Leaving position after 3 months for new job?

[Dynamo24]

Long story short, I am currently in critical care working overnights. EM has always been my passion. A couple opportunities opened up for ER jobs, paying about 20K more a year and day hours (11a-11p). Any advice on how to handle this situation? Stick it out at the CC job and wait a while for another ER gig to open up or send my resume for the ER job? Thanks in advance.

[beattie228]

Is this your first job? Based on your signature line, you're a new grad. While there is certainly something to be said about not being in the field you feel is ideal for you, you also do not want to create any red flags on your newly minted PA CV. ER gigs are typically ever-present as ER/UC positions have a lot of turnover due to the nature of the field. Unless the position you're applying for is a dream offer or your current position is toxic, my recommendation to you would be to wait it out a year. From a hiring perspective, makes you not look like a risk. From a PA perspective, gives you another 9 months of valuable experience that can make you a much more polished applicant in addition to honing in on the nuts and bolts of what we do day to day (examining patients, performing procedures, charting, hand-off's, etc).

 

Anyway, those are my $0.02. Good luck.

[bananapeppers]

How are you liking your job now? Are they teaching/training you?

 

I think it depends on how much you like/enjoying/learning from your current job and if the new opening ER jobs have an opportunity to learn. If your true passion is EM, I would go for it, but only given the opportunity for them to teach you medicine. Most EM jobs you're just thrown in, so make sure it's a job that will teach you.

[quietmedic]

I agree with the above, but I think it also depends where you live. In New York City, where it is extremely extremely extremely difficult (did I mention difficult?) to land an ER job without tons of experience, and where there are very very very few ER jobs that will ever even remotely consider a recent graduate, I say that the offer is too good to pass up, if you are truly ready for it ( busy inner-city ERs are known to be brutal places to work, let alone attempt to learn, and if you don't move fast, learn fast, and know your stuff inside and out, your soul will be eaten alive). however, if you're an a part of the country where ER jobs are not hard to come by, and many rural places are desperate for and are always hiring PAs, then yeah, perhaps wait until you have more experience and medical street smarts.

[ajnelson]

Getting more critical care experience will definitely NOT hurt you in the ED. Its something many PAs I work with (including myself).

If there isn't something bad about your current job, I'd say stick it out for a little while. You could also consider adding the ER job per diem, and just pick up occasional shifts. Gets your foot in the door, but you aren't leaving your current job with just a few months under your belt

[south]

Unless the position you're applying for is a dream offer or your current position is toxic, my recommendation to you would be to wait it out a year. From a hiring perspective, makes you not look like a risk.

 

+1, well said

[qmoney22]

What are you making currently, and what would the salary be for the new job? Comparable benefits? I assume similar benefits as it seems the opportunities would be in the same healthcare system. It may not hurt to apply and see if you would be a fit for the ER positions. But I agree with others in that 1 year is probably a preferred timeframe for a hiring manager. Is your main issue with your current position the hours or is it that it's not ER?

[Dynamo24]

Thanks for all the responses. As far as my current job, great opportunity for learning on some very complicated medical and surgical patients. The overnight hours are not great. Its a group of PAs/NPs, no attending, no formal education or rounding. I am training with a NP currently, but its just learning the ropes, no real didactic stuff or anything. The city I live in is not huge, but not small, and the ER job would be at a moderately sized hospital with one doc on staff at all times and I think 2-3 other PAs/NPs. I actually did a rotation at one of the hospitals within the system and it was a great experience.I am waiting on details for the position as far as benefits but I know the pay is 65-70/hr. I currently make 100k, w/ nothing more than a 1% raise per year. Its not all about the money, its a multi-factor issue: more money, day hours, and ER. I will throw more info about benefits once I get them. Thanks again for all the responses. 

[ventana]

If ER is you goal

 

Stay in your current position for a 1-2 year stint

Learn how to manage sick patients

Get credentialed for things like chest tubes, and invasive procedures

 

Realize it stinks to do nights, and it wil be a long 1-2 years - BUT you then can make the jump to full time ER and be far ahead of a PA that has done 2 years of urgent care

 

Also, try to get a per diem position in the ER that starts to introduce you to the environment and decision making.... that way you can have your cake and eat it to....

 

 

In general LEARN LEARN LEAEN and avoid jobs with less then 1 year time served...

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

If ER is you goal

 

Stay in your current position for a 1-2 year stint

Learn how to manage sick patients

Get credentialed for things like chest tubes, and invasive procedures

 

Realize it stinks to do nights, and it wil be a long 1-2 years - BUT you then can make the jump to full time ER and be far ahead of a PA that has done 2 years of urgent care

 

Also, try to get a per diem position in the ER that starts to introduce you to the environment and decision making.... that way you can have your cake and eat it to....

 

 

In general LEARN LEARN LEAEN and avoid jobs with less then 1 year time served...

Playing devil's advocate, if ED positions in this location are like seeing unicorns in the wild, then the OP doesn't know when another opportunity may present itself. That being said, in my locale the positions are a dime a dozen (and for a reason). A year or two of nights? Ugh, but that's just me.

[anewconvert]

My only addition to what is being said here is that the 3 month stint on your resume only really matters if you bail early on your next job.

 

If you get hired for the ER gig then the 3 months obviously doesn't bother that group. However, if this job turns out to be horrible you are in a serious pickle because two shorts stints on your resume is going to be nearly crippling in finding that third job. If you take the ER gig I'd argue you are married to it for a minimum of two years to make sure that 3 month position doesn't have lasting impact.

 

In the end I agree completely with Ventana. Keep your current job and take the ER gig PRN to get your foot in the door. It will make your resume more stable, give you a head start on learning the ER system, will help make the transition into ER smoother and gives you the opportunity to gain some specialized training that may be very useful to your ER future.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

My only addition to what is being said here is that the 3 month stint on your resume only really matters if you bail early on your next job.

 

If you get hired for the ER gig then the 3 months obviously doesn't bother that group. However, if this job turns out to be horrible you are in a serious pickle because two shorts stints on your resume is going to be nearly crippling in finding that third job. If you take the ER gig I'd argue you are married to it for a minimum of two years to make sure that 3 month position doesn't have lasting impact.

 

In the end I agree completely with Ventana. Keep your current job and take the ER gig PRN to get your foot in the door. It will make your resume more stable, give you a head start on learning the ER system, will help make the transition into ER smoother and gives you the opportunity to gain some specialized training that may be very useful to your ER future.

 

 

ER position looks to be FT, not prn in OP's statement.  I must be getting really old.  11a-11p is considered "days".

[ventana]

ER position looks to be FT, not prn in OP's statement.  I must be getting really old.  11a-11p is considered "days".

 

correct, but I suggested getting a per diem to strengthen the skill set, give experience, and get foot in door while not burning the bridge at the current job.....

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

correct, but I suggested getting a per diem to strengthen the skill set, give experience, and get foot in door while not burning the bridge at the current job.....

 

 

Assuming this hospitalist position is 7 on/7 off, you guys have a LOT more energy that I do.  I don't know that I'd even survive the full-time gig.  May have to bump my levothyroxine and/or drink some energy drinks ;-).

[anewconvert]

ER position looks to be FT, not prn in OP's statement.  I must be getting really old.  11a-11p is considered "days".

Sorry for lack of clarity.

 

I was simply suggesting that he try to get a PRN job in ER, preferably the ER that has this current position available, but even a different ER will provide experience that helps ease the transition later

[Dynamo24]

Thanks again for all the advice. I already have a PRN ER gig lined up, so that makes me feel good that I am doing the right thing. I am still waiting on details of the ER job.