curiousprepa Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 It is daunting to think about how my past experience with nursing can affect my application. I don't know if I can still be a competitive applicant. I was thinking about a back up career in case. What back up careers has anyone considered before becoming a PA? Did some have careers before PA school? If so, then what were they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc56 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I was going to go nursing. In fact I was thinking "who ever takes me first I will go with". I am glad I went PA though now that I am done. If I left being a PA I would probably be a police officer. Growing up that is what I thought i was going to be. I fell in love with medicine in the military and decided that was a better career for me. If I was disabled and had to have a slower paced job I would go back and be a counselor or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman2PA Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Gas station attendant. Ditch digger. Something in the middle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I had a career before PA school. Spent 20 years as a dietitian. I don't have a backup career anymore as I'm so behind in keeping up with nutrition so hope I can maintain my current job until retirement in 8-10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiousprepa Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm currently thinking about how much I would need to prepare myself for the schooling. I just did research on PA this past month. I sometimes wonder if there is a lot more to the profession than just practicing medicine under the supervision of a physician. I look forward to more posts. It'll get me think more about what I would like to do with my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parnemt Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 My backup was nurse practitioner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I got into RT school the year before PA school so I deferred entry and waited to see if PA school was going to take me. I also have other skills. I was a top producing Realtor for a few years and I also did IT for a few years so I had a lot to fall back on but never looked back. A thing about RT school. I only wanted to become an RT to make my application for PA school more attractive with More HCE (though I already had 22k hours of high quality HCE). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physasst Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I was a corpsman in the Navy. That's when I met my first PA, but to be honest, I was going to school for economics. Worked as a framing and finish carpenter, painter, was a splicer's apprentice with the phone company for a while. All while I was finishing school. Back up career now would be working as an economist for consulting firm, academia-teaching, specifically, research methods to graduate students in any number of disciplines, or, possibly work in political circles, etc. I actually have a local candidate who asked me if I would run his campaign......LOL....so, there's always that.. I even think often of what it would be like if I just had stayed working as a carpenter. I miss that sometimes. There was a lot of happiness of a different kind with that job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 30, 2014 Moderator Share Posted July 30, 2014 prior jobs: security guard, cafeteria worker, er tech, paramedic, paramedic instructor. if I couldn't work clinically as a pa I would probably teach PA school. If I couldn't teach medicine I would probably teach community college or high school. If I couldn't do that I would probably write or edit. if I couldn't do that I would probably volunteer at whatever would take me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyJ Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 PA school was my backup career LOL. I spent 6 years working in veterinary medicine and wanted to go to vet school. I applied to vet school and PA school at the same time. Here I am today...happy with the outcome either way. You know it is harder to get into vet school then medicaly school and PA school combined probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocialMedicine Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 PHD in medical sociology ....... if PA did not exist maybe a career in law (thank god I did not) or MD medicine ? ..... Would be happy as a police officer as well esp where I am from they get paid decent and a pension. If I reviewed an application for PA from someone who was an RN I would be excited. That is actual health care experience. And the person has probably worked with PAs and understands the job and its demands well. DO NOT let that hold you back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db_pavnp Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 MMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKPAC Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I'm an old paramedic. Before that I was an Air Force surgical technician. I was trained as a combat flight medic. I have worked as an anesthesia tech, too. If I couldn't be a PA, I'd probably start my own business. Not sure what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purrpa Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I was an RN before I went to PA school 24 yrs ago. My nursing colleagues were THRILLED for me; many became patients or referred pts to me over the years. I had thought about becoming a nurse anesthetist, but wanted 'more' in terms of patient contact & honestly felt the medical model of care was more in line with my way of thinking, i.e., I was fed up with the 'nursing process'. YIKES! What was I thinking. Today, when a nurse asks me my opinion re: PA vs. NP vs. CNA. I openly discuss the pros & cons...including financial (salary, certification, re certification with add-on fees every other cycle, re certification, re certification, etc.), as well as perceived professional respect....oh, & did I mention the re certification process?? Then there is the cost of tuition. A friend recently received her NP in 1.5 yrs (working FT the 1st yr) at a reputable university. She was offered a job at a local hospital offering total loan repayment with a 2 yr commitment. Her student loan is minimal, compared to what I hear from recent PA grads. Having said all this, I'm still happy I chose to become a PA. But if I were an RN today thinking about making a career change, knowing what I know now, I'm not sure I would make the same decision. Good luck & stay confident! You have a lot of opportunities open to you (I forgot to tell you about a former RN colleague who now is a regional coordinator of a clinical oncology program making more money, with more time off than most PAs. She has an ADN). G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiousprepa Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Everyone had great input. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted July 31, 2014 Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2014 I either would've did some hybrid gig of paramedic/firefighter along with radiology tech....or struggling metal rock guitarist. There's probably time to still do the latter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 31, 2014 Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2014 scuba instructor/rescue diver somewhere really warm and tropical....mmmmmm, maybe someday....I'm one class away from master diver now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBIDoc Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Prior: Navy Corpsman, sheriff deputy, firefighter/paramedic Future: distillery owner/master distiller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman2PA Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Prior (all different companies): farm hand, gas station attendant, stock boy, cashier, utility clerk, potato farm harvester, oil change tech, military Corpsman, Pizza delivery driver, MLB-affiliate grounds-crew worker, office admin assistant, medical assistant. Future: PA-C soon... Future-Future: PA-C on vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Ok, here's my long list of former "careers" starting at age 12: babysitter, candy striper, CNA, dime-store clerk, lifeguard and WSI, food-service worker, flag-girl on the summer county roadwork crew the year Elvis died on my birthday, summer Bible camp-counselor which I hated and failed at with the kids so I got put on the work crew and loved painting cabins, making the campfires, lifeguarding and working in the kitchen, dietitian for 20 years, short-term missionary for one year in Ivory Coast and was the kitchen assistant (there's the assistant word), telemarketer (lasted one day), Mary Kay cosmetics team leader and earned a car, got burned out and gave it back, cabin-cleaner, worked on a cranberry farm and sorted cranberries on a line, janitor at a police station, account manager for my husband's business...oh yeah.....PA now for 10 years. Whew....I need a vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Prior: Navy Corpsman, sheriff deputy, firefighter/paramedic Future: distillery owner/master distiller I like the way you think... I'm picturing a PA-run microbrewery/microdistillery, just like Dogfish Head and Rogue; I'll handle the beer with True Anomaly, and you've got the spirits covered. How does "Eugene Stead Brewing & Spirits" sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdny2pa Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Past: Marine grunt; NYC Fireman (with too many cash paying side jobs to list here) Current: Hospitalist PA, semi professional beach bum Future: ? considering getting MPH maybe doing administration? Move someplace warmer and go pro with the beach bum thing and cure white coat HTN by wearing Aloha shirts and flip flops to work every day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted August 3, 2014 Moderator Share Posted August 3, 2014 I like the way you think... I'm picturing a PA-run microbrewery/microdistillery, just like Dogfish Head and Rogue; I'll handle the beer with True Anomaly, and you've got the spirits covered. How does "Eugene Stead Brewing & Spirits" sound? You know that I'm down for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoRyou Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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