PA vs MD: Career, Education, and Salary Breakdown

Overview of Main Differences for PA vs MD

What is a PA (Physician Assistant)?

A Physician Assistant (PA) is a medical support professional, working under the supervision and delegation of a physician (MD); often allowing MDs the room needed to tend to complex matters. They participate in the following (as a part of their core function) on a routine basis:

1. Diagnosing patients
2. Performing physicals
3. Collecting patient histories
4. Imaging
5. Using Labs to diagnose conditions
6. Work with patients on a treatment plan
7. Perform many in-office procedures and assist in surgeries

The Differences Between PA and MD: Why Choose One Over the Other?

Some differences between PA and MD depend on where you’re practicing (state/province/country). But no matter where you’re located…

PAs do NOT:

• Perform surgery (however, they CAN assist)
• Manage complex or acute cases
• Prescribe medications (note that in some states and provinces, PAs CAN do this)

There is a good deal of overlap between PA and MD, but as you can already see, there are many key differences. As such, you will need to know how to answer “why do you want to be a PA?” interview question differently than you would respond to the same question in an MD or DO interview. It’s vital that you understand the ins and outs of the profession so you can speak to this when you're creating your PA personal statement and PA school cover letter.

Some PA “Pros” to consider:

• PAs have consistently high levels of job satisfaction, stability and work-life balance (compared to MDs)
• PAs have to spend less time and money on school – following an undergraduate degree and 2-3 years in PA school, most begin practicing—MDs however, spend 6-12 years in school beyond their undergrad
• PAs have comfortable salaries ($75,000-90,000/year as a beginner)
• PAs can switch specializations more easily than their MD colleagues – thus giving you more flexibility
• PAs have less liability than MDs

PA “Cons” may include:

• PAs have less authority – you’ll always work under the supervision of an MD and will not operate autonomously
• PAs require more healthcare experience at the beginning of their careers; they do complex work for long hours similar to MDs, but earn less
• The PA profession is still new and evolving; laws vary widely by state/province and country
• Socially speaking, MD is the more ‘esteemed’ profession; being a doctor carries a lot of prestige

Debating between PA or MD? Watch this video:

PA vs MD: Education Requirements

The requirements for medical school and PA school requirements have quite a bit of overlap.

Whether you’re aspiring to become a PA or MD, education is crucial, and both paths require strong academic performance. There is some overlap in common majors for both PA and MD:

Most common primary majors for PAs

• Biology
• Health sciences
• Exercise science/athletic training
• Psychology
• Kinesiology

Most common primary majors for MDs

• Biological sciences
• Humanities
• Social sciences
• Physical sciences
• Specialized health sciences

PA vs MD: How Competitive is PA School vs Medical School?

MD Programs

MD acceptance rates generally range from 3% to 5% at highly competitive schools to up around 40% at less competitive ones.

The average GPA in the U.S. for accepted MD students is around 3.71, and an MCAT score of 511.7.

PA Programs

In contrast, physician assistant acceptance rates range around 31%, and the average overall GPA for those entering PA programs is 3.6.

The testing requirements for PA programs often include the PA-CAT or the GRE, where the average scores are around 151.6 for verbal, 150.8 for quantitative, and 3.9 for writing. PA program acceptance rates are typically higher than MD programs but still vary widely depending on the school.

Note that both the best PA schools and the easiest PA schools to get into require the GRE!

Need to know how to ask to shadow a doctor? Watch this video:

How Does Clinical Experience Differ Between PA and MD?

PA programs often require extensive clinical experience prior to application – to be highly competitive, 4,000 hours of direct hands-on patient care is recommended. You will most likely discuss clinical experience in your answer to the “what are your goals as a PA?” interview question, because it is such a crucial aspect of being a successful candidate. This patient care requirement can be met through volunteering (e.g., as an EMT, in patient transport, or in various hospital departments), though many PAs worked in healthcare or other premed jobs prior to pursuing a PA program – nurses, phlebotomists, paramedics, and medical assistants are frequently applicants to PA programs.

Is Education More Difficult for MDs or PAs?

The educational rigors are much more substantial for those who want to pursue an MD. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely got your heart set on a career in healthcare, but haven’t yet determined your path. You’ve probably wondered, "how hard is it to get into medical school?" on many occasions!

Well, to give you some perspective: for MD applicants, there are stringent medical school GPA requirements. A high GPA, a great MCAT score and a thoroughly impressive application and interview are a must. And on top of it all, ample shadowing and clinical experiences are necessary to support your application, even at the easiest medical schools to get into.

