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4 years in, still regretting becoming a PA


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In all blatant honesty - UC and EM - you see 'em and you treat 'em and you get the opportunity to try to make them feel better and then you move on.

 

In Family Practice - they come back - a lot - and often - and are often not better - never better.

 

Some patients are a joy and easy and reasonable and have some common sense and you get to watch them grow and you see generations of their families.

 

Others, fall in love with their provider and then they let loose on you with their whole giant overflowing baggage cart full of crazy and dysfunctional that often doesn't have real medical pathology that responds to standard treatments. 

 

Of all my FP patients - about 12% take up the overwhelming majority of my time, energy, frustration and freaking out. 

 

So, be careful what you ask for in practice - every type of practice has its ups and downs and WTFs.

 

I LOVE what I do but some weeks seem to last a month and sometimes it is hard to not walk into the room and blurt out "WTH is wrong with you now?!?!?".

 

My old 2 cents

 

This.  I've never done family medicine outside of my rotations, but I have to echo that every speciality has their frustrating patients.  It's all a matter of what you're willing to put up with.  I personally would struggle to deal with the chronic vague-type complaints in patients who aren't very likely to listen to any of your advice- at least if I have those in the ER, I just discharge them and refer them to a clinic.  My most frustrating patients are those that no one can get an IV on because they're such vasculopaths.  

 

The drug abusers/drunks/acutely psychotic patients that a lot of people site as a reason to stay out of the ER?  Those are some of the things about ER that I love

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The drug abusers/drunks/acutely psychotic patients that a lot of people site as a reason to stay out of the ER?  Those are some of the things about ER that I love

 

The funny thing is the vast majority of your patients in FM are like that...about 65% of your family practice patients will have at least 1 primary psych diagnosis.  The difference is that you look after them ALL the time in FM vs only part time in EM/UC...well hopefully. 

 

SK

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The drug abusers/drunks/acutely psychotic patients that a lot of people site as a reason to stay out of the ER?  Those are some of the things about ER that I love

 

I am pleased, but surprised, to see you say this.  Do you feel that lots of providers feel the opposite that you do, though?  That those patients are just clogging up the joint?  How does your approach / mindset enable you to enjoy this aspect of ER work?

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My issues over the years with psych patients is that the whole situation is heartbreaking.

 

We don't have adequate psych hospitals or psychiatrists.

Getting someone who is not safe to be in public put on a psych hold is just slightly easier than getting an audience with the Pope.

Families have no support and are often exhausted or just don't care anymore.

The "right" meds are inappropriately hard to get access to - NO, not everyone benefits from Risperdal - yes, it is generic but so is Seroquel but more $$$.

 

There is a huge onus to protect the public from potentially psychiatric dangerous patients but no one to help and no where to go.

 

Psych patients often choose the ER because of perceived anonymity and psych issues really do blossom in the middle of the night.

 

The frustrations are endless and the resources absent.

 

I do not mind working with psych patients but often feel very very alone with only one oar in by little boat......

 

My very old 2 cents.

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If you're an alleged refugee, they'll talk to you...if not, well there is a lottery as to whether the CBSA coppers (equivalent of your Border Patrol and Immigration geeks rolled into one) get to shoot you dead on the spot.  Those that survive the execution lottery get rigid proctoscopy without KY or Propofol...lose/lose either way.

 

SK

 

Canadian border patrol agents still get to use their guns?? Amazing. Proving once again that you guys really are the smarter of the North Americans. Of course, I wonder how long before White Obama puts a stop to that.

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Canadian border patrol agents still get to use their guns?? Amazing. Proving once again that you guys really are the smarter of the North Americans. Of course, I wonder how long before White Obama puts a stop to that.

 

Ironically, they only just got them in very recent memory - Customs and Immigration officers were unarmed up until about 10-15 years ago, despite the crap they had to put up with.  I remember one day going to Buffalo for the day, thought I was going to get a colonoscopy on the US side and as I came back through, the (then) Customs guy was sitting there drinking a Tim Horton's and just waved me by.  Not quite the same now - just as likely to get scoped on either side these days.  CBSA is not the same as Customs and Immigration used to be.

