New PA Orientation

[RomanM]

When starting your first job, is an orientation period expected? Required? Preferred? How long should you expect it to last? Paid during it?

[medic25]

Probably depends on the employer. As an emergency department we can be pretty tough to throw a new grad into, so we have had a prolonged orientation period for new hires for several years. They are paid full salary, but are scheduled as additional providers (beyond the usual staffing), generally paired up with a seasoned PA. They do this for several months before being cut loose; the duration depends on how they perform during orientation.