- 4,936
- 1,337
- 113
Considering where you are in your education (as relayed so far), my advice is going to be very similar to others above. Since you're going for a mid-level type practitioner, skip Paramedic and plan to take as direct a path as you can toward that goal. Everything else is going to be extra and will slow you down. Paramedic is nice, but it won't get you to where you want to be in any reasonable timeline. I'm a Paramedic and an RN. I have a Sports Med Bachelors. I did them all through a traditional route.
I would strongly recommend going for PA vs NP (even over a GEPN program) because you'll still have to do a number of hard science courses (with lab) for entry to either anyway. So that time is a given. After that, you'll spend roughly 1-2 years doing RN and then another 1.5-2 years doing NP. With PA, you'll be done in 2-3 YEARS and you'll have more flexibility as to what area of medicine you want to work.
As others have stated above, PA schools are pretty consistent and they turn out a consistent product. NP programs aren't as consistent as they heavily rely on previous knowledge. PA programs will basically take you from zero to practitioner in a consistent and safe progression as they will teach you what you need to know along the way. NP programs also turn out a product that is more specialized. If you're an FNP, that's what you'll primarily do. If you're an ACNP, that's what you'll do. If you're a Peds NP or Psych NP... yep - that's what you'll do. To go do something else will require a return to the classroom.
For me, my own path was chosen for practical reasons. At this point, if I want to become an NP or a PA, I have some additional coursework to do. For NP that means getting a BSN first or convincing admissions that I have equivalent training... and likely a couple additional science courses w/ lab. PA would be faster for me, but I'd be heavily reliant on financial aid for the time I'm not working. For NP, some programs are flexible enough to allow me to work.
An accelerated BSN would have been bad for me financially at the time and at the time a 2nd Bachelors (traditional) wasn't an option as the University wasn't yet accepting students for 2nd Bachelors in any field/program.
In the end, what you really need to do is figure out exactly what your end goal is (your finish line) and map out how to from there to here... yes, do it in REVERSE because that's how you'll best figure out what you need to do to get there once you've completed the exercise. It's basically reverse engineering your goal. PA or NP? How to get that... PA or NP school. How to get that? Find out all the entry requirements for them. How to get to completing all the entry requirements? Find out what the prerequisite courses are for all those courses the PA/NP school require for admission... and what are the prerequisites for those prerequisites. Continue on until you've reached a point where you've got EVERYTHING checked off and you then have a map of how to get to your end goal in its most direct form.
I would strongly recommend going for PA vs NP (even over a GEPN program) because you'll still have to do a number of hard science courses (with lab) for entry to either anyway. So that time is a given. After that, you'll spend roughly 1-2 years doing RN and then another 1.5-2 years doing NP. With PA, you'll be done in 2-3 YEARS and you'll have more flexibility as to what area of medicine you want to work.
As others have stated above, PA schools are pretty consistent and they turn out a consistent product. NP programs aren't as consistent as they heavily rely on previous knowledge. PA programs will basically take you from zero to practitioner in a consistent and safe progression as they will teach you what you need to know along the way. NP programs also turn out a product that is more specialized. If you're an FNP, that's what you'll primarily do. If you're an ACNP, that's what you'll do. If you're a Peds NP or Psych NP... yep - that's what you'll do. To go do something else will require a return to the classroom.
For me, my own path was chosen for practical reasons. At this point, if I want to become an NP or a PA, I have some additional coursework to do. For NP that means getting a BSN first or convincing admissions that I have equivalent training... and likely a couple additional science courses w/ lab. PA would be faster for me, but I'd be heavily reliant on financial aid for the time I'm not working. For NP, some programs are flexible enough to allow me to work.
An accelerated BSN would have been bad for me financially at the time and at the time a 2nd Bachelors (traditional) wasn't an option as the University wasn't yet accepting students for 2nd Bachelors in any field/program.
In the end, what you really need to do is figure out exactly what your end goal is (your finish line) and map out how to from there to here... yes, do it in REVERSE because that's how you'll best figure out what you need to do to get there once you've completed the exercise. It's basically reverse engineering your goal. PA or NP? How to get that... PA or NP school. How to get that? Find out all the entry requirements for them. How to get to completing all the entry requirements? Find out what the prerequisite courses are for all those courses the PA/NP school require for admission... and what are the prerequisites for those prerequisites. Continue on until you've reached a point where you've got EVERYTHING checked off and you then have a map of how to get to your end goal in its most direct form.
No one dislikes that title/terminology.
