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Can any cardiology PAs help a couple students with a few questions?


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Hello, me and a classmate have to do a short presentation in our "Introduction to the Profession" class next week. It's focused on the day in the life of a PA in various fields. We just need some questions answered by next week if any former or current Cardio PAs would be so kind! You can respond here or PM me the questions if you prefer. Thanks so much for your help!

 

  1. What is your typical day like?

    1. How many patients do you see in a day?

    2. Do you have an example schedule?

      1. How long do you stay after to review cases?

    3. What are your work hours like?

  2. What are the typical cases/Dx you see?

  3. Where do you work? Office? Hospital? ER? Split between multiple settings?

  4. Do you find the PANRE harder if you just practice cardiology?

  5. How did you get your training? Was it hard to start in cardiology?

  6. Any advice for PAs interested in going into Cardiology?

  7. Do you work in any specific specialty within cardiology (non-invasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, lipidology, pediatric cardiology and adult congenital cardiology)?

  8. Do you recommend doing a residency in cardiology after graduation?

  9. Can you share with us a rewarding/inspiring experience that you’ve had in cardiology?

  10. What do you like the most about being a cardiology PA?
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  1. What is your typical day like?: I round in multiple hospitals by myself and then head to the office to join in seeing patients. 

    1. How many patients do you see in a day?: Counting the hospitals, about 20 or so. It takes time to drive around.

    2. Do you have an example schedule? Not really,  but I usually start about 7, round until after lunch (usually eat at a hospital or drink a Boost in my car) and then go to the office until about 5. Sometimes I cover on weekends and just round for up to about 6 hours per day. When I cover, I also take call at home.

      1. How long do you stay after to review cases? I am a fanatic about dealing with EMR as I go; I want to finish notes and orders while the case is fresh. I'm usually out within 30 minutes of seeing my last patient.

    3. What are your work hours like? See above. I also teach for a PA program two days a week and ride with an EMS unit two days per month.

  2. What are the typical cases/Dx you see?: CHF, AFib, endocarditis, chest pain, shortness of breath, all kinds of arrhythmias, palpitations, dizziness.

  3. Where do you work? Office? Hospital? ER? Split between multiple settings? I used to be 50/50 between the office and hospital. Now it's more like 75% hospital.

  4. Do you find the PANRE harder if you just practice cardiology? Not really. We have to deal with tons of drugs, cardiology is the largest single part of the PANCE, and we often interface with pulmonology, nephrology, and often GI. We also clear people for surgery so we get some exposure there.

  5. How did you get your training? Was it hard to start in cardiology? I had a whole 2 week optional rotation in it in PA school! I was a paramedic when I applied and that got me exposure as well. Also, being an engineer has made it easier to me to understand the hydraulic and electrical aspects of cardiology. I applied to this job right out of school and have been here ever since.

  6. Any advice for PAs interested in going into Cardiology? It is a fascinating field and the interventions are always changing. My job is completely non-surgical and, with the exception of people doing vein harvesting in CT surgery, I don't personally know any cardiology PAs whose jobs are all that different from mine.

  7. Do you work in any specific specialty within cardiology (non-invasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, lipidology, pediatric cardiology and adult congenital cardiology)? I am in adult cardiology with an IM bent. I run our CHF clinic and other PAs here do lipids (we all do some) and pulmonary hypertension.

  8. Do you recommend doing a residency in cardiology after graduation? I've been here since 2006. I have a buddy who, as an NP, did a year's residency and he go exposed to lots of different areas. If you can find a good one and are certain that this is the field for you, it wouldn't be a bad idea. On the other hand, we hire PAs without residencies with great regularity.

  9. Can you share with us a rewarding/inspiring experience that you’ve had in cardiology? A 93 year old man and his 85 year old wife who will see no one but me. I shepherded him through his labile hypertension and convinced him to get his aortic valve replaced. There are others like them as well. The people we see are often (but not always) phenomenal.

  10. What do you like the most about being a cardiology PA? It's a vital area, the technology is always changing, and sometimes you can step in and make a really big difference.
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What is your typical day like?

