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So I am around 6 years out of school. I make close to $150k/yr working 120 (12) hour shifts per year giving me an hourly income >$100/hr. I am published, active in research, maintain a fantastic work-life balance and practice full scope medicine. Through my 6 years I have taken multiple students and been involved in teaching at my local program. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. has obtained a successful job with goodworking conditions. I am sure there are regions of the country where many of these things aren't true, but there are plenty of areas where it is. The regions of

Jim and I have been at each other for a while. He will be the first to tell you he is the smartest guy in the room, quote all his assorted and many accomplishments so you know if you disagree with him you are wrong and actually said to me (about himself) "I'm pretty impressive". He also told another old well experienced leader that he knows more about OTP than WPP the internationally renowned company we paid a million bucks to do research. So good luck. I have strong opinions but I don't take myself that seriously. I told him, flat out, that I aggravate him just because I think he is a bi

If there's anything illegal or patently unsafe going on, quit immediately. If it's not the right fit, look for other jobs; be honest with future employers about this job not being a good fit for a new grad. If it's just overwhelming work... Learn. Life sucks anywhere at first, but there's two things you can do to make a scut job suck less: 1) learn the medicine, and 2) learn what duties to blow off and simply never do. Which, of course, are the ones that can be safely discarded without harming patient care. You get appointed to a facility-wide committee? Don't go, don't respond to e

Just got an email for an interview !!! I could scream!! Now to study for an MMI interview style! Good luck to you all! Hopefully we will all be future classmates !!!! Xoxo

Physician Associate, provide associate care. Medical Care Practitioner provide medical care. Physician Associate is an associate of the physician Medical Care Practitioner is a Practitioner of Medicine Physician Associate opens a physician associate practice Medical Care Practitioner opens a Medical Care Practice Physician Associate has an Associate degree Medical Care Practitioner has a Medical degree Am I right?

PAssociate - fine, but why waste 2 years and a million dollars to come up with MCP title ?

REALLY disappointed in this.... unsure I will re-up my membership.... have to think about it total lack of vision for the future I could understand a position like 1) we support a name change 2) ideal is MCP 3) if MCP is not going to pass then support Associate But to jump in the Associate direction with out the above is disturbing....

Its not unreasonable but it isn't great. The PTO seems very low. My last UC started everyone with 240 hours off. As Cid pointed out patient volume is the single biggest issue. Last UC would not, even after years of discussions about patient safety and provider burnout, set any sort of limits on our 12 hour day. Let me promise you when you get to your 50th patient with 15 more in the lobby you are brain-dead dangerous. Do it multiple times and your safe number goes down further. It is bad for patients and puts you in professional jeopardy. My org would lose half the providers after every f

Can't help but feel like this is going to turn into a marketing thread for crypto...

Overall, changing the PA title would require an enormous investment with serious risks and uncertain rewards. A change may threaten nascent PA professions in other countries who rely on the accepted title, identity, and literature that the PA profession in the United States has worked hard to establish over the past nearly 6 decades. Dutch PAs, for example, chose physician assistant (in English!) as their name in order to align themselves with the profession in other countries. What a damn joke. THIS is exactly the mentality that is going to kill off this profession. They

I will never call myself an "associate". It's wrong in description, wrong in effect and is quite frankly bullshit to appease narrow minded dinosaurs that can't imagine a world without PA. The study was done, PA lost....big time and still legacies don't care. I will spend the rest of my career fighting against it and shaming those who support it. We are NOT physicians and we are NOT associates. We went from shooting ourselves in the foot to inserting a hand grenade between our butt checks. Yea us. BOOM.

Its turned me into a friendly, approachable, attentive, and empathetic listener at work. And a total asshole at home.

Yay So happy to see interviews rolling out! I am also a current student! You guys got this! Be yourself, Breathe. Can’t wait to meet you guys!

Congrats to all as the interviews start rolling out! I know the current students are really excited to meet you all during the post-interview session

Eh, I have a conflict of interest. If they ever actually allowed free and open conversation on Huddle, we'd lose A LOT of traffic and influence here. The fact that they're a semi-censored house organ ensures we'll be here for a while.

To all those recently insulted by @WantToHopeForPAfuture you have my apologies for not curtailing his aggressiveness earlier. This user has been given a week off for bad behavior, and will be allowed back with preapproved content only afterwards, provided he actually wants to participate in a site that allows free and passionate dialogue but not unprovoked and gratuitous ad hominem attacks.

WanttoHope..... you seem to be posting to stir some pot of unhappiness and a grudge about PAs. Move on. Either do your job or get another profession. I agree that the PA profession has to adapt. Sowing your ugly isn’t helping. Be a solution but quit whining already.

was dumbfounded such supposedly smart people could hold such a view.... guess pHd and 30 years gets you stuck in a habit, not leading in thought..... "And for those who think the profession cannot progress without a title change, consider the 115 PA-positive legislative and regulatory wins achieved across 45 states in 2019 alone.7 Not bad for a young profession with a perception problem." UGH - forehead slap - so now they are trying to take claim to the hard work and dedicated future thinking PA's whom are FORCING change with in AAPA and at the state level. These same people

Good luck everyone applying this cycle! You all got this!

