4 years in, still regretting becoming a PA

[Boatswain2PA]

OP, I'm kind of afraid of going into this profession and regretting as well. Honestly, I don't have a some deep ingrained passion for medicine. I work at a hospital right now and I'm not like "YESSSS I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE" after every patient, I'm more neutral about about it if anything. I think the best way to describe my situation is if someone offers me an office/accounting/retail/marketing/research job right now that pays $150k a year for 40hr/week I'll take that in a heartbeat. I know alot of you guys will be like "well you should get out now cause you gonna hate your life etc etc" and I really cant. My resume, major, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all along with the time it takes revamp myself and find my true calling or whatever. I like your SP's advice BruceBanner. I think i've already accepted this to be just a job at the end of the day just like I would accept any other career as just a job since I'm not crazy passionate about anything sadly...

 

I do have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pursue the PA profession for practicality instead of passion? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy helping people, but just not enough to call it a passion I guess. I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s. 

Medicine is not the only job for academically gifted people ("my resume, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all").  Don't go into medicine simply because it's a well paying job ("I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s").  Look into biotechnology, genetic engineering, prosthetic engineering, SOMETHING other than medicine because you will likely hate it in just a few years.  

 

Or, if you really don't care about helping people, become a lawyer.  

[SHU-CH]

... since I'm not crazy passionate about anything sadly..

 

There must be something out there that will do it for you. Don't settle, and don't stop looking.

 

Maybe find some kind of career counselor? Or do something like the Kuder occupational survey.

[Guest Paula]

OP, I'm kind of afraid of going into this profession and regretting as well. Honestly, I don't have a some deep ingrained passion for medicine. I work at a hospital right now and I'm not like "YESSSS I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE" after every patient, I'm more neutral about about it if anything. I think the best way to describe my situation is if someone offers me an office/accounting/retail/marketing/research job right now that pays $150k a year for 40hr/week I'll take that in a heartbeat. I know alot of you guys will be like "well you should get out now cause you gonna hate your life etc etc" and I really cant. My resume, major, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all along with the time it takes revamp myself and find my true calling or whatever. I like your SP's advice BruceBanner. I think i've already accepted this to be just a job at the end of the day just like I would accept any other career as just a job since I'm not crazy passionate about anything sadly...

 

I do have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pursue the PA profession for practicality instead of passion? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy helping people, but just not enough to call it a passion I guess. I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s. 

 

I suggest you do a direct entry NP program.  You would not fit in the PA world very well.  I love the practice of medicine and even though I have experienced the ups and downs of employment within the business paradigm of medicine, I would still pick the PA profession again.  It is a passion for me and is the reason why I am a second career PA.  My first career was ok, but at times I was so dispassionate about it that I started not liking going to work.  You will experience the same if you do not find your passion for a career.  

[lightbearer06]

Great post on EPmonthly that can address some of the issues discussed.

 

http://www.epmonthly.com/www.epmonthly.com/departments/subspecialties/management/beating-the-burnout-blues/

 

 

 

Do not argue with patients who repeatedly request narcotics. Agree to disagree, offer other options, and if they decline, politely decline to write narcotics and leave the room. If they raise their voice, out the door you go. Do not give them anything to push back against.

[cinntsp]

 

I do have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pursue the PA profession for practicality instead of passion? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy helping people, but just not enough to call it a passion I guess. I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s. 

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with being practical.  I didn't go into medicine because I am ultra passionate about helping others.  I'm a little more selfish than that.  It was because I enjoy the challenge and learning everything that I possibly can.  I want to be damn good at it.  The fact that folks benefit from that is a nice side bonus. Feeling this way doesn't mean you won't enjoy what you do or that you won't be a good provider.  Just make sure medicine is what you want to do for whatever reason.

[jen0508]

Sounds like you have the wrong job, not the wrong career.

 

I work in the ED in a rural location (though I live in the the city) --- and the patients are generally appreciative. Throughout the day I get several genuine "thank yous" because in reality, for the majority of the people I see, the ER is all they have (poor, no insurance, etc). I agree it can be frustrating that I cant completely fix their problem (since these people have no other access to healthcare), but I do the most I can from an ED stand point and often times I do more than is indicated if I know they can't follow up.

