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Readers may not like my opinion, which is certainly your right. It was given because it was implicitly called for by the original post. I am generally an optimistic, supportive guy and would have liked to have been in this case as well. On the other hand, threatening to hurt yourself just a few weeks before school starts to the point that you actually had to be held in protective custody is a warning light -- not forever, but for now. I want the OP to be stabilized to the point that the poster's medical team is certain that he or she does not represent a threat to him or herself or others, especially if and when something goes south during PA school (which it can). Telling someone who just recently went through all this that that "you've got this!" sounds way more optimistic that any of us strangers has a right to be. I think we can all agree that the ball belongs in the OP's medical providers' court.

I thought this was going to be about PA's > 50 yrs of age...... old, abused and invisible.....

Hey guys, I am a current first year PA student at EVMS. It looks like interviews will be on July 12th, 13th, and 15th. This could change but it is something to get excited about! Feel free to ask me anything.

I personally am supporting Beth Smolko and Jennifer Orozco. Beth has been a PA leader and was the one who first started the collaboration resolution back in 2012 or 2013 thereabouts. It passed the second year at the HOD. She is fully in support of title change and we should all read her platform statement and listen to her video. I do not think she will take an adverse result from the WPP title investigation survey. I support her because she will look out for our profession and has a fresh idea and good skills to navigate us to the future. She is running for Pres Elect I support Jen Orozco for BOD as she has been strategically improving practice laws in Illinois and help beat down NCCPA when they sent a lobbyist to Illinois to defeat the Illinois PA Academy efforts for law modernization. It was an interesting time for sure. SO we have a few go-getters and focused candidates in Beth and Jennifer. Vote for Beth Vote for Jennifer

UGoLong is a well-respected contributor to the PA community and these forums; applicants should pay careful attention to his suggestions--I consider them, on the whole, better thought out than my own recommendations.

Wanna be a physician? Go to medical school.

I will risk being shadow-banned by a certain moderator here (again) by giving a politically-incorrect answer (meaning one that people don't like, but that doesn't mean it's not true). It's all about standards. And if you talk standards, you HAVE to talk about MINIMUM standards. You can have certain credentials that prove you have met minimum standards of competence. Like Board Certified Emergency Physician (or Board Certified **insert specialty here**) means you are at the top of the game in Emergency Medicine (or other specialty), so it is reasonably safe for everyone to assume such a person is competent in their specialty. With that credential we know that the person graduated medical school and has (with rare grandfathering rules) completed an Emergency Medicine residency and passed Emergency Medicine boards. The MINIMUM standard for being a PA is passing a 26 month intense program of medical education and passing a test that virtually everyone passes. That is a big difference. Oh, and that experienced 20 year PA could have worked in urology for 19.5 of those 20 years, and now that he's in your ED doesn't really know how to manage an unstable arrhythmia. Likewise, that experienced 20 year PA who worked in the ED for 19.5 of those years wouldn't know how to reconstruct a bell-clapper deformity. The MINIMUM standard for being a NP is being a nurse who passes 24 months of part-time online classes, and shadowing a friend in clinic for 500 hours, then passing a written test. That is a HUGE difference. But, like it or not, those ARE the standards. So, if you are a physician/midlevel/APP/RN/RT/CNA/adminiscritter or ward clerk, how do you know if someone you just meet is competent in their job? If the MINIMUM for their credentialing means that they passed their specialty boards in medicine, you can assume they are indeed a specialist. If their MINIMUM standard is a 26 month program that lets them move between specialties...yeah, I'm not going to assume they are competent until they prove it. Will practice based OTP change this? nope. It's human, and protective, in nature. As we continue toward specialization (CAQ's) I think this will improve, but that will be a long road.

I am not a big fan of these programs. I think folks should work in medicine for a few years before starting PA school to make sure they like medicine.

