okccj Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 How many careers did you have before you became a PA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted April 4, 2011 Moderator Share Posted April 4, 2011 Jiffy Lube Bike Shop owner USAF Insurance world (automobile claims adjuster) PA best career ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Children's Book Editor Urban Park Ranger Community Organizer x 2 Peace Corps Volunteer Ambulance EMT/ED Tech Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Career: EMT Paramedic PA Jobs: Grocery store clerk Drug Store clerk Camp counselor Hardware store clerk Walmart magazine merchandiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acozadd Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Multiple paper routes McDonalds Environmental resources/housekeeping @ hospital Catering Car wash Genetics Tutor Medical Imaging Assistant (CT/MRI) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 medical lab tech/Phlebotomist Navy Corpsman IT Engineer Medical Asst/Clinical coordinator Realtor Medical Asst (lol) PA-S PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treejay Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Bicycle Mechanic Substitute Teacher Outward Bound Instructor (at-risk youth & standard population) Assistant Shipwright (wooden boats) Chemical Dependency Tech. EMT / ER Tech Starting PA school in May Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsandoval79 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 mervyns cafeteria in the LA times building in LA UPS unloading dock 3 days LOL hotel laundry room 2 days call center car salesman 2 years Respiratory Therapist 9 years PA school in august Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expharmrep Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Medical device sales --resigned and started pre-requisites in August Just found out I have an interview in 10 days!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted April 5, 2011 Moderator Share Posted April 5, 2011 Pharmaceutical Sales RepMedical device sales --resigned and started pre-requisites in August Just found out I have an interview in 10 days!!! welcome to the 'good side' of medicine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSUnoles Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Pharmaceutical Sales RepMedical device sales --resigned and started pre-requisites in August Just found out I have an interview in 10 days!!! I've been in sales but some of the reps I met were making 200k a year. Could you discuss the field Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browndog Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Not a PA....but.... Sales Engineer Nurse Practitioner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browndog Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Oops. Almost forgot the worst part. Sales Engineer Registered Nurse (Trauma ICU, Emergency) Nurse Practitioner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Wallace Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 High School Biology and Chemistry Teacher 3 years before going back to school to be a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiovolffemtp Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Corporate IT - 29 years Firefighter/Paramedic: 27 years - first 23 overlapped w. IT work. EMS educator: 15+ years - first 11 overlapped with previous 2. Start PA school in May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bohuntr Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Police officer Bodyguard/Paramedic Military Contractor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme. Frank Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Hello, All, It is refreshing to see such variety in life-experience prior to PA; thank-you for sharing. Independent Contractor in Outdoor Amusement (yes...a Carny) - 4 years Tattoo Artist - 5 years Paramedical Tattoo Artist - 5 years Perioperative Assistant - 2 years Central Service Technician - 5 years Graduate April 2011. I've scheduled the GRE for July, and am looking very forward to applying in the next cycle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schrecky Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 - Garage door maker - Paramedic - Drug Rep - Stock Broker - Drug Rep (again) - Sales Ops manager - Corporate Communications manager - IT (web/portal solutions, corporate) - Paramedic (still) - P1! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expharmrep Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I've been in sales but some of the reps I met were making 200k a year. Could you discuss the field Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk Sure, I would be happy to. I actually just got a call about a month ago from a top company that offered me a job selling surgical supplies. (at this time I had only received rejection letters from schools I applied to). They suggested that I should expect about 150k within the first year. After thinking everything through, what I really really want to do is to be a PA, so I had to turn it down. Regardless of the compensation, I always felt unfulfilled, because no matter how much I was passionate about medicine, I couldn't really make a direct impact on helping people. With those kinds of jobs, reps I spoke to always had marital problems, never got to see their kids, and had to drive separate cars to take their wife to dinner in case they got paged (for positions in trauma). I don't have a family now, but I eventually want one, and want to be there for them. That to me is worth the school debt and not even making as much in the end. I can say this---every rep I've spoken to has been extremely encouraging--saying if they could do it all over again, they would be a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwallac4 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I am a medical device sales rep. for a JNJ operating company. Our average rep makes about 120k-140k per year. Our top rep made about 500k in 2010 (outlier). On the low end I know a rep who made 75k in 2010. You also get a free car, gas and phone. I think the basic question is do you care more about money or taking care of people? From my experience reps are looked at as outsiders. They may help out at times, but they are all about money. I know!!! It is generally the only factor, which determines if you keep your job. With that said, if you truly care about patients you should not even consider being a sales rep. For me it was a job to tie me over until I could finish all my prereqs I didn't take with my Finance undergrad degree. If you do decide to go the sales rep route head to the South, South East or West. The Mid West and Northeast are horrible from a sales standpoint. Places like Mayo Clinic and other managed care facilities practice great medicine, but are terrible places to sell. These place are most prominent in these regions of the country. In general the people who make a lot of money are from the South or West. Yes, there are anomalies. Finished up prereqs in 2010. I put in my resignation last week. Start PA school in August! No more free car, gas, phone and easy paycheck, but I will be happy everyday I go home knowing that I am helping people versus just myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expharmrep Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I've been in sales but some of the reps I met were making 200k a year. Could you discuss the field Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk Yes, reps make around that range, depending on what division they're in. (ie: disposables, capital equipment, orthopaedic-joints, orthopaedic-trauma, spine, etc), most are set up through a distributorship in which their reps are independent contractors, with the exception of a few companies. For me personally, I did a lot of soul-searching, and I know the lifestyle and impact on patients to be a PA is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neurospine Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Medical assistant flight instructor (overlapping with MA) PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted April 19, 2011 Moderator Share Posted April 19, 2011 Kennel worker (several summers as a teen) Softball scorekeeper (one summer) EMT PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinylilron Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 How did you obtain your patient care hours with those careers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinylilron Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Jiffy LubeBike Shop owner USAF Insurance world (automobile claims adjuster) PA best career ever How did you obtain your patient care hours with those careers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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