CTFFEMT Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Hi all, I just found this forum while doing some research for my clinical year. This is my first post up here so hello everyone - I am a 1st year PA from Quinnipiac University. If this post is in the wrong section, Mods feel free to move. I am posting up here because its time for me to start thinking about my electives for my clinical year. I cant believe how fast my didactic year went! Only about 8 weeks left to my spring 1 semester. PA school is going well, kicking my butt, but I wouldn't rather do anything else. I have been an EMT/Firefighter for about 7 years now and I absolutely love it. I have been trying to find out if there are any PA professions in the US that are basically wilderness/outdoors medicine or rescue medicine. I know there are wilderness EMTs, but What about wilderness PAs? I just joined the wilderness medical society website but I really didn't find much as of yet. May need to do some more research. But overall I am just looking for some help. I am an avid outdoorsman and love rescue. Are there any jobs for PAs out there like this? I know there is always EM, but if I can get outdoors I would. Thanks. I look forward to participating on this forum! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 25, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 25, 2011 there are volunteer and seasonal(paid) positions out there for pa's but not a lot of full time paid positions for pa's or docs in this setting. medcor hires pa's to work seasonally at yellowstone and similar places and raytheon polar services uses pa's in antarctica. there are also civilian(mercenary...) companies that use pa's in "conflict areas" (iraq, afghanistan, etc) in this capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTFFEMT Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Thanks for your response and info. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to ask. Its just difficult for me. I love everything about the PA profession, but I love rescue almost as much! I'll keep digging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 27, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2011 look into disaster medicine. groups like nycmedics.org and teamrubiconusa.org use em pa's for overseas disaster work. also state dmat teams are federal disaster medical teams that accept (and pa) pa's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTFFEMT Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 I definitely will check them out. I have some friends on CT-DMAT and maybe they can help. The big thing though is I'm just looking for a PA who does this type of thing for a job. Not only so I can look into it as a possible career for when I get out of school, but also so I can possibly set up an elective clinical rotation. But it would have to be a full time type thing so I can get direct patient care. I know it might be a stretch, but I'm just trying to find out what is out there! Thank you again for your input. I am also looking into the SHARP team out of Yale hospital. Going to send them an email this week! I am aware its not a common thing a PA might look to do, but I might as well try. I do like EM so maybe I will look for a position at a hospital where they have response physicians and PAs for incidents like MCIs, field amps, and stuff like that. That is what the SHARP team does, but not sure how much they get out. Maybe I'll try to focus on a hospital where they respond quite a bit. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 27, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2011 another option is to try and become the disaster coordinator for your hospital. I have a buddy who does this on the east coast. lots of work with the medics, running disaster drills, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriarMedic Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I have a friend that works for a mountain rescue group on the west coast-- but she only gets paid for her time as an instructor. when they go out on missions--its all volunteer. She probably gets called out maybe 2 times a month? How could you sustain a living off of something like that? I guess thats the "issue" with paid wilderness medicine, there isn't enough demand. Thats in oregon with hundreds of miles of open land. You're in CT-- there's not a whole lot of wilderness there and certainly not the attraction that the west brings for hikers/campers ect. Also-- what can a PA do for someone in the wilderness that a paramedic can't while necessitating a higher salary? With only being able to take what you can carry on a mission--there's not much room for advanced care. If the demand and need were there...i'd be right there with you, but i just dont think its realistic. Work an ED setting and keep up your EMT cert to volunteer on some rescue units. I plan on doing some research to join a FEMA DMAT or USAR team (though if i'm not mistaken, those are mostly affiliated with FDs across the country and staffed by said departments) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 27, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2011 dmats are no longer fema, they are under hhs(health and human services). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTFFEMT Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 another option is to try and become the disaster coordinator for your hospital. I have a buddy who does this on the east coast. lots of work with the medics, running disaster drills, etc Yeah that is certainly an option. I would like that. I have a friend that works for a mountain rescue group on the west coast-- but she only gets paid for her time as an instructor. when they go out on missions--its all volunteer. She probably gets called out maybe 2 times a month? How could you sustain a living off of something like that? I guess thats the "issue" with paid wilderness medicine, there isn't enough demand. Thats in oregon with hundreds of miles of open land. You're in CT-- there's not a whole lot of wilderness there and certainly not the attraction that the west brings for hikers/campers ect. Also-- what can a PA do for someone in the wilderness that a paramedic can't while necessitating a higher salary? With only being able to take what you can carry on a mission--there's not much room for advanced care. If the demand and need were there...i'd be right there with you, but i just dont think its realistic. Work an ED setting and keep up your EMT cert to volunteer on some rescue units. I plan on doing some research to join a FEMA DMAT or USAR team (though if i'm not mistaken, those are mostly affiliated with FDs across the country and staffed by said departments) I wouldn't need to stay in CT, not even for the rotation. In fact upon graduation I plan on moving out of CT. I do like it here, but I am an avid outdoors man and absolutely love Colorado and Wyoming. Those are my top two states that I wish to live in at some time in my life. I hear you on the demand, that's one reason why I never got my hopes up from the start. When I found this forum I figured PAs here would be able to guide me further, including telling me to get real lol. All the points you brought up are very valid and I have thought about each of them. But hey, "Do something you love, and you will never work a day in your life." Looks like I will stick to