islander86 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Hi y'all, This week started my first job this week at a family medicine + walk-in clinic. The walk-in clinic is open half days on Saturdays and I was aware ahead of time that I would be rotating Saturday shifts once a month. However, it was not made clear to me until this week that I would be the only provider on site for these shifts, along with an MA and receptionist. My first Saturday shift is scheduled 3 weeks after starting and I am far from comfortable from seeing patients without backup so early on. They also have me scheduled to be 'on call' for that week to answer patient questions over the phone. Is it normal to expect this of a new grad? It seems odd nobody mentioned it during the hiring process and negotiations. So far most walk-in patients have been low acuity but I don't have a medical background prior to PA school and am still finding my footing here. I'm nervous that I'll run into cases I can't handle alone. The office is short-staffed, but I plan on asking for at least another month or two before doing any solo shifts. I think this is reasonable but it would help to have confirmation from other's experiences. Thanks for any thoughts on the matter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted November 9, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 9, 2014 do you have a backup pa/np/md who you can call about cases? we have a satellitte facility with solo coverage, but to work there you have to be 2+ years out of school and/or complete a residency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMD16 Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Welcome on board! We're the new money making machine. Someone's laughing to the bank. Sad but true nature of medicine. Then, we are just an assistant! My advise. Not comfortable yet. Let them know ASAP! Not worth losing your license over this bs! The office is short staff bc s/one want to cut down on overhead. Sorry. I got carried away. I see this happen all the time. Particularly, to new PA. Gotta be your own advocate. No one else will. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatcat Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 do you have a backup pa/np/md who you can call about cases? we have a satellitte facility with solo coverage, but to work there you have to be 2+ years out of school and/or complete a residency. Absolutely let your employers know that you aren't comfortable going solo yet ! If this isn't negotiable then put out the expectation that you will need to have immediate phone back -up for the time you are there. A smarter initiation into this would have been to let you work with someone else during weekend clinics to get your feet wet before throwing you out alone. Welcome to the world of medicine in 2014 where our worth is measured by the funds we can generate. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Febrifuge Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Is this normal? Well, it's not unusual, if that's what you mean. Is it a good idea? Probably not. You should be congratulated for having the good sense to have a problem with this, and you should absolutely let your employers know that you're not comfortable. You could potentially be saving them a lot of future trouble, actually. The fact that they didn't discuss with you how quickly you would be thrown into this situation is a concern, but let's not get carried away. It could be that they are poor planners and didn't think through the implications of tossing a brand-new PA out on his/her own and what a poor idea that is, or it could simply be that they failed to mention the list of people you can call when you're on who would be happy to back you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted November 9, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 9, 2014 yup, it's all about the $$$$. when there is money laying around, we are not good enough/smart enough/etc and docs need to do and oversee everything. when times are tight, we can run the hospital alone....go figure....think of it as job security. we make financial sense. when times got tough for our group a few years ago(ok, like 10 years ago) they took docs off solo nights at our satellite facility and replaced them all with PAs. no one lost a job, but the % of hours going to PAs increased while those going to docs decreased. when docs retired or left they were replaced with PAs. we have not had a doc work a solo night shift in about a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Is there someone you can txt and call? If so and they are responsive it may go smoothly if the office doesn't get backed up. If you are uncomfortable with a pt then err on the side of caution and turf to ED or schedule close follow up when doc is back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon, PA-C Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 yup, it's all about the $$$$. when there is money laying around, we are not good enough/smart enough/etc and docs need to do and oversee everything. when times are tight, we can run the hospital alone....go figure....think of it as job security. we make financial sense. when times got tough for our group a few years ago(ok, like 10 years ago) they took docs off solo nights at our satellite facility and replaced them all with PAs. no one lost a job, but the % of hours going to PAs increased while those going to docs decreased. when docs retired or left they were replaced with PAs. we have not had a doc work a solo night shift in about a decade. Meanwhile the docs are getting the last laugh because they are working less hours and still getting paid more than double what the PAs get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted November 10, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 10, 2014 Meanwhile the docs are getting the last laugh because they are working less hours and still getting paid more than double what the PAs get. no argument here. they are also working those fewer hours closer to home, during the day(not the night) and not on weekends or holidays... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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