I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions thoroughly and creating this site to help us newbies!