 

If they think they have an STD because their partner had a + chlamydia test, swab the, give them some Rocephin+ Zithromax and send them on their way. Its a super quick visit, and I chart them out without 10 minutes. Ear pain in the middle of the night? Give them some Auralgan drops in the Ed for the acute pain - at least they leave feeling better. For the people with the chronic abdominal pain I often have to sit down with them and explain that I'm literally doing the most that I can. I cant CT them for the 20th time because it wont solve the problem and will only expose them to more radiation. "Hey, you need either an EGD and Colonoscopy but unfortunately I cant do that from here, only the GI specialist has the equipment to do that. Judging from your symptoms your upper abdominal pain might be from your stomach producing too much acid, I'll try you on prilosec and carafate ...blah blah blah" Often times they will understand if someone takes the time to explain. there will always be the ones that don't get it and will leave mad regardless, but don't let them get to you. 

 

 

I work with great supervising physicians and I think that is vital. I remember dealing with some pretty nasty docs during school in clinicals and I cant imagine doing that day in and day out. Overall my docs have been excellent teachers and are easy going/easy to work with. There are some that have their "quirks" and it took some adjusting, but I was able to come to a mutually effective relationship. On slow nights I really enjoy chatting and goofing off with my colleagues - I work with a great group of people. I think that plays a huge part in my job satisfaction

 

My group also is very productivity focused. Its hard finding a balance between pushing yourself to see more and burning yourself out. Generally if I see 2-2.5 per hour I'm comfy. Anything more than that, I leave work feeling super pooped. There are days when the ED is super busy and I have to step up and see tons of people - but I dont do that on a regular basis for my own sanity.

 

 

I hope you are able to find a position you like - with the right patient population and the right colleagues (attendings).

 

 

 

[Sam I Am]

this post points out how much of what we do is highly dependent on who we work with and the environment / Patient population we deal with

 

I think if you can find a practice or area that meshes with you are a person your outlook will change greatly

Fancy Pants, thank you for your post.  I don't like admitting this, but as of recent, I hate being a PA.  Like FSUnoles said, "what we do is highly dependent on who we work with."  I was just telling friends recently that I am completely dependent on my doc, whoever that may be.  For example, I get my butt chewed out for showing up 1 minute late on a day when I'm not even supposed to be working but it's perfectly fine when my attending showed up 2 hours late saying how hung over she is.  Not only that, I also feel as if I don't get the respect I feel I deserve (Maybe I expect too much).  However, the comments made by docs can't help but make me feel as if I'm really just an assistant and not an educated board certified professional.  "You're suppose to be my fall back guy not the other way around."  "Why did you park in the 'Physician' parking spot? When did you get your license?"  I've also noticed that docs call the shots and if they make a mistake and they want to blame you for it, they can.  It's happened to me.  I'm at the whim of whatever doc I'm velcroed to.  Because I'm their assistant apparently and they can do no wrong. 

 

Also, maybe it's a combination of the environment I work in (SNF/LTC), but I feel as if only 15% of my job entails actual medical care.  Don't get me wrong - love love love the geriatric population.  But dang it, it slows your work down when you have to wait for an aide to help someone go to the bathroom.  Or when the pharmacies and insurance companies have a say on what and how much you do for the patient, even though they never met them.  I also find that nursing homes are dismally cash cows.  Now, I have to say, I benefitted from this cash cow.  I also see how others are benefitting from that without providing excellent care to patient.  It makes me feel dirty about myself.

 

Nowadays, I usually find myself feeling like a prostitute - just being used and passed around at people's convenience/whim.  I feel as if I don't provide not enough real medical care to really say "I saved that person's life."  Maybe, I just hate Primary Care.  Maybe I hate nursing homes.  Maybe I just hate medicine.  I don't know anymore.  However, if I could go back, I would not choose to be a PA, that I do know. 

 

One interesting thing I learned from working in nursing homes is that people (insurance companies, pharmacies, MDs, and administrators) are freaking greedy.  My attending told me she's working on her 5th million.  She apparently told another PA she's working on her 6th million.  Either way, she's at least a 4th millionaire.  Now, what not a lot of these people are good at is knowing the law.  With that said, I need to sit back and think real hard if I want to make the switch into medical law.  I'm not goofy - I'm doing my research to find out what it takes before I make the jump.  But, I think I'm disillusioned/jaded and burned out from Primary Care/Internal Medicine.

[BruceBanner]

One interesting thing I learned from working in nursing homes is that people (insurance companies, pharmacies, MDs, and administrators) are freaking greedy.  

 

No doubt about that. Insurance companies in particular have WAY too much power in healthcare. Ultimately they are at the wheel, because they control who gets what and how much or how soon.