I have 3 thoughts on this. You have more skin in the game than I do because you will still need a job in 20 years. Speak out. There are plenty of old timers who passively intimidate by quoting their lofty resume before they express their opinion. I think it is intentional and I encourage everyone to push back. When I continue to pummel them in the forum they PM me telling how bad my attitude is and how inappropriate I am. An old pilot once said "you know you are over the target when you are getting the most flak." Your post was brilliant. Get more of your peer to jump in.

*Starts filling out NP program applications*

I'm an ortho PA covering a walk-in clinic/UC today for some extra cash...but had a new one I thought the students would like: 48yo male presents for abdominal pain "at the beltline" for a few weeks. It's only during the day, and he has no pain in the mornings or evenings/overnight. Before going to see him I checked his vitals and noticed he's gained about 20lbs over the last 2 months. Upon asking I learned he hasn't changed his belt loop.... He wears a belt for work, but changes when he gets home...right around the time his pain resolves. Treatment plan: loosen belt and/or lo

I remember the excitement from last year! Best of luck for those anxiously waiting for emails. The waiting is SOOO hard. Hang in there, you've got this!! Just like @emilymuff said, we can't wait to meet you! ~ Chelsea

And this post wins the thread if there is such a thing. What really gets me is the old timers here (of which I am one of) saying how "different" the new AAPA leadership was going to be. How we as a profession had finally, "turned the corner" on our stupid name. Then we have a 1 million dollar project buy which supported EXACTLY WHAT MANY OF US HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR LITERALLY DECADES. Yet, our new leadership including PAFT go face first into the rear-end of every AAPA leadership group position for the last 20 years. Well done guys........well done.

Took a while for PAFT to gain respect and momentum; I didn't agree to run for office just to run for the hills because the situation I arrive to wasn't the one I anticipated. Besides, there will be plenty of time for my well-meaning attempts to help to make things even worse.

Just wanted to let people know that I just emailed today asking about an update on my application after I submitted my supplication a little while ago and I was told that there were more interview dates! So good luck to all of us who are still waiting there is deff still hope!

schedule procedures on patients I have never seen....in 15 minute slots. "Lipoma removal" who made the diagnosis? Schedule new patients last slot before lunch and last slot of the day....in 15 minute slots. Refer to me as "just a PA" when patient asks if they are seeing a physician Tells a patient I'll be glad to order something (test, shot, med)

1) schedule a "check up". What does this mean? Is this a follow up? A physical? 2) schedule a deaf patient /non english speaking patient without an interpreter in a 10 minute slot - for anything 3) allow a patient to schedule an appointment that does not want to tell the receptionist WHY they need to be seen - "Its private". What does that mean? 4) Don't tell me a patient with a cough should be a quick 10 minute appointment - We have this conversation on a monthly basis it seems. I ask the office manager if she can give me the differential diagnosis of a "cough"

I will throw this oil on the fire.......... When I graduated in 1992, I had LESS THAN $30K in debt. ZERO from undergrad. I was paid off in 5 yrs. My starting salary back in 1992 was $55K. My first house cost $77K - listed today at $240K. Now, new grads are in easily over $100K plus or minus undergrad. Degree creep as well - everything is Masters. Skills aren't different Masters or whatever - we have regulated educational requirements. New grads want to (have to) make enough to pay their loans. I, as a very very experienced PA, deserve to be paid for my years of

A pro-title change article: The Cost of not changing our title - written by a PA student https://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2021/05000/The_cost_of_not_changing_our_title.2.aspx The counterpoint article : The PA title Is a change the best way forward?- written by 2 PhD PAs and a PA with probably 30+ years of experience. https://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2021/05000/The_PA_title__Is_a_change_the_best_way_forward_.1.aspx Great article by Scott Burns, a student who is pro-title change. He was brave to take on the challenge. It was 3 on 1. Not fair in my opinion, bu

I'm just a regular guy. I don't often have the opportunity to be courageous or a hero. I am a country boy with a couple of science degrees practicing frontline family medicine. However, I was one of the first people in this world to be vaccinated last December, with a booster in January. I knew I needed to set a good example for my patients, my family, my friends. Many courageous health care workers were right beside me. I'm not stupid or naive. I know about mRNA technology. (I got the Pfizer vax.) I know how much it has been tested. Sure, I was a little nervous about it, but g

This one got me scratch my head as well. Why are we worrying about Dutch PAs? In reality they have nothing to do with us. Do American MDs worrying about Dutch MDs? American RNs worrying about Dutch RNs? But Apparently, we should worry about Dutch PAs!