Honestly, disregard people's opinion's if they only talk about numbers. Some posts here are highly self-referential and the logic behind their advice is: "I failed, therefore you will fail too". This is just counterproductive for you. Honestly, numbers will never tell you the whole story. Programs care about life experience, fit to the program, your potential as member of the university (extra curricular activities and leadership within PA school), your background, and most importantly.... how your application connects to YOU. Having 8000 hours of PCE that you hated, learned nothing from, and that didnt connect with your personal narrative will definitely show on your application. Don't just get experience for the sake of amassing stats. Learn from it, get awards, get recommendations, find a good fit for you and your ambitions. There's a difference between performing at a job and being stuck with it. Admission officers can smell generic applications from far away. After all, they are generic, and they wont make anybody feel curious or like they are missing out. There's a difference between saying "I wanna be a PA to have a job" and "I wanna be a PA to help the undeserved". There's a difference between "I learned about the PA profession from U.S news best jobs" and "I arrived at the pa profession after years of dedicating my life to healthcare". If you care about, say, helping undeserved populations and your profile, experience and life story show that, then you have a more compelling application than someone who has been hating their PCE for thousands of hours and have made no efforts to expand their healthcare perspective beyond their own practice and what was given to them. Some people feel entitled to certain things based on their GPA and PCE, but they also may feel undeserving of higher achievement because their numbers are "not as good" as others. Its a vicious cycle. GPA: You dont even know what classes made up their GPA PCE: You dont know the scope of their jobs Profile: You simply dont know them Some programs have certain thresholds or minimums (1000 PCE is the most common), so waiting a year will help with that. But honestly, i have seen people get accepted and interviewed in many great schools with little-to-no experience, but awesome stories and clear personal mission and profile as candidates. Don't take advice from people telling you that you are "the same as them" and "therefore you will fail" because thats just missing the point. I cannot guarantee that you will get into PA school with those stats, but I can guarantee you that if you only measure yourself with numbers, then you'll waste time worrying about them and PA schools will only see you as another generic application. My advice for your numbers: Take a Gap and amass more hours My advice for your application: Figure out who you are and what you bring to healthcare

My biggest problem isn't so much the discrepancy with the community...its the discrepancy with NPs. They have had 1 year and 9 months to implement locality pay for PAs as passed by law. At my local VA NPs top out 30k a year above PAs at the top end. Its a disgrace. Lets not mention the lawsuit from PAs and NPs over unpaid overtime. And since were talking about new grads...they pay new grads in the realm of 60-70k if were are to believe job postings...WTF cant they do some mentoring. I spent 23 years in the Army and would love to serve my fellow veterans, but I sure as shit ain't gonna give my services away to the government, they got their pound of flesh from me already. Fix the pay scales and maybe myself and a lot of others will give it another go. And as the largest single employer of PAs, it might be about time for them to figure out this mentoring thing.

I'd ask the patient who they want as a provider? If they choose the VooDoo Doctor I would discharge them from the practice with a certified letter explaining their unwillingness to follow the standards of care along with the practices unwillingness to knowingly violate these standards. If this VooDoo Doctor wants anything they can order it themselves, I wouldn't be a party to this fallaciousness.

i wish I could say this was rare but I don't even think it is uncommon. Upcoding and such happens so frequently it has become part of the gestalt of the profession. I have never worked anywhere that didn't push and pull on billing and coding so that, at best, it was uncomfortable and , at worst, it was outright fraud. In my current position my medical director let us all know we were expected to charge 04 level visits 75% of the time at minimum and if we didn't our evaluation and raises would be affected. I asked for the source of this and was told it came from the VP of clinical services who is a physician. I asked for that in writing. When he wanted to know why I told him that an organization mandating a certain percentage of 04 visits under duress is the very definition of conspiracy to commit fraud. I wanted it in writing. I never got it and the issue faded away but I was advised I was "getting a reputation" which I assumed wasn't good. I think all we can do is be vigilant and, when confronted with something that doesn't pass the sniff test, ask for verification and written responses. In the age of electronic records and never ending security issues we can only be careful.

It is just an exercise in semantics. I don't think anyone is trolling. And yes.... I steer people here from the HUDDLE frequently just because it is a bit looser and more interesting. I was going to volunteer to be a mod until I found out there is no clubhouse or secret handshake.

