SEZ2011 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I chose a postion directly out of PA school with an orthopedic surgeon. I wanted to be in the OR so this fit well. I work with a great stafff but, I am finding over the last few months that I am not being utilized to my full ability. Let me rephrase, I am basically a human retractor. My surgeon will not let me actively participate as I should be. I feel that the level of education I have and the experince I gained on rotations should speak for itself but, that is not the case. I am not sure if this is a trust issue or lack of experiance so it is really becoming frustrating. Have any of you experianced this and if so how did you handle it? I am just concerned that it will not get better and I do not want to waste my time or the surgeons if I am not going to be challeneged. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypa Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I would say a little bit of both trust and experience my man. How long have you been out?? If it's months (3-4), I think you probably need to give it a little time. I don't think anyone is gonna let you just "dive right in" with surgery. Sit down with him/her and revisit your responsibilities or growth you should or will be obtaining. Communicate your wanting to be challenged.... he hopefully has a plan, just get it clarified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marilynpac Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Duties of OrthoPAs vary from office to office. I've heard of the PA doing almost everything, to almost nothing...to basically staying at the office. It depends on the surgeon. The PA that stayed at the office, did everything in the office, all the followup, joint injections, simple casting. The reason for this was the surgeon didn't make any money off of this, and this allowed him to be in the OR more, that's where the big bucks were made. He would venture back to the office at about 3pm, then him and his PA would both see potential new surgical patients. I would talk to your surgeon about this, if policies don't change in 2-3 mons, they probably aren't going to. You have to decide if you're comfortable with this or if it's time to move on...Whatever you decide, good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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