kellybb0104 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Good Day Everyone, I applied to an EMPA Residency offered by Georgia Regents University/ Medical College of Georgia. I wanted to know if any fellow PAs applied to this program as well. For those who are curious, this program is not listed on the APPAP.org website. I actually found this residency while searching for "unlisted" PA residencies. The school doesn't even have a web "link" for the EMPA residency. Information about the residency can be found at www.doceos.us/course-physician_assistant_program-i10869.htm. I was told by the residency coordinator that the info on this website is quite outdated, so I am still waiting to learn about the details of the residency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 19, 2014 Moderator Share Posted May 19, 2014 congrats. if they put out more current info please post it here. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akdEM Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I'm from Georgia and have several friends who have attended MCG (errr Georgia Regents University). I know the school has a good reputation, but I would be a little cautious with a program that doesn't update their website or publish anything online. It might be a great program, but the conspicuous lack of official information seems like kind of a red flag. From speaking with the program, what has your impression been? Also, that salary seems very low. Every other residency I have seen is at least 45k. Most are closer to 50k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 congrats. if they put out more current info please post it here. thanks Thank you EMEDPA. I definitely will post as I learn more details!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 I'm from Georgia and have several friends who have attended MCG (errr Georgia Regents University). I know the school has a good reputation, but I would be a little cautious with a program that doesn't update their website or publish anything online. It might be a great program, but the conspicuous lack of official information seems like kind of a red flag. From speaking with the program, what has your impression been? Also, that salary seems very low. Every other residency I have seen is at least 45k. Most are closer to 50k. Thank you so much for your post! I was thinking the exact same thing!! Aside from APPAP.org, I learned on this forum that there are some residencies not listed and one would have to their own searching to research other less known residencies. After finding the site and reviewing the information, I contacted the school for clarification. This was in November 2013. The coordinator informed me the info was outdated, but she would get back with me to give me more updated information. She also informed me the program was on a hiatus due to a changing-out of staff (whatever that meant). Afterwards, I didn't hear from her for about 6-8 weeks. I emailed her to follow up in January 2014, but didn't get a response until close to the end of March. She informed me the program was "back on" again and if I wanted, I could apply to the program. All my materials had to be submitted by May 1st. Up until that point, I would leave voicemails and emails with no response. I did however, receive a random Sunday phonecall from the medical director of the program (who was on duty at the time). He was very kind and addressed most of my questions and concerns. I have since then received an invite to interview at the program and have agreed to report on Friday May 30th. The residency coordinator is still somewhat difficult to reach by phone, so I email her when I have questions and concerns. I agree with your statement about the pay. I really hope compensation is WAY BETTER than what is posted. As of now, I am ok with the terrible pay. It's more than what I'm getting paid right now. I have a few reasons for applying to the program. I graduated in May 2013 from UTHSCSA and moved to Savannah, Georgia to be with my Active Army husband. The job market was lackluster and no establishment was interested in hiring a new PA. Many of the positions I applied for required a current license, but as a new graduate, I did not have a possess one. In the state of Georgia, the Medical Board will not review any license applications until a PA is hired and his/her SP completes and submits pertinent paperwork. Therefore, I was stuck in a never ending dilemma of no license-no job, no job-no license. I also became pregnant at the time of my extensive job search, so when I began to show, I believe my interviewers were put off by my pregnant belly. I'm 12 weeks postpartum and I'm still having trouble finding work because of my new grad status and lack of license. I have considered Applying for a license in another state just for the sake of having a license, but I don't want to shell out that kind of money since I don't have any income. So with all those things stacked against me, this residency is sort of a last resort for me to get my foot in the door. In the meantime, I am gathering my documents for active duty Army and Air Force. I will apply to both branches in case I'm not selected for the residency. Kinda sad it has come to this for me, but I'm pressing forward. I guess it could be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Last I knew MCG lost funding for the EM PA residency in about 2010. They must have resurrected it. I have worked with several grads and they were VERY well-trained for their first EM job. I'm not sure they were