 

But I do believe that PA career satisfaction is highly job-specific. Hospitals and larger groups seem to be worse than small practices. It makes me sad to read stories like yours because I was there too. 

 

One thing I think helps is to have 2 or more jobs. That way, no one entity "owns" you, and you really have a lot more personal freedom.

[UpRegulated]

I suggest you do a direct entry NP program.  You would not fit in the PA world very well.  

 

NP?  NP's and PA's in the same setting usually have identical roles...

[Maverick87]

No doubt about that. Insurance companies in particular have WAY too much power in healthcare. Ultimately they are at the wheel, because they control who gets what and how much or how soon.

 

But I do believe that PA career satisfaction is highly job-specific. Hospitals and larger groups seem to be worse than small practices. It makes me sad to read stories like yours because I was there too. 

 

One thing I think helps is to have 2 or more jobs. That way, no one entity "owns" you, and you really have a lot more personal freedom.

 

One thing to consider is that "career satisfaction" and "job satisfaction" are two different things. I don't like my current job. But I'm happy with my career (as a PA) and my personal growth and development.

[UGoLong]

I posted my response to this thread already, but a forum member PM-ed me with a question and I'd like to share his question and my answer with the rest of you. I'm just one person and my life experience is probably different that yours. If anything that I say here is of any help to anyone, then great. Otherwise please feel free to ignore me!

 

---

I saw your post about changing to being a part time PA. Before you changed, were you still happy with being a PA? Are you still happy now? And what is your advice for staying satisfied/happy with being a PA. There seems to be a lot of things challenging PA’s these days.
Thanks!
--

 

I’ve recently changed to working part-time as a clinical PA. There are lots of reasons that I’ve taken this step, not the least of which is my age, the recognition that you are healthy until you aren’t, and the realization that I want to spend more of whatever time I have left with my wife, our extended family of three kids and 6 grandchildren, and my 95-year-old father. That said:

 

1.    Yes I am still happy being a PA. I came to it late in my working life and it was the only job that gave me this degree of satisfaction. Every job has its share of meaninglessness but only in this job have I had so many opportunities every day to know exactly why I was there. I think I have made a difference – albeit briefly – in lots of patient’s lives. And for that I am sincerely grateful.

 

2.    Yes, I’m still happy now. It has gotten harder to work as many hours as I was, and I wish that our practice – and our profession -- were better organized that they are. Lots of really good people have worked with me over the years, and I have many patients who I look forward to seeing. About 8 months ago, I cut back to 4 days per week in the clinic and tried teaching for a local PA program. I really enjoy that and the chance to help better prepare our students for the clinic. The pace is a bit slower too. I recently changed to teaching two days a week and working in the clinic for one day. This lets me be a PA, a PA educator, a husband-father-grandfather, a part-time paramedic a few nights each month (it will always be in my blood) and a senior citizen in something more of a proper balance for me.

 

3.    My advice about staying satisfied? A tough one. I’ve changed careers in a major way about five times in the last nearly 50 years. I’ve found that no career is perfect, all jobs are in a state of continual flux and have some negative aspects, and – as we grow -- most of us change our minds about what is really important to us. That said, here is my advice:

 

-       No matter what you do, you will never have complete autonomy. I don’t care if you are a trauma surgeon, you’ll still answer to someone. You need enough autonomy to make a difference in this world and I recommend that you move on if you don’t feel that way.

 

-       Unless you are incredibly money-oriented (which I am not), doing something only for the money will feel hollow to you after a while. If you don’t substantially enjoy what you’re doing, move on. It takes a lot of effort to be really good at something and you will feel you are wasting your time if you’re not really interested in anything other than the paycheck at the end of the month.

 

-       Don’t be afraid to try something new. You don’t have to quit your job to do it. Take a class, shadow a friend, read a book. See how it makes you feel. If it feels good, take the next step. After a while, the ocean liner that is your life will find itself on a slightly different, and possibly more rewarding course.

 

-       Let your dissatisfaction move you to do new things. My Mom lived to be 90 and always said “Everything turns out for the best in the end.” When I was younger, I thought that was utter crap. Now that I’m older, I’ve found it to be mostly true. No one can tell you how your life would have turned out if you won that track meet, got the cute girl to go to the prom with you, won that scholarship, or took that other job. Every day is like the start of the next play in a football game. You may have lost yards on the last play but now it’s 2^nd down and 15. Don’t curse your bad luck. Just call your next play and see what happens next.

 

Best wishes to all of you.

