Anyone willing to answer a couple of q's?

[gamecaco4]

I'm a *prospective PA student (applying next round, just finishing pre-req's) and have a class that requires I interview 2-5 professionals in my chosen career path. Although I would love to interview a local, practicing PA, the paper is due on October 2 and between my school/work/family schedule and the schedules of the PA's I've tried to contact, it just can't be done.

 

Anyway, if anyone is willing to answer a few questions, I'd appreciate it. If possible, please include your name and where you're employed (or region of MI??).

 

1) How long have you been a PA?

2) How much contact do you have with your SP during a typical day?

3) How long did it take before you felt comfortable in your role as PA after you graduated?

4) What about your work would you most like to change?

5) What was your age when you began the PA program you chose?

6) What is your "specialty"?

 

Thank you to any and all who respond. If you're not comfortable answering here, please feel free to email me at swartsm@gvsu.mail.edu or private message here.

 

*I knew that. Thanks for pointing it out, JohnnyM2. O-Chem is taking over my brain.

[JohnnyM2]

Congratulations on finding a creative way to complete your assignment. (Sorry, I don't qualify to answer tog questions). BTW, it's prospective PA. Good luck.

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire HDX using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[EMEDPA]

I'm a perspective PA student (applying next round, just finishing pre-req's) and have a class that requires I interview 2-5 professionals in my chosen career path. Although I would love to interview a local, practicing PA, the paper is due on October 2 and between my school/work/family schedule and the schedules of the PA's I've tried to contact, it just can't be done.

 

Anyway, if anyone is willing to answer a few questions, I'd appreciate it. If possible, please include your name and where you're employed (or region of MI??).

 

1) How long have you been a PA?

2) How much contact do you have with your SP during a typical day?

3) How long did it take before you felt comfortable in your role as PA after you graduated?

4) What about your work would you most like to change?

5) What was your age when you began the PA program you chose?

6) What is your "specialty"?

 

Thank you to any and all who respond. If you're not comfortable answering here, please feel free to email me at swartsm@gvsu.mail.edu or private message here.

1. 18 years

2. never. I work solo coverage night shifts at my primary job.

3. 2 years for urgent care, 5 years for emergency medicine, 7 years for solo coverage emergency medicine

4. better schedule. less hours overall ( I work 180-220 hrs/mo). would prefer 140-160

5. 24. was emt at 17, paramedic at 22. attended 3 yr part time pa program and worked as paramedic during pa school

6. emergency medicine

[gamecaco4]

Thanks, EMEDPA!

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

1) How long have you been a PA? 31 years

2) How much contact do you have with your SP during a typical day? Minimal (multiple attendings throughout each day for residents primarily), some days none at all

3) How long did it take before you felt comfortable in your role as PA after you graduated? For me this is a difficult question because roles today are SO much more independent than they were when I got out.  It depends on each specialty setting since everytime you change specialty settings you are basically starting from scratch aside from what you remember from school, which makes it more difficult if you've been out for years to decades.  In general, in each new setting maybe six months or so.

4) What about your work would you most like to change?  Being looked upon by both peers and patient populations as being a "less than" compared to the physician(s).  Ex.-current position, I'd take my knowledge and expertise over the residents that work in my clinical area because my background is much more diverse and my experience in general is more extensive.  They may have more insight as to the finer workings of more medical conditions than I but they have to recognize those conditions to begin with.

5) What was your age when you began the PA program you chose? 22 y/o

6) What is your "specialty"? Int. Medicine at present, but always game for a change!

[Guest Paula]

1. 10 years

2. We rarely talk, our offices are across the hall from each other.  I talk to him about a patient one or two times a month. I manage the clinic as a solo provider on Fridays.  He is gone a lot on the other days.  I will text him now and then for some patient's conditions that I want oversight on. 

3. Took me about 5 years to feel comfortable.  It was a steep learning curve and I reached comfort with FP in 2 years and 3 years in  UC and never reached a  comfort level with ER locums (which is why I decided it wasn't for me).

4. I would like to change the concept that PAs are 'assistants' and would change our title as I believe it would afford the PA a standing that isn't questioned by the masses. I want more control over my schedule and would change the culture of the clinic that worships the physician as a godlike being. 

5. Age 44

6. Family Medicine/Urgent care/Adult medicine/and a bit of ER rolled into it since I work at an FQHC far away from an ER. 

I practice in UP Michigan. 

[gamecaco4]

Thank you so much! I am thrilled with these answers!

 

On a side, our book, 2012 edition, really made me see just how "low" even the medical community sees PA's. On a chapter titled "Physicians and nurses", PA's weren't even mentioned! And, NP's were only listed under nurses, which also included NA/CNA, LPN, RN. I was really taken aback that NP's and PA's weren't put in under physicians. The next chapter did have PA's, but compared them to MA's, stating that MA's were the clerical part and PA's are supervised clinicians. I don't *think* our prof sees the profession in this light, but I'm definitely going to make sure my paper the PA role I in healthcare better than our book!

[EMEDPA]

Thank you so much! I am thrilled with these answers!

 

On a side, our book, 2012 edition, really made me see just how "low" even the medical community sees PA's. On a chapter titled "Physicians and nurses", PA's weren't even mentioned! And, NP's were only listed under nurses, which also included NA/CNA, LPN, RN. I was really taken aback that NP's and PA's weren't put in under physicians. The next chapter did have PA's, but compared them to MA's, stating that MA's were the clerical part and PA's are supervised clinicians. I don't *think* our prof sees the profession in this light, but I'm definitely going to make sure my paper the PA role I in healthcare better than our book!

a physician written article discussed here by tintinalli  clumped PAs in with scribes and er techs...

[gamecaco4]

*facepalm*