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Changing careers


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I have been working as a dietitian, but I am just starting to think about changing careers.   I am trying to figure out if becoming a PA is the right path for me.  I think I would like being a PA because I would have the chance to make a bigger impact on my patients’ lives and feel like a more important part of the medical team.   On top of that, it sounds like PAs usually make significantly larger salaries compared to dietitians

It would not bother me to work under a physician, and I don’t mind the more mundane tasks that PAs sometimes do, like charting.  

There are 2 things that concern me about possibly becoming a PA.

  1.  How many hours do most PA’s work?   I know this varies quite a bit, but I would appreciate some input.   I usually work a 40 hour week.    I don’t mind working the occasional weekend, but I do not want to work 80 hours a week.  I would also prefer to stick with 8-10 hour shifts.   I want to have pets and a family someday, and I feel like working 12 hour shifts would make this difficult.   The PAs that have worked in my clinic seem to work constantly, but the turnover is high, so I wonder if this is not the case for all PAs.
  2. Do PA’s help with any surgical procedures?   I was born with a mild case of cerebral palsy, so I have poor hand-eye coordination.   I could probably do basic things like draw blood without any problems, but I’m not sure about more complicated tasks.   When I was in school, I needed extra time to complete some of my lab courses due to these issues.   It was because of this that I decided to not go to vet or med school.    I don’t want to become a PA if my CP will make it difficult for me to find work.

Thank you for your insight!

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Hello,

1.) The number of hours can vary greatly depending on your practice setting and specialty.  A lot of friends I graduated with are working 3 12 hour shifts a week in a hospital, while a lot of the others working in a private practice setting are doing 9-5 monday through friday.  Some jobs may expect you to take call, work weekends, or holidays (but this is job dependent).  And the turn over rate doesn't apply to all PAs, for instance, I took a class last week and the PA who taught it has worked in the same ICU for like 35 years.

 

2.) Not all PAs do procedures or surgery at their job,  but it is part of our clinical training (a surgery clinical rotation).  PA programs are usually pretty accommodating, and may be able to help if you are unable to work in the OR, but I don't have any experience with this.

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