As a PA student I've been hesitant to enter into the debate, especially on Huddle. But it has been extremely aggravating to watch the discussions unfold. I decided to join the profession fully aware of the ridiculously outdated title, but was fully unaware of the outdated thinking that was keeping it around. I appreciate your voice, and the voices of others that are trying to drag this profession (kicking and screaming) towards some semblance of a future. Adding my voice to that effort now. There are plenty of lurkers here and on Huddle that are influenced by the discussion (from bot

Just switch to Medical Practitioner and go by "MP" it sounds exactly the same as NP and would probably trick a few legislators into giving "MPs" full practice authority instead by mistake

We are aggravating everyone we possibly can. We have members who are in the HOD and, with them, we have to be a bit careful about what they say and do because it violates the HOD rules to have outside conversations or "deals". I have been on a tear for weeks about it and have created so much havoc pushing back in the Huddle I have been warned twice and had posts deleted. Apparently I play too rough. We will have a newsletter out in the next few days, again, reminding everyone of what is at stake and asking them to contact their HOD members. It would be nice if everyone everywhe

I read it as requiring supervision/collaboration only if required by state law.

Hi there! I'm Paige, I work as a MRI Technologist here in Jacksonville, Florida and will be applying this cycle! Where is everyone from? Thank you for starting this thread, and I want to wish everyone the best of luck this cycle!

I really feel bad for young PA's with student loans and those now in PA school. Like....REALLY bad.

Hey everyone! With CASPA opening in a few days I wanted to start this forum for anyone applying to Yale PA online for the 2021 application cycle. I saw another thread but it looks like it is all posts from last cycle somehow, so thought it would be helpful to start a new one. Let's each encourage each other through this process! Good luck everyone!

Pretty disgusting. PAFT was my next step. I don't understand how anyone can support a name which has even less to do with our profession than assistant. At least in some settings the PA actually DOES assist a physician, there is no setting where I am considered an associate. Save the $$$ until we have more progressive leadership to obtain a change which is necessary to progress our field.

I’ll probably pull my membership again if we spent a million dollars on title investigation that we ignore, plus this shady business along with it. I thought electing a proper AAPA leaders was a huge change. Didn’t realize there were so much left in HOD.

Huddle = alternative facts and fake news..... they censor so much it slants the whole thing.....

I really like the NON-Seattle/Bellevue parts of Western Washington. Good practice laws, decent climate if you don't mind rain, lots of everything to do. Housing costs are always a little bit less ridiculous than California, but again... move off the beaten path and you can handily drive back to the denser cities, but find good respect and good pay in the outlying areas.

Throughout your life, you will get better with interviews. At some point, you probably will have been an interviewer more than you were an interviewee. I would not recommend wasting people's time by interviewing for jobs that you wouldn't take. You never know where those disappointed interviewers will end up, who they might talk to, or how long they would remember your behavior. Just start going to interviews in your 5 target fields and do your best.

Let's make a deal for crossover testing. Let any NP that wants to take the NCCPA exam sit for it and vice-versa. Stick the landing and here is your certification. I know... never happen for a lot of reasons but it would be a great experiment

anything longer than 12 months part time while working would be ridiculous. 9 months to get RN stuff for those who are not RNs (how to use pumps, hang blood, RN level tasks, etc) and a single nursing theory class. There should be zero clinical time as PAs already have much more. For those who already have an RN, they should be able to sit for the FNP exam without any added coursework of any kind. I would also be ok with an NP to PA bridge, but it would need to be quite a bit longer, like 18 months, and include clinical time with at least 9 months of full time clinicals.

I was involved in my Mom's end of life care in 2012. She was a full code coming in at 90 yo after a ton of things had been going on. Nothing had been life-threatening until she got an infection she couldn't shake and went into renal failure. I worked with my Dad (whose still around and nearly 101) and I helped him decide to let her go. It wasn't easy -- they were married for a few weeks shy of 70 years -- but it was the right thing to do. And she died peacefully from hyperkalemia. Still, I kicked myself over it for a few months, wondering if I should have just shut up and let her physicia

Late update! The HOD chairman made a long post and explained that there was a resolution to discuss the change and renaming that was removed from the general agenda and placed in the consent agenda a while back and it will be fully debated and discussed and voted on. Now why the big chowder head let this argument rage across the internet for a week before he said anything is a different discussion.

I remember talking with an AAPA executive in 2013 during the DC AAPA conference and telling her that our profession would not be successful without changes because our competition was doing a much better job of cementing their position. She said something that I loosely remember as "we're running our own race" or words to that effect. Fortunately the profession has since decided to make changes, first with OTP and now with the name and branding change on the horizon. It isn't surprising that some organizations (and people) would be opposed to change. It isn't necessarily Machiavellian; it