any better prepared than someone who had worked in EM for at least 3 years in full scope. I know the faculty personally and they are all excellent teachers (Larry Mellick especially). I'm not sure who the current program director is, but eager to hear more. I'm afraid to ask how low the salary is...???? Let me tell you something: patients at MCG are SICK. This is the county hospital for Richmond County and the surrounding area. The 4 other hospitals in the area are private. You will get PLENTY of exposure to SICK SICK SICK patients...this is invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I know the faculty personally and they are all excellent teachers (Larry Mellick especially). Very cool. I frequent his youtube channel. He has tons of great vids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 20, 2014 Moderator Share Posted May 20, 2014 You will get PLENTY of exposure to SICK SICK SICK patients...this is invaluable. sounds like a great training site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Last I knew MCG lost funding for the EM PA residency in about 2010. They must have resurrected it. I have worked with several grads and they were VERY well-trained for their first EM job. I'm not sure they were any better prepared than someone who had worked in EM for at least 3 years in full scope. I know the faculty personally and they are all excellent teachers (Larry Mellick especially). I'm not sure who the current program director is, but eager to hear more. I'm afraid to ask how low the salary is...???? Let me tell you something: patients at MCG are SICK. This is the county hospital for Richmond County and the surrounding area. The 4 other hospitals in the area are private. You will get PLENTY of exposure to SICK SICK SICK patients...this is invaluable. Dr. Bruce Janiak is the medical director that called me. The salary sucks on an epic scale- $28,000 + $2,000 for health insurance & parking = $30,000. Terrible. It's good to know what to expect as far as the patients are concerned. Something tells me, if selected, I'm in for a very steep learning curve. I'm really looking forward to learning more about this program next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Very cool. I frequent his youtube channel. He has tons of great vids. I'll be checking his videos out. Thanks for that info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 OMG that is horrendous. Janiak is a god. Did he tell you he was THE FIRST board-certified EM physician in the country? He is indeed. That salary is almost untenable unless they provide housing. Ask about any subsidies. Augusta isn't terribly expensive but that salary doesn't even cover COL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 20, 2014 Moderator Share Posted May 20, 2014 OMG that is horrendous. Janiak is a god. Did he tell you he was THE FIRST board-certified EM physician in the country? He is indeed. That salary is almost untenable unless they provide housing. Ask about any subsidies. Augusta isn't terribly expensive but that salary doesn't even cover COL. I go to Haiti every summer with the first boarded em doc in the state of OR. Great guy. went to denver in the early years when Rosen was the director there and all em docs had to do a surgical internship before moving to the em phase of training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 OMG that is horrendous. Janiak is a god. Did he tell you he was THE FIRST board-certified EM physician in the country? He is indeed. That salary is almost untenable unless they provide housing. Ask about any subsidies. Augusta isn't terribly expensive but that salary doesn't even cover COL. He never mentioned that to me. Apparently, he's also modest. I hope to have the honor of meeting him. Yes, that salary is nauseating. I was thinking the COL was just that low and therefore the salary was justified. Thank God I have a working husband. I did a little bit of research and found a quaint apartment complex online called Olde Towne. They have studio plans starting at around $350/month. Scary!! Makes me think ghetto environment. While I was in PA school in San Antonio, I flew the entire 3yrs solo with our 2 children while my husband was stationed in South Korea, Savannah GA, and Afghanistan. It's was the toughest time of my life! The kids and I lived in a rental property while my husband lived in a roommate or barracks type situation. If selected, my husband will stay in Savannah with the kids while I do the studio or roommate thing in Augusta. So, hopefully, the bad pay will not hurt so much. I will still inquire about housing and subsidies. The pay has to be better than that! I hope that anyone there with a beating heart will reconsider the compensation. It's almost insulting, but I am willing to go along with it because I don't feel I have any other recourse to getting into the workforce. Despite it all, I am excited about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Janiak is anything but modest lol. Definitely NOT Olde Towne...creepy, dirty, bugs, dangerous. No way could I let you do that! Maybe ask about roommate matching services--plenty of med students, PA students and residents around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Janiak is anything but modest lol. Definitely NOT Olde Towne...creepy, dirty, bugs, dangerous. No way could I let you do that! Maybe ask about roommate matching services--plenty of med students, PA students and residents around. Thanks primadonna! That's good to know! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 Hi everyone. I'm checking in to give an update on the MCG/GRU EMPA residency. I interviewed on yesterday and met with a dynamic group of individuals. I met with several key figures of the program and was intrigued about what they had to offer. I was so eager to share the details with you all! The goal of this program is to develop a thoroughly rural competent PA, although the PA is free to practice wherever they want after completion. The curriculum is 2 years and consists of 13- 28 day rotations for each year rotating with 3 hospital systems (MCG, VA, Trinity). For the first year, the PA resident's priority role is the be a learner. This curriculum is online, didactic, grand rounds, and procedural based with some shadowing, patient rounds, and light shifts, of course with increasing responsibilities and autonomy. The second year has the PA in full "working" mode, but still under academic protection. Compensation is $70,000/year (about $10,000 more than what the PGY 8 residents are making) plus benefits and malpractice coverage. Since the residency will be an "under contract" type of thing, I have the option to leave the program after I complete the first year of training, however, I will have to repay $30,000 of the $70,000 salary I earned if I chose not to go through with the second year. So I guess we all could agree that it may be among the likes of a regular job. That's the impression I got. There is currently 1 PA there that is finishing up her 2nd residency year and will be hired on as a staff PA soon. All but 2 of their staff EDPAs completed a residency prior to their employment. As far as my personal experience, the events of the day was not what I expected. I expected an environment and staff similar to the PA school interviews we all endured. It actually more catered to giving me good insight on the goals and details of the program and their expectations of me. The medical directors and administrative staff were uber friendly and laid back. They also expressed their excitement about all the new EMPA curriculum, medical technologies, and remodeling projects within the hospital. After the initial meeting, I got a complete tour of the ED, met with a few more directors, and was then treated to lunch at a nice little downtown restaurant. The directors I met with told me they have several individuals apply for the residency, but they didn't feel the other candidates CVs were as impressive as mine. So at this point, I was the only candidate worthy of interview. They "liked" my personality, quick wit, and sense of humor. I remained humble and professional throughout the day, but on the inside, my head was so swollen!!! I'm not sure if I was being buttered up because they wanted to fill a position or if I'm really a great candidate. I have only experienced 3 interviews where the medical directors tried to sell me on the position. The other interviews involved the 1-on-1 or panel sessions similar to what I remember from PA school interviews. They would like a response from me sooner than later because they want to get started on the licensing process. Starting date is flexible. The MD residents start on July 1st which is around the corner and they understand that would be a little difficult for me since I would have to move. I'm thinking of starting at or around August 1st. In the meantime, We will be working on licensing and credentialing. Although the licensing may not be finalized by August 1st, I will still incur income on that day. I'll be in the midst of catching up on orientation so that I will eventually be on par with the MD residents. Oh, I forgot to mention that I'd be the only PA for this incoming residency class. The director reassured me that I would have their full support and protection especially if and when I find myself in situations where MDs oust me from patient exposure and procedures in the ED. I took that with a grain of salt. I have good feelings about my visit. I wanted to practice in the EM field, but employers would pass over my CV because as a new grad, I don't have the experience required to do well in those positions. This may be a good thing for me. I'm not too concerned about the pay because it's more than the $0/year I'm making now and I know I will eventually have good earning potential in the future. I had written off this residency because I found it difficult to correspond with them and was getting impatient with nit hearing back from them in timely manners. I agreed to interview because my husband convinced me to go for the experience as well as an excuse to leave town for the weekend. I have already agreed to join the medical team at the Georgia State Prison, but have not signed any contracts yet nor have I submitted the credentialing paperwork or the license application. So, I don't have a start date yet. I'll initially be a contract employee with no benefits with pay of $46/hr (which is about the rate of $95,000/yr), but I wouldn't be contracted for too long. I have to work at least 40 hours per week and flexible shifts are allowed (4-10hr / 4-9hr & 1-4hr/ 3-12hr & 1-4hr/ 5-8hr) If I do well and have a good working relationship with the Physician and PA, I may be offered a permanent position with salary of $70-72K plus benefits, malpractice, & tail. The catch is......I would have to commute 1.5 hours each way. Both jobs are pretty much in my hand. I just have to make a final decision. I have prayed about it and I'm trying to be patient, but I hope to make the phonecall tomorrow morning. As of now, I'm leaning