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PAs in Bay Area -- is NP a better choice?


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Hey all, just wanted some feedback on whether being an NP is a better career decision than PA for someone who is, for whatever reason, dead set on being in Bay Area.

 

I read another thread here on the topic, and it seems that is the consensus. Just want additional feedback because the last thing I want to do is hem myself into a path where I cannot find a job in my desired locale. (sorry, rural is not for me and my family).

 

Also, I'm interested in ICU / critical care / hospitalist work, if that makes a difference.

 

Any one have information on this?

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NPs at my job in the North Bay pays a higher scale for NPs. I am a step 2/5 and a step 1 (I don't know how many steps NPs have) makes 8/hr more than me for the same Job description. I still make excellent money vs the rest of the bay so I'm not sweating it. We are both treated the same though by docs and admin for the most part.

 

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NPs at my job in the North Bay pays a higher scale for NPs. I am a step 2/5 and a step 1 (I don't know how many steps NPs have) makes 8/hr more than me for the same Job description. I still make excellent money vs the rest of the bay so I'm not sweating it. We are both treated the same though by docs and admin for the most part.

 

Sent from my S5 Active...Like you care...

16,000 is nothing to sneeze at. That said, what about job availability in general. I'm obviously willing to take a pay cut for being in the Bay Area, since it's an employers market there.

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Great info! 

 

So turns out I looked into the NP track around here (Texas), and there's only one direct entry program, which only allows mental health track.  So the Accelerated BSN-RN, work 2 years, 2 years NP school seems like a long time (might as well do medical school), whereas there are 5 PA schools, 2 years + 1 year residency, would be more efficient.  Guess I'll take my chances.  

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Go PA! It's not like it sucks for us here just the NPs have it a little better. I just saw UC jobs in Sutter Antioch, my place is hiring, Sutter is hiring. Stanford Healthcare just penetrated the East Bay and they are hiring PA's IIRC. Salaries are usually equal (except in the VA and apparently my place) everywhere else I looked. And my place pays more than everywhere else I interviewed/looked.

 

Bottom line, I like my job. I make a lot for easy Primary Care so the NP getting higher pay doesn't bother me.

 

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Grass ain't always greener. NPs at my work are always bumping heads with their SPs and admin because "they're independent!" but not at our system. it gets old hearing all their complaints during provider meetings.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Having just moved to the Bay area as a recent PA grad, I've definitely noticed far more NP openings than PA openings (as in, at least ten times as many NP openings). I'm having trouble getting a position because of the whole "recent grad" status, but that's not to say there aren't still PA jobs around here. If you're planning on living in SF, though, the commute to a job that will hire a new grad is looking pretty long. 

 

That being said, Joelseff, if you know of anyone hiring new grads within an hour of the city, let me know! :P

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I am from the bay area, and moved back here after graduation because my family is here. Biggest mistake of my life. I left behind two lucrative offers in another great city and then it took me 5 months to find my first job because no one here will hire a new grad. I ended up in the ER where no one wanted to supervise/train a new grad, then at a private practice which was a disaster. I finally got a fantastic (although underpaid) position with the federal government, but it took 2 years and a lot of downtime (and lost income) for me to get here. There are just not that many PAs here and as a result many private practice docs here don't even know what our role or scope is but want to hire a PA because someone told them about the financial rewards for their practice.  

 

I would not go NP vs PA (2 years vs many more to get from start to RN to NP) but I would be extremely cognizant of the market for PAs (especially new grads) here in the Bay. If you are willing to go/commute to the Sacramento area or central valley then there will be more opportunities for you, but the Bay is tough. If I had any advice, I would say definitely do PA, but try and do some rotations out here and/or build up contacts so that you can have a head start when you graduate and are ready to move back. Or go to one of the schools around here. 

 

Also understand what your options will be. Larger hospital systems and academic centers here seem to only hire PAs with 3+ years of experience, Kaiser and Stanford are black holes, and private practice is a crapshoot in terms of working environment and your role. Other locales seem to not have as much of an issue with hiring and being willing to train a new grad. You don't even get paid more here as a new grad compared to other places with a lower cost of living. 

 

Just telling it like it is based on my experience and also those of my Bay Area colleagues. Sorry about the negative slant but starting my career here was a pretty negative experience. 

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Having just moved to the Bay area as a recent PA grad, I've definitely noticed far more NP openings than PA openings (as in, at least ten times as many NP openings). I'm having trouble getting a position because of the whole "recent grad" status, but that's not to say there aren't still PA jobs around here. If you're planning on living in SF, though, the commute to a job that will hire a new grad is looking pretty long.

 

That being said, Joelseff, if you know of anyone hiring new grads within an hour of the city, let me know! :P

We are hiring but it's about 60 miles east of the city (reverse commute though but 2 bridges lol) and requires experience because your on your own most days. I'll ask my managers if there's any new grad opportunities.

 

I think lifelong and la clinica in Oakland may be hiring. I also saw a posting for Sutter ER in Antioch but that's a ways out too.

 

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Thanks, Joelseff! Any leads would be great. I'm trying to reach out to contacts I know here, but they are few and far between. I'm definitely looking into La Clinica, but while my Spanish is professionally sufficient, I wouldn't say I'm bilingual, so we'll see. I will look into LifeLong as well. And Antioch seems a tad far now, but it might be worth it. I'll check it out. 

 

Convertable, I would agree with zeusfaber that if you're going to move out here, you should 100% try to either attend a program out here or get a rotation out here in a specialty you'd like to work (or more than one rotation). I would have done that if I had known I was moving here when I was originally planning my clinical rotations. I, too, left a couple job possibilities in Chicago when I moved out here because that's where my contacts from my program were. Good luck!!

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  • 7 months later...

Thanks, Joelseff! Any leads would be great. I'm trying to reach out to contacts I know here, but they are few and far between. I'm definitely looking into La Clinica, but while my Spanish is professionally sufficient, I wouldn't say I'm bilingual, so we'll see. I will look into LifeLong as well. And Antioch seems a tad far now, but it might be worth it. I'll check it out. 

 

Convertable, I would agree with zeusfaber that if you're going to move out here, you should 100% try to either attend a program out here or get a rotation out here in a specialty you'd like to work (or more than one rotation). I would have done that if I had known I was moving here when I was originally planning my clinical rotations. I, too, left a couple job possibilities in Chicago when I moved out here because that's where my contacts from my program were. Good luck!!

Apologies, since this thread seemed to have ended ~8 months or so - but crystaltide were you able to find employment in the bay area? I still have rotations to gear up for; however, any news/updates regarding job outlook and placement in the east bay/sf would be great. 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Hi-

 

Can you elaborate on what you mean by that? I've got 11 years of experience (10 in various surgical subspecialties and 1 1/2 (and counting) in emergency medicine, currently in Boston. Will be done with a healthcare MBA in Fall 2017. Looking to move to SF/Bay area within a year, and was reading about these organizations. Any and all info would be great to know what my employment outlook would be like. Thanks!

 


Kaiser and Stanford are black holes
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