I'm sure some people have wondered about how med students interact with NPs and PAs. Usually I've just encountered NPs in outpatient settings, and then PAs on a surgical team.
Overall, I'd say they are very helpful for teaching you practical things about the clinic/service but their knowledge fund isn't quite as deep as a physician's, so you'd be better off just having your learning time spent with a doctor. I kept being told to "google it" so I stopped asking questions. But then I look uninterested if I don't.
I've experienced a lot of attitude from NPs and have been treated very kindly by other NPs and CRNAs. But then later on in med school you're actually more qualified to practice medicine than the midlevels who don't value your time or eagerness to learn. It's an uncomfortable work environment at times. Especially when NPs bristle when you ask a question out of curiosity and they can't help you.
I've already started to see my H&Ps be more thorough and focused than the midlevels' but that's just because we were trained differently, not because we differ in intelligence or work ethic. So there's not much of a benefit to me on days I don't get to work with someone who has been practicing medicine for years and has more experience with complicated medical situations.
I've worked with a ton of nurses and midlevels who have helped me survive rotations and who went above and beyond excellence in patient care. But should your curriculum as an almost-doctor include a lot of shadowing these providers? I'm not really sold on it.
Can't wait for this rotation to be over
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