I'm in critical care cardiology. Every day is different but the other day went like this: Sign out from overnight shift. Within 5 minutes of arriving to the CCU had to respond to a code blue in the dialysis unit. Then back to the CCU to round on my patients. Spent the better part of the morning with one patient who had improving hemodynamics after being transferred to me the day before in cardiogenic shock but unfortunately started exsanguinating in front of my eyes from a severe lower GIB. Massive transfusion protocol initiated but then worsening pulmonary edema from all the volume being given. Coded patient for ~45 minutes and lost the battle. Then turned my attention my other patients: OOHA on hypothermia protocol, the TAVR, the s/p MI with VSD in need of repair, putting a swan ganz catheter in a NICM patient being up-listed to 1A status, and proctoring another member of the team with placing an a-line and a Swan in a patient.  

 

How many patients do you see in a day?

Depends but typically 5-9 very high acuity patients. 

 

Do you have an example schedule? 

Three 13's per week required switching from days to nights 

 

How long do you stay after to review cases?

Never. When my day is done my day is done. 

 

What are your work hours like?

See above but either 7am-8pm or 7 pm to 8am. 

 

What are the typical cases/Dx you see?

Cardiogenic shock, decompensated HF, STEMI, VHD: severe AS, MR, and TR, AF rvr, VT storm, s/p cardiac arrest.

 

Where do you work? Office? Hospital? ER? Split between multiple settings?

Hospital 

 

Do you find the PANRE harder if you just practice cardiology?

Haven't had to take yet

 

How did you get your training? Was it hard to start in cardiology?

Completed advanced cardiology residency. 

 

Any advice for PAs interested in going into Cardiology?

Do as many rotations in cardiology in PA school including general cards, EP, CT surgery, and critical care. 

 

Do you work in any specific specialty within cardiology (non-invasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, lipidology, pediatric

cardiology and adult congenital cardiology)?

Critical care cardiology

 

Do you recommend doing a residency in cardiology after graduation?

If going into general cardiology I think you can do this without a residency but will need a good SP or APP who is willing to show you the ropes for ~ 1 year. If you want to go into critical care cardiology I would recommend a residency. 

 

Can you share with us a rewarding/inspiring experience that you’ve had in cardiology?

Always great when you can bring a patient back from the brink of death. 
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What is your typical day like?
I'm in critical care cardiology. Every day is different but the other day went like this: Sign out from overnight shift. Within 5 minutes of arriving to the CCU had to respond to a code blue in the dialysis unit. Then back to the CCU to round on my patients. Spent the better part of the morning with one patient who had improving hemodynamics after being transferred to me the day before in cardiogenic shock but unfortunately started exsanguinating in front of my eyes from a severe lower GIB. Massive transfusion protocol initiated but then worsening pulmonary edema from all the volume being given. Coded patient for ~45 minutes and lost the battle. Then turned my attention my other patients: OOHA on hypothermia protocol, the TAVR, the s/p MI with VSD in need of repair, putting a swan ganz catheter in a NICM patient being up-listed to 1A status, and proctoring another member of the team with placing an a-line and a Swan in a patient.  
 
How many patients do you see in a day?
Depends but typically 5-9 very high acuity patients. 
 
Do you have an example schedule? 
Three 13's per week required switching from days to nights 
 
How long do you stay after to review cases?
Never. When my day is done my day is done. 
 
What are your work hours like?
See above but either 7am-8pm or 7 pm to 8am. 
 
What are the typical cases/Dx you see?
Cardiogenic shock, decompensated HF, STEMI, VHD: severe AS, MR, and TR, AF rvr, VT storm, s/p cardiac arrest.
 
Where do you work? Office? Hospital? ER? Split between multiple settings?
Hospital 
 
Do you find the PANRE harder if you just practice cardiology?
Haven't had to take yet
 
How did you get your training? Was it hard to start in cardiology?
Completed advanced cardiology residency. 
 
Any advice for PAs interested in going into Cardiology?
Do as many rotations in cardiology in PA school including general cards, EP, CT surgery, and critical care. 
 
Do you work in any specific specialty within cardiology (non-invasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, lipidology, pediatric
cardiology and adult congenital cardiology)?
Critical care cardiology
 
Do you recommend doing a residency in cardiology after graduation?
If going into general cardiology I think you can do this without a residency but will need a good SP or APP who is willing to show you the ropes for ~ 1 year. If you want to go into critical care cardiology I would recommend a residency. 
 
Can you share with us a rewarding/inspiring experience that you’ve had in cardiology?
Always great when you can bring a patient back from the brink of death. 

 

 

Bike Mike Thank you for the responses, it's very helpful to us!

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