Emergency medicine and keep up with the rescue outside of practice. Thanks guys for all your help. Time to study some Peds! Exam Tuesday. This board is awesome. I'll be a regular here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Mike, I'm one of the PA's with the SHARP team at Yale. EMS physician field response is becoming more common, especially at hospitals with EMS Fellowship programs. Unfortunately I'm not aware of too many others that utilize PA's, although there is always the potential for growth out there. PM me if you had any specific questions about our service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTFFEMT Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Mike, I'm one of the PA's with the SHARP team at Yale. EMS physician field response is becoming more common, especially at hospitals with EMS Fellowship programs. Unfortunately I'm not aware of too many others that utilize PA's, although there is always the potential for growth out there. PM me if you had any specific questions about our service. PM sent! thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookspa Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Think military. Best training in the WORLD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTFFEMT Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Think military. Best training in the WORLD. Yeah, we had a meeting Navy officer recruiter. I just didn't like how he didn't give me straightforward answers. I'll have to probe more in that route as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah, we had a meeting Navy officer recruiter. I just didn't like how he didn't give me straightforward answers. I'll have to probe more in that route as well. What questions are you hoping to have clarified? If it's about pay, benefits, loan repayment, things like that, then I think you will have no problems having those clarified. If you are hoping to learn about the chances of deployment to include when, where, and what your job will be, then those sort of questions will be very difficult to answer. It'll be the needs of the Navy at that moment balanced with who's available and what their capabilities are. Much more dynamic and I don't even think the folks who send the orders (aka: Detailers) could answer. It can range from stateside hospital working a typical 8-4 gig to a combat zone in the middle east to a ship in the Pacific...there really is no cut and dried promises regarding that sort of thing. They may be able to give you a range of ideas, but nothing concrete until you are up for orders after all your schooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 29, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 29, 2011 They may be able to give you a range of ideas, but nothing concrete until you are up for orders after all your schooling. or they may just lie to you like they did to an em pa friend of mine. they told him he would get a stateside posting and he made his decision based on this because he has a family with 2 young kids. the day after he signed on he was depolyed to a-stan for 6 months to a forward combat area. after his return he resigned his commission and repayed all of his sign on bonuses and loan payback money. get it in writing or it never happened. some here will say I am anti-military. that is not the case. I just want folks to enter the process with their eyes wide open. we are at war now. if you join the military you will likely have to serve in a war zone. if you are ok with that, all well and good. it is excellent training and the benefits are great. if they tell you that you won't have to deploy anywhere you don't want to, think twice about their motivation. recruiters are paid to get you to sign up. they are looking out for their best interests, not yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 or they may just lie to you like they did to an em pa friend of mine. they told him he would get a stateside posting and he made his decision based on this because he has a family with 2 young kids. the day after he signed on he was depolyed to a-stan for 6 months to a forward combat area. after his return he resigned his commission and repayed all of his sign on bonuses and loan payback money. get it in writing or it never happened. some here will say I am anti-military. that is not the case. I just want folks to enter the process with their eyes wide open. we are at war now. if you join the military you will likely have to serve in a war zone. if you are ok with that, all well and good. it is excellent training and the benefits are great. if they tell you that you won't have to deploy anywhere you don't want to, think twice about their motivation. recruiters are paid to get you to sign up. they are looking out for their best interests, not yours. No argument here...they are under quota requirements. I was just trying to speak softly...but being direct works too. I think it's silly for someone to sign up for the military and not expect to go to war. I graduated boot camp the night after Kuwait got invaded in 1990. Went to Field Medical Service School to learn how to do battlefield medicine, reported to my first duty station (state side hospital), they said "don't unpack, you ship out in the morning". Next day..."war is over, we're short handed, you're staying here". Predictably, as a young 18 year old kid, I was disappointed. Now, as someone a little older, a little wiser, a bit wider and slower...the idea of going over sounds about as much fun as dancing naked in a field full of aggressive fire ants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 29, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 29, 2011 thanks for not bashing steve. I think the military offers great experience, benefits, and retirement. I was very close to acceptances for west point( had a senator lined up for a letter, good grades, etc) and a competitive navy scholarship back in the day but choose not to pursue them at the last minute when a better deal came through to fund my college and medic school. a buddy of mine who went the military instead of the civilian route at the same point is now a lt. col in the army and about to be the youngest full bird colonel in the army medical corps. with a bit of persuasion he may be the first pa 1 star general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 You know the difference between used car salesmen and a military recruiter? yeah.....neither do I. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plm61 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I'm a PA with almost ten years on a SoCal mountain SAR team. We have another PA on the team as well. No legal scope of practice, however, as I've yet to find a doc willing to sign a Delegated Services Agreement that would cover volunteer mountain SAR. No pay, either. It's strictly volunteer, but you can have a definite positive impact on the team's level of medical training beyond the standard first aid, first responder, EMT, and their "Wilderness" equiv. classes. There is surprisingly little actual hands-on medical in volunteer mountain SAR. Most subjects we come across are stable, one way or another (hike 'em out, shove them in a helicopter, an occasional Stokes carry out, our zip 'em in a body bag). Patrick Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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