Our student today is in PA school but has known “for a while” that they want to go to medical school. What are the next steps, and are there any issues? That's what we cover today!

As always on the OldPreMeds Podcast, our question this week is taken from our nontraditional premed forum. (Ask your own questions at http://premedforums.com.)

Links Mentioned in this Episode:
• The Premed Years Ep. 63, "PA to Doctor: What Route Should YOU Take?": http://premedyears.com/63.
• The Premed Years Ep. 170, "PA Turned MD Talks About Why He Made the Switch": http://premedyears.com/170.
• The Premed Years Ep. 254, "MD vs PA! Let’s Talk About It with a PA to Help You Decide": http://premedyears.com/254.
• eShadowing: http://eshadowing.com
• Mappd: http://mappd.com'>http://mappd.com

Our question is from a current PA student who wants to pursue medical school rather than being a PA for the long term. This student wants to know if they should practice for a few years as a PA before applying to med school, or if they can apply to med school even while they're still a PA student.

In my answer, I discuss:
• The main thing you need in order to go from PA to MD.
• Really understanding and articulating why you want to be a physician rather than a PA.
• What is the actual difference between a doctor and a PA?
• Why did you go to PA school if you've known for a while that you want to be a physician?
• Should you start reaching out to med school admissions committees?
• Is there a right or wrong answer for "why physician, not PA"?
• Should you practice for a few years as a PA before med school?

0:00 Introduction
0:43 eShadowing Announcement
5:05 Student Question
6:41 My Answer

Be sure to check out http://mappd.com'>http://mappd.com for Mappd, a premed app that's changing the premed landscape, especially for nontraditional students!