[FancyPAntsy]

The answer is simple. Gumball machines in the lobby and the patients pay an access fee to the lobby. Our roles are to only keep the gumball machines full since they are more informed than we are. They already know what they need and want.

 

I love you lol!

 

 

Also, maybe it's a combination of the environment I work in (SNF/LTC), but I feel as if only 15% of my job entails actual medical care. 

 

You're not imagining it! At a recent conference they told us that we spend approximately 25% of our time face to face with patients and about 45% of our time navigating the computer. A recent study showed on average EMRs require 4000 mouse clicks to see 2.5 patients an hour for 10 hours. I have literally developed a chronic spasm in my right upper back that is activated by clicking a mouse! I'm actually in physical therapy because it's gotten so bad I sometimes can't sleep!!!

 

The more experience I have with EMRs, the more I realized they are designed to benefit the hospital and lawyers, not the providers or patients. Oh for the days of paper charts... Can you imagine just circling a few items, jotting down a sentence, writing an order and being done with the chart? Maybe I should dedicated myself to building a time machine to go back into the past instead...

 

I've been looing for a new job. Thank you for the voices reminding me that perhaps it's more my environment. I do work in a high acuity rural hospital already, which is awesome because my attendings will let me do just about anything, but that doesn't make up for all of the other factors.

 

[Guest Paula]

Fancy Pants, thank you for your post.  I don't like admitting this, but as of recent, I hate being a PA.  Like FSUnoles said, "what we do is highly dependent on who we work with."  I was just telling friends recently that I am completely dependent on my doc, whoever that may be.  For example, I get my butt chewed out for showing up 1 minute late on a day when I'm not even supposed to be working but it's perfectly fine when my attending showed up 2 hours late saying how hung over she is.  Not only that, I also feel as if I don't get the respect I feel I deserve (Maybe I expect too much).  However, the comments made by docs can't help but make me feel as if I'm really just an assistant and not an educated board certified professional.  "You're suppose to be my fall back guy not the other way around."  "Why did you park in the 'Physician' parking spot? When did you get your license?"  I've also noticed that docs call the shots and if they make a mistake and they want to blame you for it, they can.  It's happened to me.  I'm at the whim of whatever doc I'm velcroed to.  Because I'm their assistant apparently and they can do no wrong. 

 

Also, maybe it's a combination of the environment I work in (SNF/LTC), but I feel as if only 15% of my job entails actual medical care.  Don't get me wrong - love love love the geriatric population.  But dang it, it slows your work down when you have to wait for an aide to help someone go to the bathroom.  Or when the pharmacies and insurance companies have a say on what and how much you do for the patient, even though they never met them.  I also find that nursing homes are dismally cash cows.  Now, I have to say, I benefitted from this cash cow.  I also see how others are benefitting from that without providing excellent care to patient.  It makes me feel dirty about myself.

 

Nowadays, I usually find myself feeling like a prostitute - just being used and passed around at people's convenience/whim.  I feel as if I don't provide not enough real medical care to really say "I saved that person's life."  Maybe, I just hate Primary Care.  Maybe I hate nursing homes.  Maybe I just hate medicine.  I don't know anymore.  However, if I could go back, I would not choose to be a PA, that I do know. 

 

One interesting thing I learned from working in nursing homes is that people (insurance companies, pharmacies, MDs, and administrators) are freaking greedy.  My attending told me she's working on her 5th million.  She apparently told another PA she's working on her 6th million.  Either way, she's at least a 4th millionaire.  Now, what not a lot of these people are good at is knowing the law.  With that said, I need to sit back and think real hard if I want to make the switch into medical law.  I'm not goofy - I'm doing my research to find out what it takes before I make the jump.  But, I think I'm disillusioned/jaded and burned out from Primary Care/Internal Medicine.

 

You work with an abusive doc and in an abusive environment.  Get out of there. 

[FancyPAntsy]

OP, I'm kind of afraid of going into this profession and regretting as well. Honestly, I don't have a some deep ingrained passion for medicine. I work at a hospital right now and I'm not like "YESSSS I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE" after every patient, I'm more neutral about about it if anything. I think the best way to describe my situation is if someone offers me an office/accounting/retail/marketing/research job right now that pays $150k a year for 40hr/week I'll take that in a heartbeat. I know alot of you guys will be like "well you should get out now cause you gonna hate your life etc etc" and I really cant. My resume, major, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all along with the time it takes revamp myself and find my true calling or whatever. I like your SP's advice BruceBanner. I think i've already accepted this to be just a job at the end of the day just like I would accept any other career as just a job since I'm not crazy passionate about anything sadly...