 

SK

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Ironically, they only just got them in very recent memory - Customs and Immigration officers were unarmed up until about 10-15 years ago, despite the crap they had to put up with. I remember one day going to Buffalo for the day, thought I was going to get a colonoscopy on the US side and as I came back through, the (then) Customs guy was sitting there drinking a Tim Horton's and just waved me by. Not quite the same now - just as likely to get scoped on either side these days. CBSA is not the same as Customs and Immigration used to be.

 

SK

I'm from Buffalo originally, and growing up, crossing the border (usually either way) was cake. Last time I was home, it was torture crossing both ways.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I'm not liberal, just not a trump fan. Personally I don't think there are any good candidates..... on either side. 

I haven't heard you joining the chorus of liberals saying they are leaving the country if he is elected.

 

I'm not a Trump fan either.  Trumpism is a reaction to Obamaism; ie - an intellectually devoid subjugation to the "cult of personality".

 

But....if given a choice between Trump and Hillary the kleptocrat, or Trump and the avowed Socialist (who isn't even a Democrat)....then I guess Trump it is.  

 

I don't often wish we were more like Europe...but I do wish we had a method for a 3rd party to be anything but a spoiler.

 

BTW:  My prediction is that Hillary the kleptocrat will be our next President. No matter what the popular vote is in the D party, the kleptocrat will get majority of the super-delegates and will be the D nominee. If Trump is the R nominee, the media will portray him as the misogynist buffoon (see how Hillary won her NY Senate seat).  If Cruz somehow forces a brokered R convention, then he (or Rubio) will be the R nominee, but then Trump will say "the R's didn't play fair" so he will run as a 3rd party, siphoning off 30% of the R votes and allowing the kleptocrat to win the general election.

 

She is our next President.

 

The only possible spoiler here is if the DOJ indicts the kleptocrat, in which case I don't have any idea what would happen.  Nixon resigned, but the kleptocrat has no moral compunction to do so, and the media will continue to downplay her role.  That MAY force the hand of the D superdelegates into voting for the sociallist vs the kleptocrat, but I doubt it.  I think they will keep voting how they are ordered to. 

 

You should not regret becoming a PA (or MD/DO, or NP) in today's environment.  Wait ten years, after eight years of increasing kleptocracy....then you will see people truly regretting spending much of their youth learning the art of medicine while they watch the wages deflate to less than what skilled craftsmen get paid.

 

Want an example?  Study the fall of the Soviet Empire.....

 

 

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  • 2 years later...
On 6/29/2015 at 9:07 PM, MyNameWasUsed said:

OP, I'm kind of afraid of going into this profession and regretting as well. Honestly, I don't have a some deep ingrained passion for medicine. I work at a hospital right now and I'm not like "YESSSS I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE" after every patient, I'm more neutral about about it if anything. I think the best way to describe my situation is if someone offers me an office/accounting/retail/marketing/research job right now that pays $150k a year for 40hr/week I'll take that in a heartbeat. I know alot of you guys will be like "well you should get out now cause you gonna hate your life etc etc" and I really cant. My resume, major, gpa, and extracurricular are so built for medicine that I don't want to waste it all along with the time it takes revamp myself and find my true calling or whatever. I like your SP's advice BruceBanner. I think i've already accepted this to be just a job at the end of the day just like I would accept any other career as just a job since I'm not crazy passionate about anything sadly...

 

I do have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pursue the PA profession for practicality instead of passion? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy helping people, but just not enough to call it a passion I guess. I just want to be in a stable career that pays decent in my mid 20s. 

I feel the exact same way. I am not passionate about helping people, that is not why I went into medicine. I went into medicine because I love medical science. After working in the HC field for 2 years I've realized that day to day medicine actually doesn't utilize that much science at all. The treatments are all very formulaic. I'm working as a medical scribe right now and I've come to the horrifying realization that I actually hate the medical field. However, a whole career revitalization ordeal or trying to pursue something truer to my passions ( PhD for example) seems so not worth it esp. considering that that route comes with its own array of difficulties (4-6 yrs in school, low payoff, difficult job market). I'm watching a lot of people my age making ~100k with just a BS/masters and it's very difficult for me to accept not having a stable income for such a long period of time. I feel like I just have to make the decision to sell my soul and go for PA since everything is going to suck no matter what anyways. I'm curious about how your life turned out though since you wrote this in 2015. How have things gone for you?