towards withdrawing from the State Prison job and accepting the residency, but I kinda feel guilty about it. That is all I have for now. Any thoughts about the program? Am I crazy? Would any of you wonderful folks consider this EMPA residency? I think it's a good thing. The directors and the residency coordinator would like to advertise the program on the APPAP.org website for future applicants, so I think this is going to be a popular program as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Take the residency position. You will be well trained. I know the staff and pretty sure I've taught the two non-residency-trained ED PAs there (good people, nepotism aside). This is an investment in your future and the compensation is WAYYYYY better than it was last I heard about it. The 2 yr is new but sounds like very good instruction. Having worked (only as long as I could stand it) in prison medicine I guarantee you will NOT receive any formal instruction or mentoring. I've seen very scary shoddy "medicine" practiced in corrections and had no power to change it improve it...which made me very sad and very frustrated. Augusta is relatively cheap cost of living and $70k will go far. Even better if your spouse works and contributes also. Good luck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 10, 2014 Moderator Share Posted June 10, 2014 agree with Prima. this sounds great. go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatChecko Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Are you able to share some updated contact information for the program? I sent an email to an address I found a few weeks ago and haven't heard anything since. This is the only legitimate EM Residency in the SE that I have found and it would be great to have some options closer to home. Also, what is the start date for the program? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 It sounds like a good setup. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity. You will be able to go anywhere you want afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted June 12, 2014 Moderator Share Posted June 12, 2014 That salary is way more than I earned as a resident! As long as the focus of the program is on your learning proper ER medicine, both cognitively and procedure-wise, then it should be more than worth it. Sounds like it's a great place to train, based on what Prima has said. I know that an old forum member and myself once talked about applying to the old MCG program. I'd agree with everyone else and say go for it If you end up going there, which it sounds like you will, I'd be very curious to see how it's all laid-out, both rotation-wise and curriculum-wise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have to add my voice to the "go for the residency" chorus. Sounds like a fantastic learning experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Are you able to share some updated contact information for the program? I sent an email to an address I found a few weeks ago and haven't heard anything since. This is the only legitimate EM Residency in the SE that I have found and it would be great to have some options closer to home. Also, what is the start date for the program? Thanks! The point of contact for the program is Janelle Davis. Her office phone number is 706-721-2613. I always found it difficult to make contact with her. When I interviewed, she was very apologetic about not staying on top of returning my phonecalls and emails. It turns out she is the only EM Residency Coordinator for ALL three classes of MD and the PA residents. The outgoing residents graduate on the 20th of this month, so she may be swamped right now. Hopefully, you will have more luck in making contact with her after things settle down with graduation. The email I used to correspond with her is emresidency@gru.edu. Her office is in the Emergency Medicine Building (AF-1020) on the MCG campus, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912. I haven't called or emailed her in a while because I know she's busy with the outgoing residents, but I'm sure I'll hear from her sooner than later for credentialing, badges, etc. I will ask her if there are better ways to communicate and correspond with her and I will let you know. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellybb0104 Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 That salary is way more than I earned as a resident! As long as the focus of the program is on your learning proper ER medicine, both cognitively and procedure-wise, then it should be more than worth it. Sounds like it's a great place to train, based on what Prima has said. I know that an old forum member and myself once talked about applying to the old MCG program. I'd agree with everyone else and say go for it If you end up going there, which it sounds like you will, I'd be very curious to see how it's all laid-out, both rotation-wise and curriculum-wise Thank you for your response TA. I have decided to accept the residency. I requested a start date of August 1st and the licensing and credentialing mayhem has already began. I'm looking forward to seeing how the program unfolds. I'm sure most things, if not all things, are subject to change. I plan to keep inquiring minds in the know as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatChecko Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Thanks so much! I'll wait a few weeks before I try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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