Hospitalist PA Position - NO PTO ??

[Jason PA]

Hi, 

I was hoping for some advice.  I've been a CT Surgery PA for many years, and now anxious for a career change.  This new position is a "Hospitalist PA", but at an acute care rehab facility.  Definitely "low-acuity" type patients.  

As long as you work 120 hours per month, then you get your full-time benefits.  (It's pretty flexible on how you want to structure your schedule).  I can also work 160 hours per month (40 hrs per week), if I want to.  But, there is NO PTO.  If I take a day off....I don't get paid.  I'm assuming this comes from the Hospitalist PA model of, "(12) hours for 7 days on - then - 7 days off"?

I have a difficult time understanding this.  If you work 12 hour days,...for 7 straight days....you're essentially working (2) 40-hr work weeks, in one stretch.)  How does this model prohibit being able to get PTO?

I'm told "this is the way it is", for Hospitalist PA's.  I don't know why.  What is the rational, for Hospitalist PA's not getting offered PTO?  Is that the norm?  Is it negotiable at all?

This would be a difficult transition for me financially, since I'm accustomed to taking 5-6 weeks off PTO, per year.  It would difficult financially to take that amount of time off, and not get paid.  What are your thoughts?  Thank you!  :)

Jason

 

[greenmood]

This is why you have to be careful with 7/7 schedules. Some places use it as an excuse to severely limit or withhold PTO because they expect you to take vacation during the weeks you're off. This is certainly NOT "the way it is" for all Hospitalist PAs.

 

I did the calculation in a different thread using incorrect numbers from my own job but my point still holds: you end up working a lot more actual hours than someone with a schedule like mine. I get 22 days of vacation per year. If I used all of it I would be working about 1816 hours, while someone working 7on/7off with no PTO would be working 2184 actual hours. That's an extra 31 days per year.

 

I'd pass.

[PAtoB]

Accepting no PTO in any FT capacity hurts our profession, imo.

[nds1111]

As a hospitalist PA who has friend hospitalist PAs there are jobs which give PTO. There are some that don't but they usually pay more as far as hourly rate to offset the lack of PTO. I work 4 ten hour shifts each week and accrue PTO at like 9 hours per pay period. Comes out to about 240 hours per year I think or essentially 6 weeks vacation. It is bankable and goes up over time. In another year I will be able to take a day off every other week and still accrue PTO. Let's just say I love my job lol.

 

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where so you work!!??

[nds1111]

Jealz!

 

 

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[treejay]

pass.

 

I have been offered a hospitalist position that had at least 2 weeks PTO per year (for a total of 24 work weeks per year.  24 weeks on, 24 weeks off, 2 PTO weeks.  The other 2 weeks would have been off weeks to counter the PTO weeks).

That should be the model.  And it should be more than 2 PTO weeks per year as far as I'm concerned

[Reality Check 2]

The UC and hospitalist positions around me do not offer PTO. You schedule your shifts accordingly and have whatever time off stretches you desire.

 

In UC - required to work basically 10 @ 12 hour shifts a month at 120/yr or maybe 150 shifts at some places. You figure it out is their philosophy.

 

If you want 7 days off in a row - you work it with the group scheduler and shove your shifts in otherwise.

 

I don't necessarily agree with it but it is how they worked it - all corporate so I am not sure how it flies. The same corp with FP, IM or specialty providers - they frontload your PTO and you take it but the schedules and working hours are different for clinic vs UC, etc.

 

I wouldn't mind the whole figure it out thing as long as there are cooperative people who will work with you so everyone gets time off.

My concern was medical leave - let's say a knee surgery or hysterectomy and how do you figure out your shifts from there - work a billion shifts and then take 8 weeks off??? Could be tricky.

 

Depends on what you are comfortable with. Would hate to end up in October or November and have someone come up and say - hey, you need to put in 45 shifts by December.....

 

Just my thoughts