You're right literally/technically, just not figuratively. Doctor, and physician doesn't necessarily mean MD/DO, however, in practice we know what physician or doctor means. This is as simple as it becoming common use after really what was a hijacking of a somewhat general term. It would have probably been more correct that they call themselves MD's, or DO's all this time, or some other proprietary term, rather than a general term, but that's where we are at. In appealing to tradition, but really, just to avoid confusion among patients I don't think we should start using the term, even if it is technically true. As a huge addendum to this, it really calls into question the name of our profession. If the previous is true, then why is Physician's Assistant not accurate? Why do we get so up in arms about the possessive s? Does Physician assistant imply that we are indeed physicians, just assistant physicians? If this is true, then we definitely need a name change by MD/DO's logic that we are "non-physician providers". And if the prior is true, that we are actually just Physician's Assistants, then that is simply inaccurate by virtue of our job description, or at least many of ours. In conclusion, while we should respect the term physician, we shouldn't be afraid of any of the kickback in pursuing the name change. We also shouldn't be afraid of any kickback of the term 'provider' 'clinician' 'medical practitioner', etc. It's ridiculous that any name besides assistant is unacceptable to many in the physician community. Nurse's don't have this same problem; nowhere in their title is the word assistant. We need to find our identity as a field, and that is not as assistants. Medical assistants already have that identity.

Waitlist acceptances are going out. I was accepted off the waitlist yesterday! If you are on the waitlist, try not to dispair. There is still hope!

Shrug it off unless you think he was intentionally trying to belittle you. My last SP used to gently pimp me and I had 20+ years in. If I didn't know..I didn't know and I'd learn something. I didn't see any malice in it and I think as my SP he was entitled to probe my understanding sometimes. No blood...no foul.

Yes and no. You patient load is OK though maybe a bit heavy for your specialty. The rest is utter nonsense. You should have a nurse, MA, or office assistant rooming patients, documenting mammos etc. Not only is the practice wasting money by paying the high dollar help to do these things it is insulting to you as the PA. Does the surgeon do this? Does he/she have a nurse and/or a clerk? You don't need to answer. I already know. I'd approach this from 2 directions. I'd start with the amount of money being wasted while you do office chores when you could be seeing patients. The other is simple respect for you an a provider.

I received a call today that I was accepted to the program!! So excited!!

I just love it when I tell a patient they don't need an antibiotic and they respond saying, "I work medical, I know what I'm talking about...I need an antibiotic!" Every time I follow up immediately with, "Oh really!!! What do you do?" Just had a patient do this and told me is the front desk attendant at a local optometrist's office...seriously...YOU'RE medical...my dog is more "medical" than her...I guess there goes my Press Ganey score for the day!

Lots of people make mistakes. A buddy of mine got his license and DEA with a marijuana-selling conviction in college that he clearly disclosed. I do think that you're missing the bigger problem here: you are going off to school YET THIS MONTH and have shown you don't have yourself under control. PA school is stressful and here you are, recently demonstrating self-destructive behavior to the point you had to be held in custody to protect you from yourself. This is not a good combination. I think you need to talk to your psychologist/psychiatrist and work through this. Taking a year off (many schools cut this kind of slack for health issues) and starting next year may be your best bet. Good luck.

As far as I know all programs are 'pay as you go' i.e you pay each semester at that start of the semester. I guess I fail to see how that's relevant. You can either work your butt off and pull up your GPA or drop out and likely never be a PA. You would be hard pressed to find a program willing to accept you after A: having a low GPA and B: giving up. Plenty of students get put on academic probation. Put in the work, get better grades, and move on. All who pass PANCE are PA-C's regardless of how they got there.

...and I was just offered an acceptance from the wait list! I'd like to thank you since you probably opened up a spot for me

I actually totally agree with the above. There may come a day when the need to prove yourself won't be there, but that will either come with a significant amount of time in the same area or some sort of "board" certification. Or med school. I know too many people from my class who passed the PANCE to be comfortable with just anyone treating patients.

Relax, review your anatomy and physiology now, and have fun before school starts. When school starts, keep up in class, be collaborative and not competitive, bond with at least some of your classmates, treat school like a job, experiment with what study techniques work best for you (may not be the same in every class), set aside time for yourself every day, briefly celebrate after tests, exercise (even if only to take a walk), eat healthy (most of the time), have a good support structure for the tough times, and remember that many thousands of people have successfully navigated these waters. You can, too. And, surprisingly, you'll probably look back at it (most of it anyway) with fondness. Best wishes, newbie!

