lapelirroja Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I am a PA student graduating this May, interviewing in the Boston area. I have been on 4 interviews with positive results. To frame the discussion below: average salary for new grads in MA per 2009 AAPA report is 81.8K, Median 77.5K, 10 %ile 72.5K, 90 %ile 102.5K. I am a 90+ percentile kind of person. Full tuition scholarship to undergrad. PA class isn't ranked (?) but scored top grade in class on PACKRAT, all A's, doing great on rotations. 1st interview - Boston area hospital for an internal medicine position with oncology patients (really really really like heme/onc). They don't typically hire new grads but said if they were going to, I would be it. They had me switch my last rotation (elective) to their institution, and I assume any offer would be pending successful completion of a rotation. Position is awesome, 3x12/week, good salary (they quoted high 80s as their offer, even though I have no official offer), good benefits, CME, etc. 2nd interview - Boston area hospital for OMFS surgical subspecialty. This position involves inpatient care (70% inpt, 30% ICU), OR time (8-12 hour complex cases), and clinic time. Patient involved are trauma, some cosmetic, and other bread and butter cases for the specialty. Docs seem very respectful of PAs and said he wants to think of me as an equal. This is definitely not my favorite specialty of medicine, I'm not sure if I would enjoy it. Hospital is my least favorite in the area, benefits are so-so. Salary offer was low (low 70s), especially for hours and intensity of position. I responded with some quotes from the AAPA salary report (2009) and the recruiter is renegotiating with compensation on my behalf. They will want a response ASAP. 3rd interview - GI private practice, but position entails handling all consults at a community hospital. Love GI. Hospital is great. I had a fantastic interview but I think they will be offering the position to someone who has already graduated and can begin work ASAP. Boo hoo. 4th interview - Inpatient Hematology c/s position at man's best hospital. I enjoy hematology (previously was a med tech). Interview was great, docs were nice. Salary offer was 79K. Not willing to negotiate at all. They do not cover PANCE, CME, MA license, etc. Only DEA and DPH (i dont even know what DPH is). So as of this very second, the inpatient heme is the best offer I have, and i would enjoy that more than the OMFS job (i think). I'm just concerned they aren't willing to negotiate at all for salary, considering their offer is BELOW the mean for new grads. My question is.... can I do better? How terrible/horrible/disgusting is it for me to accept the heme position and later reject it if I receive a job offer from the IM/Onc position on my rotation? I know its bad, I just don't know how bad. Technically I wouldn't have started working yet if I get offered the position prior to my graduation. I'm super stressing about this and have no idea what to do. I hate negotiating! Does anybody have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcdavis Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Go with position # 1. Your enthusiasm for onc peaks for itself.. And, as you learn the business, there is a great deal of autonomy that can be achieved. Omfs offer sounds good, but doubt that you would get much OR time, and would do a bunch of post op checks and maybe first call in ED. you don't like it now, you won't like it later. The inpatient heme job would be primarily h&p, and bone marrow.. Probably less autonomy than them #1 and 2. The fact that they won't negotiate tells you that they have thought about this position and their costs and what the PA value to them is... Remember that they are not the highest paid sub specialists in the world. Are you willing to sacrifice a few thousand to work inpatient heme? My opinion is that your enthusiasm about job 1 speaks for itself. Good luck Davis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapelirroja Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 Completely agree job 1 would be awesome... except i'm not even sure I will get an offer! That's the issue. A bird in the hand is worth.... Do I take the sure thing (job 4)? Can I later reject (prior to starting) and take job 1 if they offer? Ugh... Welcoming any and all advice, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradtPA Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 You can reject anything that you haven't signed to a contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcdavis Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Cal. Make an appointment with the director or higher fire genius of the group. Tell him exactly what you posted here: that you consider theirs to be a dream job, and that you think there would be a great " fit" between them and you. Be up front and ask to be considered for the job immediately .. With a start date just as soon as you graduate. See what the reaction is... Give them a week to 10 days to consider it, and see what happens. Do NOT take a job with another group planning on backing out of it if something else comes along.. An offer plus acceptance should equal a bilateral commitment. Unless that job would be a quick and easy fill for them if you bailed, I think the honorable thing would be for you to plan on sticking with it if you accept... How would you feel if they offered you a job, you accepted and made arrangements for that job, and then they called and said.. Pops, sorry, a more qualified applicant just showed up, and we have decided to hire them rather than you... The basis of a professional relationship has to, at it core, be based on honor and truthfulness. Put you desires and willingness to work like crazy for job 1 up front with them.. Tell them you want to work with them so bad that you could just spit... But that they need to decide if you are the right new graduate for them... Btw, does job 1 even have an opening, or are you trying to create one? They sound like they really have an interest in you... Take advantage of at. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyboynp Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Wow, I would think in the Boston area it would be more towards the higher percentile. I live in a very rural area, (I'm an NP, not a PA) and as a new grad, most of the offers I had were over 80k, some as high as 100k, and some were in general family practice. I ended up taking a job in a ER working three twelve hour shifts and my starting salary was more towards the higher end. The reason I mention this is because I'm pretty sure that the PAs are paid the same starting. I know salary isn't everything, but have you ever considered emergency medicine? It seems that in Boston you would make even more give the cost of living, etc. as opposed to rural KY where I live. Just a thought. You may have no interest in ER. It's all I knew as a nurse, and it's what I went to NP school for (I thought about PA school but given I was a nurse it just made more sense for me to go to NP school). Good luck negotiating and I hope you find a job that not only fulfills your career goals, but also compensates you really well. Good luck with the job prospects! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypa Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Make an appointment with the director or higher fire genius of the group. Tell him exactly what you posted here: that you consider theirs to be a dream job, and that you think there would be a great " fit" between them and you. Be up front and ask to be considered for the job immediately .. With a start date just as soon as you graduate. See what the reaction is... Give them a week to 10 days to consider it, and see what happens. Put you desires and willingness to work like crazy for job 1 up front with them.. Tell them you want to work with them so bad that you could just spit... But that they need to decide if you are the right new graduate for them... Btw, does job 1 even have an opening, or are you trying to create one? Good luck This is great advice, but all of this coming out of your mouth during a negotiation gives them the leverage. They know now you are dying inside for this job! They know you are good! They are not certain this is a position yet 100%. Counter offer with a slightly higher figure, but sometimes, things don't go according to what the statistics say you should make. ;) That area (Boston), the east coast, is known to not pay as well if Im not mistaken. You could also work in a bonus based on production or a raise in year 2 based on year 1 performances. Being able to have a "dream job"+ make good $$+ being happy = PRICELESS :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonR Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Sorry to say that your class rank, scholarship status or grades in PA school have very little to do with how much you will be paid at said job. I don't want to be mean, but I really think you need to realize that internal medicine, family practice, etc. doesn't pay in the 90+ percentile most of the time. With a mean of 81K and a median of 77K in your area, you will most likely have to do a surgical sub-specialty to get a high paying job like you want. That OMFS job is downright low!! If you're a 90th percentile kind of person (>100K), start looking for neurosurgery, ortho surgery, cardiovascular surgery, or pretty much anything with surgery on the end of it. Otherwise, keep looking for that diamond-in-the-rough family practice job that has trouble keeping people and is willing to pay out their nose. I agree with the above posters: Take the heme/onc job, learn as much as you can, and then later find a new job that pays more because of your experience. Your first job out of school really isn't about money. It's more important to choose something you will enjoy and learn a ton from. Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapelirroja Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 Hi everyone, thanks for all of your advice. Sometimes, dreams do come true :) Offered job #1 today after rounding with chief PAs :-D I emailed them earlier this week and they expedited the process like crazy! Can't believe it! :-D Now all that's left is finishing up my last 2 rotations (one of them at my future place of employment) and pass the PANCE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 5, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 5, 2011 awesome! you the man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonR Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 congratulations, have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyBoy Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Nice! Well done!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.