PA vs MD: Specialization

What Specialties Can PAs Choose?

Physician Assistants generally work in primary care and do so in a variety of settings. They tend to conduct physicals, general procedures and treat more common illnesses and injuries. However, here are some PA specialties to consider:

• Primary care
• Family medicine/general practice
• Emergency medicine
• Orthopedic surgery
• Internal medicine
• Dermatology

What Specialties Can MDs Choose?

Medical students must be careful when they choose a medical specialty. MDs have more opportunities to specialize during their education but don’t have the same opportunities to change specialties once they are practicing. While this varies, a major change in specialization for a practicing physician would often require completing a residency in that new specialty. With medical school taking far longer than PA programs, few doctors would want to go through another residency after already devoting so much time to their chosen program. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Family medicine
• Psychiatry
• Internal medicine
• General surgery
• Oncology

PA vs MD: Salary

Salaries for both PAs and MDs vary considerably, based on numerous factors, including the location of their practice, their specialization, whether they work in a hospital, clinic, or private practice, and so on.

What is the Average Salary of an MD?

Across North America, medical doctor is one of the best paying traditional jobs, with the average salary ranging from about $200,000-$370,000 per year in both the U.S. and Canada. Some of the highest paid doctors will get paid even more, depending on where they work and in what specialty.

Highest median salaries for MDs by state (yearly USD)

Highest median salaries for MDs by province (yearly CAD)

What is the Average Salary of a PA?

The average Physician Assistant salary ranges from around $80,000-$120,000 in the U.S. and $75,000-$130,000 in Canada. With the higher salaries of MDs come the costs of owning and operating a practice, as well – costs that PAs need not cover, as they do not run their own practices. PAs are also in high demand, as they can tend to less critical (though often more frequent) cases, freeing up physicians to handle surgeries and more specialized or complex procedures for which one needs the MD degree.

Highest median salaries for PAs by state (yearly USD)

Highest median salaries for PAs by province (hourly CAD)

PA vs MD: Day-to-Day Work

How Much Autonomy Do PAs Have?

Physician Assistants work collaboratively with, and under the guidance of, MDs, and thus don’t have the same level of autonomy. Some PAs work autonomously, conferring with physicians in more complex cases; others work directly alongside physicians at all times. This difference often depends on various factors, including – but not limited to – the type of practice, the country/state/province in which they are working, and the different standards of each particular practice or specialty.

How Much Control Do MDs Have?

MDs often run their own practices, and thus also control their own businesses, which has both benefits and drawbacks. As PAs are generally employees, rather than owner/managers of a practice, the business concerns, and responsibilities that come with running an independent practice and functioning as employer are beyond their purview (whether this is a benefit or drawback depends on your own position on such things).

Want BeMo's help with your applications? Hear from one of our successful PA students!

PA vs MD: Conclusion

As medicine begins moving more consciously away from a top-down hierarchical model to an intentionally collaborative, team-based approach to healthcare, new dynamics are emerging to (ideally) ensure each patient gets the kind of attention and treatment they need, with various, overlapping professionals providing a web of care, rather than a singular life-line. While, historically, the physician-at-the-top model has been the norm, the growing understanding of patients as diverse, complex, and requires individualized care necessitates a multiplicity of approaches to assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management. MDs, PAs, nurses, nurse practitioners and a wealth of other healthcare providers, from highly specialized surgeons to dietitians to medical social workers, all form the larger collaborative framework of patient care that drives medical practice.

Both paths – PA and MD – bring with them a heavy burden of responsibility, work, and stress, but also rewards that often far surpass the toll of either profession. If you are willing to exchange reduced autonomy for less time and money spent on education and more flexibility in terms of your long-term career trajectory, then you may want to consider getting into PA school. On the other hand, if autonomy and the ability to work without direct oversight are more important to you than the monetary and time investment needed for education, and you’re willing to take on the long hours and higher risk of burnout, then the MD might be the better path for you. Both are valuable, interconnected-yet-distinct, components of the wider healthcare team.

FAQs

About the Author:

Dr. Sarah Lynn Kleeb is an admissions expert at BeMo. Dr. Kleeb holds a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from the University of Toronto where she examined the connections between Critical Theory and Liberation Theology. She brings 10 years of experience teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate students to her role as an admissions expert, having taught extensively at UofT. 

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Source: AACOM, USNews, MedScape, HospitalCareers

Image Credit: Vidal Balielo Jr.

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