I'm voting Physician Associate. Keep the PA initials. The "PA" profession has been gaining so much traction over the last 5 years and now we want to change the initials --> back to square one. The profession has changed dramatically since its inception. We are no longer "assistants". But we can definitely be associates and keep the PA initials! Sidenote: academically it's the same hierarchy.. Assistant professor, Associate professor, then full-fledged Professor. And just as important, I also believe they should standardize the degree granted. It should be something along the lines of MMS "Master of Medical Sciences". Whereas some schools have an MSPAS, MPA, MHSPAS, MSQWERTY. Therefore, I can introduce myself as "Hello my name is Endeavor your PA/Physician Associate." I have my masters in medicine. (Whereas an MD/DO has a doctorate in medicine). Just my 2 cents..

... and we have reached the point where aggressive ignorance, if real, is indistinguishable from trolling. Bye.

Hey guys! My name is Kristin Kingery. I wanted to start this thread to allow us all to communicate and learn a little bit about each other as well as discuss or ask any questions about the upcoming cycle! This is the forum for anyone applying in 2019, hoping to begin PA school in January 2020! The application cycle starts soon so I wanted to go ahead and get a group started! If anyone wants to talk or get to know each other, my email is kristinkingery1@gmail.com. I look forward to hopefully meeting some of you guys soon!

Online reviews, and reviews in general, are bullshit on their best day. During the interview, ask for an estimate of currently active patients in the practice. If they have a panel of 3000, and you found 149 negative reviews, it gives you an idea of how many are doing the complaining. Unless I have received exemplary service, I will rarely go out of my way to tell the world about my positive experiences but, forget to put mustard on my hamburger, and heads are going to roll!

Someone should be receiving a call today! I just sent them an email declining my seat for the upcoming class as I have accepted a seat with another program. Best of luck to you all! I hope one of you receive amazing news soon!

PAs for Tomorrow provided the 2019 AAPA candidates questions regarding their beliefs about the future of the profession. Please go to www.pasfortomorrow.org for more information about our endorsed candidates. After a lengthy review and robust discussion, the BOD of PAFT is pleased to endorse the following candidates: President: Beth R. Smolko, DMSc, MMS, PA-C Director-at-Large: Jennifer Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA House of Delegates Director/Second Vice Speaker of the House: Leslie Clayton Milteer, PA-C, MPAS, DFAAPA #PAFT #AAPA19 As of right now the more involved explanation of our process and reasons hasn't been posted but will be up soon. If you are an AAPA member we encourage you to vote!

I know you are looking for a change, but if you have EVH skills, you should be able to find a significantly better paying job in CV surgery without too much trouble. Although the hours might not be as good.

I am paid as much as NPs in my VA because my director bargained for me. I make enough. I like the work. 28 yrs in - this is where I belong. It might not be right for everyone. The national VA PA pay is being worked on. New grads need jobs with mentors, oversight and support - the VA isn’t that right now - too fast paced and too intense.

I’m two years out of school (but technically one because I did a residency) I work in peds surgical specialty, in TX. ~160k. I work 40 hrs a week, hardly ever over and when I do I get paid time and a half my hourly rate. I’m mostly in OR but occasional clinic and rounding. Great benefits. Almost 8 weeks paid time off a year. How do you find a job like this? Do a residency. When the position opened they had ~50 applicants within 48 hours. I was the only one with the experience they wanted. (I was also a paramedic before school which probably helped). It’s a cut-throat job market out there now. Good luck to all, but you need more than luck now- you need to set yourself apart with advanced skills to get great jobs.

Hi! Interviews usually consist of three portions. Two one-on-one interviews and one group interview. The one-on-one interviews are with a faculty member and a community PA. The group interview is with about 6 prospective students and 3-4 faculty members. The interviewers do not try to trick you. It is pretty laid back but you still need to prepare. My first year has gone pretty well. You are going to hear from many people that PA school is similar to "drinking from a water hose." This is definitely accurate and you will be more stressed out/busy/exhausted than you have ever been in your life - but it will be worth it. I was accepted to several schools and am very happy with my choice. If I could offer you any advice for the interview it would be to practice questions with a stranger. This type of "desensitization" can help with you nerves and help you organize your thoughts better.