 

I do have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pursue the PA profession for practicality instead of passion? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy helping people, but just not enough to call it a passion I guess. I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s. 

 

Have you considered becoming a nurse anesthetist? They make about $120-150 I think.

[MyNameWasUsed]

^ recipe for quick burn out and being a poor provider. The passion is not just about medicine and care of people, but also learning medicine and its art, something inherently difficult that most couldn't handle. You need to be dedicated in the pursuit of ongoing knowledge advancement as well. These two factors are extremely important for one to be a safe, effective and caring provider that will set you up for a successful career. Look at us who talk about burnout. It's usually second to an abusive environment in which separated we would flourish and be happy again..

I definitely love learning, especially learning science that's why i considered PhD/research before but that route is just not as practical and the payout is not proportionate in my opinion. I enjoy the science of medicine more than the actual caring for patients and no I don't want to go MD. 

 

There must be something out there that will do it for you. Don't settle, and don't stop looking.

 

Maybe find some kind of career counselor? Or do something like the Kuder occupational survey.

Is living life with financial stability a passion? lol but seriously I don't even understand what people mean by passion. What amount of love do I need to invest in something to call it a passion? 

 

Medicine is not the only job for academically gifted people ("my resume, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all").  Don't go into medicine simply because it's a well paying job ("I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s").  Look into biotechnology, genetic engineering, prosthetic engineering, SOMETHING other than medicine because you will likely hate it in just a few years.  

 

Or, if you really don't care about helping people, become a lawyer.  

I've looked into those. I think PA is still more efficient than trying to get into biotech/genetic engineering. I really don't think I'll hate the job, at worst ill dislike it. I also have this mentality that it's ok for people to hate their jobs. Tons of people hate their job its whatever. I work at a hospital right now and this CT tech hates her job and im like you barely do anything wow.  

 

 

Have you considered becoming a nurse anesthetist? They make about $120-150 I think.

omg i looked into that the other day and I was like damn... I should have done this. I could have enter undergrad and got accepted into the nursing program within a year and then graduate within 2. 3 years and become a RN and then work for 1 year in ICU and apply to CRNA school. It's not practical for me to pursue that profession anymore. I just graduated with biochem and pretty good GPA. 

[sillycibin]

Dude, get out of emergency medicine!!!  I did a year ago and my mood, attitude, life satisfaction, blah blah are all hugely improved.  I went into trauma which I really like (I'm never going to love medicine and made peace with that).  Real problems and not nearly as many of the drug abusers, healthcare abusers, drunks, pointless visits, psych patients, etc.  I had a friend go into derm and they love it.  Keep looking.  EM is very stressful, which is part of the reason it pays so well - hazard pay.

[Maverick87]

There are a TON of opportunities out there as a PA. Most people in this thread don't seem to appreciate that. While lateral mobility is decreasing, it's still doable. I would rank PA as the best career out there, personally....but I also rank Family Medicine Physician as second best....so maybe I'm just insane lol.

[primadonna22274]

There are a TON of opportunities out there as a PA. Most people in this thread don't seem to appreciate that. While lateral mobility is decreasing, it's still doable. I would rank PA as the best career out there, personally....but I also rank Family Medicine Physician as second best....so maybe I'm just insane lol.

I am a PA and a family physician, so I hit the jackpot, eh?

I love what I do and am tremendously blessed. I hope the OP finds something that fits him or her.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

 

[treejay]

I suggest you do a direct entry NP program.  You would not fit in the PA world very well.  I love the practice of medicine and even though I have experienced the ups and downs of employment within the business paradigm of medicine, I would still pick the PA profession again.  It is a passion for me and is the reason why I am a second career PA.  My first career was ok, but at times I was so dispassionate about it that I started not liking going to work.  You will experience the same if you do not find your passion for a career.  

Why would this person be better suited for direct entry NP ?  Is this sarcastic or are you serious?

[taotaox1]

Why would this person be better suited for direct entry NP ? Is this sarcastic or are you serious?

I am pretty sure OP was making a dig at at NPs rather than being helpful.

 

 

I have found in life that 2/3rds of my job satisfaction is related to my enjoyment of the people and evironment I work in. I can (and have been) be happy washing dishes with a group of fun, positive people. The ED and high volume practices can be really toxic places and it will wear on most people. You need to ask youself if you hate being a PA, or just hate working in a toxic workholic environment.

