jl11191029 Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 This is my first time starting a thread. I have spent dozens upon dozens of hours searching through this forum educating myself and preparing to launch my effort to switch careers and begin the long trek to becoming a PA. I very much appreciate those who contribute their expertise on this site, as it is a tremendous help to people such as myself. One thing I have really been curious about, and have not really seen a ton of while researching on this site, and have not really talked about with the PA's I've shadowed, is the question of what kinds of leadership roles are available for PA's? I understand that the primary role for PA's is patient care, and that by nature there won't be as many leadership roles as there are for MD's, or even for something like Physical Therapy where you are at the top of the pyramid and not in a collaborative/supplemental role. However, what kinds of roles have people heard of PA's filling? Anyone know any PA's in Healthcare Admin? Branching out into different but related fields in a management capacity? Obviously going into academia would be an example.. opening ones own practice... how else have PA's you've known kept moving upward? Been active in leadership? Found new and interesting opportunities? Or do you feel that being a PA limits the possibilities for leadership positions? Anyway I would love to hear any stories or anecdotes or opinions or anything related to this question! Thanks! JL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 25, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 25, 2013 There are PAs on this board who have opened their own practices, lead research teams, lead overseas medical teams, held positions as associate dept chiefs, served as deans of entire health sciences depts, and held leadership roles in hospital emergency medical services. PAs can manage practices as well. the president of the Johns Hopkins emergency medicine group is a PA with an MBA. your options will be more limited as a PA than as a physician but with some initiative and potentially a bit of additional training(like an mba/mha/mph/dhsc/phd/etc) you can hold leadership and/or management positions if that is a goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted December 27, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 27, 2013 getting an MBA opens up doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjm7 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 getting an MBA opens up doors. Out of curiosity, is anyone here aware of any particularly good MBA options, specifically those with a health care emphasis. I'm still in PA school, but I could see myself wanting to do an MBA part time at some point in the next few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 27, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 27, 2013 if in the los angeles area ucla has a saturday only mba program. every sat for 4 yrs all day unless it falls on a major holiday. friend of mine did it paid for by his employer and enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjm7 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 if in the los angeles area ucla has a saturday only mba program. every sat for 4 yrs all day unless it falls on a major holiday. friend of mine did it paid for by his employer and enjoyed it. I'm not in the LA area, but thanks for the recommendation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 One of the flaws of PA education is a lack of formal training in leadership. Perhaps it is not really a flaw - given the amount of stuff we try to jam into a small timeframe, maybe it simply will not fit. Many NP programs have formal training in nursing philosophy and leadership that allows them to articulate a unified vision. We are still a young profession, and we are still defining ourselves and our role. It is an exciting time - and a frustrating time - to be a PA! The biggest requirement to be a leader at this point is a willingness to step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 29, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 29, 2013 Many "traditional candidates" to pa school (nurses, medics, RTs) served in leadership roles before starting pa school so finding leadership roles as a pa is easy for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jl11191029 Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Thanks for the insight EMED, much appreciated as usual! I run a team of about 14 for a mental health agency right now and I absolutely would want to keep exploring leadership roles once I eventually (hopefully!) transition into being a PA. Do you feel there is anything to be gained by doing a combined PA/MPH option, or getting an MBA before/during/directly after PA school? Or do you think it makes alot more sense once you have been in the field for awhile and can thus leverage alot of your experience/connections? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 4, 2014 Moderator Share Posted January 4, 2014 if I had to do PA school over again I would do a dual PA/MPH program followed by a residency then a postgrad DrPH like boston university. there are a bunch out there. an MPH is a much more useful masters degree than a masters in pa studies. the pa certificate gets you the license and the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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