I can't imagine it would be a remotely good idea for a new grad--it'd be like locums, only worse. Instead of having a bunch of disinterested people who couldn't care less about you whom you MIGHT bounce things off of... you'd be working with... whom, exactly?

Hi there! My name is Hailey and I am a first-round applicant for PA school. I have gone to a handful of interviews, and have a few acceptances. I believe my personal statement was very strong, and I am wanting to help other prospective PA students get an acceptance on their first round also. I have quite a few friends already attending PA school, and those about to start. I have edited their personal statements as well. I am willing to edit your personal statement, have brainstorming phone calls and answer any questions about the PA admissions process in general. My services are FREE OF CHARGE. However, I do ask that if you feel you've benefited from my help that you give a small donation, whatever you can, via venmo to my PA school tuition fund. ~karma~ If you are interested, please email me at AcceptedPAstudent@gmail.com. I look forward to helping all you prospective students! Best, Hailey xox

Greetings all! PAs For Tomorrow will be having a Meet and Greet at the conference May 20, 2019 ,615p-715p, Hyatt Regency ,3rd floor, Agate B.You don't have to be a member to come by and meet the board and ask questions though we will probably try to get you to join. I hope to see lots of people there!

Pretty terrible. The CME PTO, license/DEA and insurance are the only things remotely market rate in my opinion. Keep looking, you'll find much better.

Sorry, I see that as practicing medicine without a license. They can prescribe whatever woo they want, but if a patient is stopping a legitimately prescribed medicine on the basis of their advice, that's a naturopath practicing medicine without a license in my book. Not sure how the laws of any particular state would see it, but if there was a specific instance like the CABG patient where the naturopathic quacktitioner advocated against evidence-based medicine in a way that provides a clear harm to the patient, I'd consider complaining to the medical board (NOT the naturopathic board, assuming there is such a thing). 90% of what naturopaths provide for patients is just good listening skills, albeit often couched in terms of coddling unjustified fear of actual medicine. If they want to stay in their lane and peddle their placebos, fine. Who knows--there might actually be something real among all the overpriced supplements. When they lose the 'complementary' and focus on the 'alternative' they need to be held liable for any resultant patient harm.

Sorry, but you still don’t sound stabilized to me. I'm not sure how you would act if you made another mistake and no one can ever promise that they won't do exactly that. Take the time to get yourself right. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I will be graduating in a few weeks and the DMSc is already paying off some. Helped to secure a new job that pays a premium and have gotten my first request to guest lecture. Also using it to satisfy some of the requirements to sit for CAQ-EM exam.

I'm a first year PA student starting in July and USAF veteran (4yrs active duty). Fingers crossed as well

A new Grad PA in with CT Surgeons who after a few months on the job doesn't have a complete handle on the job? I say that you are about where you should be, knowing that you don't know and knowing to seek help is the level I'd expect from you. Keep working hard to learn and develop the skills that others took years to acquire don't stop asking questions and for help as needed. If your group isn't willing to give you the time to learn and grow, that could be a real problem for you.

If your contract was truly broken by your employer, I would think your obligations to keep your part of the deal are off too. Talk to a lawyer to be certain.

This guy must be a troll. Is it possible to delete this thread before outsiders get a hold of this? If you define yourself as a physician, you are a detriment to our profession and you will only add more strife between us and physicians. No one cares about what the dictionary defines a physician as. Our society deems a physician as an MD/DO and that's how it should be. Do we need a name change? Sure, but you are a few cents short of a dollar

Uggh and here I go again. I promise you all, I am not really this salty in real life, but......... Don't mention it. 1. It's none of their damn business. Period. 2. ADA or no ADA there is 100% inherent bias for providers deemed disabled, broken, hindered or anything else that might make you less robotic in a practice. In the eyes of the employer, we are there to make money. Period. Full stop. Any weakness be it physical, mental or psychological will be seen as...well, weakness. Your odds of getting hired will plummet. I've seen it time and time again happen. Think about this for a minute. It is often hard for providers who have the audacity to get sick or injured while employed. They are frequently screwed schedule wise or just pushed out the door. By letting a prospective employer know ahead of time about any inherent weakness is just inviting bias before you even begin. In a perfect world we should be allowed to be human. That world does not exist or at the very least is incredibly rare. Report any weakness at your own peril. Cynical? Yup. Correct. You betcha. I hate it, but it is what it is....

