General Surgery Role

[MOPA]

I interviewed with a practice administrator and the two lead NPs of a general surgery practice yesterday.  I have no idea of pay yet, but I want to see if any of you surgical PAs think the roles/responsibilities/schedule sounds about right.  I've been working in a terrible and unethical environment in general medicine.  On top of that, I'm only allowed to see very simplest patients, which is boring the heck out of me. I've stuck it out as long as I'm willing to.  I'm interested in surgical specialties, and want to work on a team, actually have complex patients to work with, and be useful.

 

Here is what the practice told me:

 

Schedule:  4-10s, 1 day is in-office post-operative f/u. 3 inpatient rounding days with 1-2 of those days in the OR as well.

Staff:  7 surgeons, 7 APPs (including me, if I get the job)

Call/After Hours:  APPs do not take call outside of work hours.  1:6 weekend inpatient rounding that is paid separately from the salary.

Patient Census:  averages 40 patients/day split among 3-4 APPs.

Roles:  ER consults, inpatient rounding, FA in vascular/general surgery procedures, wound care, outpatient f/u, etc.  Seems pretty standard.  Currently 60% vascular, 40% general cases.  There will be a sprinkling of a few breast and endocrine cases, too.  And they are starting to do more bariatric procedures as well.

DEA license not required (physicians fill all pain prescriptions).

Not an academic center, so no residents or students.

Obviously, very complex patients.

 

Added perks:  

The lead physician built a surgicenter in Haiti, thus each surgeon rotates with a team down to Haiti 1-2x/year for a week each.  

The surgeons do not have residents but they like teaching, so they are willing to train someone who is familiar with the OR (ie. physician assistant or RNFA graduate) but whom also they can train to their specification.  In fact, they have trained each of the other APPs on the job.

The environment so far seems very collegial and members of the team I met with yesterday all seemed very happy with each other, the job, and agreed over and over again that they are a team and all work well together as such.  That is one thing of many I'm missing from my current environment.

 

I meet with the surgeons in two weeks.  For you surgical PAs - any particular questions I should gear toward the physicians?  Any thoughts based on the above?  Anything you have learned in your experience that you think would be good for me to ensure I address with them?