I need some input from some PA's out there and also some NP's.  Do you enjoy what you do?  Would you do it again if you could change things?  Any advice for someone who is trying to decide which to choose which direction to take?

I guess I want to know which one has more hands on with the patient? Do either of these professionals get to put in stitches?  What is the salary difference?  How long is the schooling for each of these?  Maybe we can find out the answers to some of these questions together?

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants have similar job descriptions. The difference is in their training. Nurse practitioners must complete a 2-year RN program and practice for at least a year before they can enter a 2- to 3-year NP program, which will confer a master's degree in a primary care or specialty area, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, surgery, anesthesia, family health or women's health.

Physician Assistants must have some experience in the allied health field prior to entering the 2-year program and can earn a BA-PA or MA-PA. PAs follow a conventional medical doctor curriculum, while nurse practitioners follow a nursing curriculum. Physician assistants are also educated in the broad spectrum of medical and surgical care, allowing them to practice in the variety of specialties rather than one specific area of study.

Physician assistants and nurse practitioners both perform these activities:

• Order and interpret diagnostic and lab tests


• Prescribe medication (except for Indiana, Louisiana and Ohio)


• Function as primary health care providers who work with physicians on a referral or consultation basis

NP's can practice independently in 25 or 27 states in the US.  PA's can not practice independently in any state.  NP's as far as I know, must have a BSN before being considered for an NP program.  PA's now in most states must have a Bachelors degree also before entering into a PA program.