Do not worry! Retake the class when you are ready and get a better grade. Many programs will allow you to explain this sort of academic issue in a supplemental and you can turn this into a positive about overcoming your weaknesses. One F early in your college career is not going to end your chance of becoming a PA, especially if your other grades are good. Before retaking the course talk to the professor and work out a better method to study for the class. I had a C in genetics freshman year and retook it for an A after graduating. At one interview they asked me about the C and I explained not wanting to withdraw/give up. I got into that program and four others this past cycle. Do not give up hope because of one F. You got this!

Hello pre-pa students! I'm here to let you know I am willing to read through your personal essays and offer feedback as we are approaching the opening of CASPA soon. I was recently accepted to PA school as my first and only cycle. I believe a strong personal statement is what separates you from other applicants. I scored in the top 96% on my GRE writing section so I feel confident in my ability to help others. I'm not charging for the service, however I do ask for a small donation to help with the expenses of starting PA school. I work night shifts so I have a lot of extra time throughout the night to work on reviews. the email you can send your statements to is essayreviews949@gmail.com. Thank you and good luck to everyone!!

...No one knows. You're receiving moderately-educated guesses at best, and wild shots in the dark from internet strangers at worst. Even an adcom member can't give you a 100% reliable "chance" because each school is different. Your experiences, personal statement, school list, timing, and "fit" all play a role. Even then, adcoms make surprising decisions. It's not uncommon to be accepted to reach programs and rejected from "safety" schools. Instead of risking false confidence or misplaced defeat, ask yourself these questions instead: Are my GPAs, both science and cumulative, competitive compared to this school's accepted student profile? If not, is the reason compellingly discussed in my personal statement? Does my transcript show that I have grasped the fundamental knowledge to succeed with intense, graduate-level medical science coursework? If there are weak areas of knowledge on my transcript, have I put in the work to turn those weaknesses into strengths? Do I meet all the prerequisite requirements for each school on my list? If I have a questionable course, have I asked for clarification from the schools that require it? Is my PCE (hours and type) competitive compared to this school's accepted student profiles? If my GPAs are below the accepted average, does my PCE surpass the average? If my PCE is below the accepted average, does my GPA surpass it? Have I spent time making sure my experience descriptions are comprehensive and accurately convey what I've learned? Have I scored at least 300 on the GRE (if I'm choosing to take it)? Do my other activities show deeper layers of my personality and interests? Have I taken on increasing responsibility as I've grown? If I've stated an interest in a specific area (for example, underserved or rural care), do my experiences show my passion for that area is genuine? Have at least three people agreed to write me an excellent letter? Do my references meet each school's requirements? Does my personal narrative have an introduction that grabs the reader's interest? Do I "show" the qualities that will make me an outstanding PA, instead of just listing them? Do I show understanding of a PA's role? Does the conclusion convince the reader I'm ready for PA school? Have others read and enjoyed my narrative? Is it grammatically flawless? Do I have an overarching passion or theme that ties my application together? Are my future goals guided by my experiences? Am I a good "fit" at each school on my list? If an interviewer asks me why I applied to each school, what will I say? Do I have a game plan for applying? Have I set myself up for success by planning to apply early? Have I thought beyond the finish line of getting a seat to the logistics, pressures, and potential loneliness of devoting the next 2-3 years to school? Am I in a financial position to fund CASPA costs, interview expenses, seat deposits, and relocation expenses? Am I in a financial position to afford PA school? How is my credit score? Do I have significant undergrad loans, car payments, mortgage payments, or other financial constraints? Does my family truly understand the time investment of PA school? Will my partner move with me if I relocate, or will we have a long-distance relationship? Are we both on the same page about these plans? Can I confidently say I'm ready, not just for PA school, but for life as a PA? Gratuitous link to my blog: https://emttopac.wordpress.com

Yeah anything that includes "Physician Assistant Studies" is a ridiculous sounding degree. DMS should be the preferred degree and I hope more schools get on board with this degree. PA degrees should also should be uniform and I think MMS would be the best degree. MMS -> DMS. Clear progression and a unified profession.