 

[EMEDPA]

I am pretty sure OP was making a dig at at NPs rather than being helpful. I have found in life that 2/3rds of my job satisfaction is related to my enjoyment of the people and evironment I work in. I could be happy washing dishes with a group of fun, positive people. The ED and high volume practices can be really toxic places and it will wear on most people. You need to ask youself if you hate being a PA, or just hate working in a toxic workholic environment.

there are some great low volume, high acuity em jobs out there. Boat and I both work at several. I just need to make one my primary job instead of a per diem gig and then I am set.

[Boatswain2PA]

there are some great low volume, high acuity em jobs out there. Boat and I both work at several. I just need to make one my primary job instead of a per diem gig and then I am set.

 

An acute abdomen, pre-eclampsia, multi-car MVA with one fatality, a big PE, a chronic lunger, a few chest pains and a bunch of not-so-sick in the past 40 hours.  32 more to go then I'm off for another long weekend.

 

-Boats

[sk732]

/For the OP AND those others having bad days out, go to this link and press play :-)... http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/07/08/fuck-that-meditation-video_n_7753822.html

 

Have a gooder.

 

SK

[eighthnote24]

I work in emergency medicine.  My job was great until about 4 months ago when our chief left to take another position and was replaced by another of the group's physicians.

 

This physician - turned - administrator, with his newfound administrator attitude (and salary), sat me down and flat out told me, exact words, that quality of care no longer matters and that I need to sit down and "speak from the script", i.e., the lines of crap that the consultants are giving us to increase favorable survey responses.

 

My retort to this, once I got over the shock of hearing that, was that if they really wanted me to do that I would have to see less patients to accomplish that.  In our group there are only 3 PAs and about 30 physicians.  Out of all those I have the highest numbers of patients seen, month after month.

 

I was told that was fine.  But I bet as soon as I start cutting down, they'll be yelling about numbers dropping and times getting worse.

 

I'm already fighting an uphill battle just being a PA in this system.  Many of the consulting physicians at our hospital refuse to speak to me on the phone simply because I'm a PA.  The uneducated, simple-minded patients that outnumber any other kind of patient we have in this rural area are not used to having a female provider and automatically assume I'm a nurse.  Even after explaining what I actually am, they don't take me seriously and I frequently have to send one of my male supervising physicians in to say exactly the same thing I just said.  (In our group of 33 there are only 4 female providers.)  

 

Sigh.  I really like the people I work with.  And honestly, this is pretty much the easiest job I've had, despite its issues.  But that lack of respect....that lack of ability to do anything about the injustices that are done to us and our patients....is killing me slowly.

[sk732]

I could never stand the self licking ice cream cone that is known as health care administration.  My regional health authority has hired not one, but two, consulting firms to help us iron out processes, patient flow, examine staff attitudes and such...when all they needed to do was (a) just ask us at the coal face; (b) unass the layers of  high priced management we don't need - you know, the managers in charge of VP's of supervisors of the supervisors who in turn supervise other supervisors - and hire more OPERATORS to do the work; © consolidate regional resources appropriately; (d) put the hammer down on the "Team Me" dolts out there, get rid of them and make them an example to those others who can't be bothered to do their jobs.

 

The issue, as I see it, is the fact that many people don't understand there is a huge difference between management and leadership - there are good managers out there that couldn't lead their way out a wet paper bag with direct supervision and written instructions, and good leaders who can't manage a box of paperclips.  You really need either a person who is a combination of the two (a rarity really), or balanced numbers of both.  There seem to be a lot of "group" or "area" or "team managers", but no "leaders" - the ones that walk the walk AND talk the talk.  You need good leadership to see people through changes, make sure the teams stay cohesive, focus people to get the job done through all adversities (whether they like it or not) and make timely decisions and stand by them.  Two old sayings we had in the military - "You don't gotta like it, just gotta do it" followed by "If you don't like it, get out".  Sometimes getting the people that are the vocal latter to put up or shut up will sort things out - but you need someone who will bluntly tell those people what they need to hear.  Managers hide in their offices and send memos out like "Executions will continue until morale improves", whereas a good leader will work on trying to focus those folks that are problem children, but if they can't, will then ruthlessly execute a few choice ones to save the remainder of the team and make a point.

 

As much as I like slagging down some of the various other providers we work with, medicine is a team sport...while there is a "Me" in MEdicine, there isn't one in "Team".  People should start remembering so that the those people we ultimately play for - our patients - will benefit to the highest degree.  Any managers out there - take that to heart...you're the coaches and losing seasons are unforgivable in this line of work.

 

SK