Which do doctors respect more, Physicians Assistants or Nurse Practitioners?!
Question:
Which do doctors respect more, Physicians Assistants or Nurse Practitioners?
Please do not tell me that a PA is the same thing as a medical assistant, I would love a *real* answer here, so if you aren't sure what you are talking about - please do not bother!
Answers:
The real answer is that it varies from doc to doc. PAs can't work without a doctor there, and NPs can work independently and set up clinics and get their own patients (in the state I live in). I think the internet buzz shows doctors to be less in favor of NPs, because they may feel it hurts their business, but statistically less docs are going into general practice (more want the extra income from a specialty) and NPs sort of step up and fill in the vacuum in the community for affordable clinics and GPs.
If you're trying to decide on which way to go, that's going to be entirely up to you. Both NPs and PAs who are competent and communicate well with other providers are respected. I'm going back for my psych NP starting in the fall, and it's a long haul and not an easy overnight thing. Many people are pushing for NP's to have doctorates, and the program I'm going into provides that. I'm not sure if a PA is even a masters - maybe it is - from what I understand it's 2 years after your BA.
And for information for others: an NP is at least a master's level nurse, and often a doctorate level. It took me 2 years of pre-reqs and 2 years of nursing school to be an RN. 1 more year for the BA, then 2 more years for the master's and another 1 1/2 years after the master's for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. A PA needs a BA, then 2 years - so a PA would come out with a master's degree.
A big difference to keep in mind is that the PA applicant's BA can be in anything - accounting, forestry, you name it. in general, the NP applicant will have already gone through at least 4 years of nursing.