Women, family medicine, and career choice: An opportunity cost analysis

Objective: This study compared the cost of physician versus physician assistant (PA) education for women practicing in family medicine. Methods: Using 2013 salary survey data from both the Medical Group Management Association and the American Academy of PAs as well as other publicly available data sources, the authors compared the current net present value (NPV) of physician and PA training for women practicing in family medicine. Results: Considering a base case scenario involving a 24-year-old woman, the NPV to become a family medicine physician was $2,015,000 compared with an NPV of $1,751,000 to become a family medicine PA. Alternative projections produced an NPV for PA training that slightly exceeded the NPV for family medicine physician training. Conclusions: For a woman practicing in family medicine, becoming a physician or a PA offers similar financial rewards.