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I feel the exact same way. I am not passionate about helping people, that is not why I went into medicine. I went into medicine because I love medical science. After working in the HC field for 2 years I've realized that day to day medicine actually doesn't utilize that much science at all. The treatments are all very formulaic. I'm working as a medical scribe right now and I've come to the horrifying realization that I actually hate the medical field. However, a whole career revitalization ordeal or trying to pursue something truer to my passions ( PhD for example) seems so not worth it esp. considering that that route comes with its own array of difficulties (4-6 yrs in school, low payoff, difficult job market). I'm watching a lot of people my age making ~100k with just a BS/masters and it's very difficult for me to accept not having a stable income for such a long period of time. I feel like I just have to make the decision to sell my soul and go for PA since everything is going to suck no matter what anyways. I'm curious about how your life turned out though since you wrote this in 2015. How have things gone for you?
Please, for the love of baby Jesus, do not even try to join my profession..there's no room for you.
You know you don't like it, drop the point. Don't care try to take a spot away from a bright, compassionate mind.
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Folks, I realize that for many who felt that their career in medicine was a calling (I have been one) have come to the realization that it isn't what they had hoped.  I just finished listening to a talk given by my pastor to a group of seminary students and he was providing tips with dealing with people.  I believe this one recommendation is true for any of us, in any setting.  Don't ever try to talk someone who has made their mind up out of leaving a profession or position, and never make a point of trying to talk someone into a profession or position.  Even when folks want to open their souls to you, which many will, we still never truly understand their position or their full thought process.

If we make our decisions based on financial incentives only, or decide to stay put in a particular location in spite of our spouse being unhappy, life isn't going to be enjoyable.  Speaking from the perspective of one who is now close to the last anticipated quarter of their life, and has gone through the feelings of wanting to get out of patient care on MULTIPLE occasions, this existence goes by way too quickly to spend it doing something that we don't enjoy or truly feel called to do.  Find something else and allow yourself to contribute to life in some other capacity.  Chasing the money, chasing the promotion, chasing the career only leads to further emptiness and unhappiness.  Look around at those who from the outside we perceive as "having it all" yet we read or hear about them taking their own lives.

 

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3 hours ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said:

Folks, I realize that for many who felt that their career in medicine was a calling (I have been one) have come to the realization that it isn't what they had hoped.  I just finished listening to a talk given by my pastor to a group of seminary students and he was providing tips with dealing with people.  I believe this one recommendation is true for any of us, in any setting.  Don't ever try to talk someone who has made their mind up out of leaving a profession or position, and never make a point of trying to talk someone into a profession or position.  Even when folks want to open their souls to you, which many will, we still never truly understand their position or their full thought process.

If we make our decisions based on financial incentives only, or decide to stay put in a particular location in spite of our spouse being unhappy, life isn't going to be enjoyable.  Speaking from the perspective of one who is now close to the last anticipated quarter of their life, and has gone through the feelings of wanting to get out of patient care on MULTIPLE occasions, this existence goes by way too quickly to spend it doing something that we don't enjoy or truly feel called to do.  Find something else and allow yourself to contribute to life in some other capacity.  Chasing the money, chasing the promotion, chasing the career only leads to further emptiness and unhappiness.  Look around at those who from the outside we perceive as "having it all" yet we read or hear about them taking their own lives.

 

 

"Speaking from the perspective of one who is now close to the last anticipated quarter of their life, and has gone through the feelings of wanting to get out of patient care on MULTIPLE occasions, this existence goes by way too quickly to spend it doing something that we don't enjoy or truly feel called to do.  Find something else and allow yourself to contribute to life in some other capacity.  Chasing the money, chasing the promotion, chasing the career only leads to further emptiness and unhappiness.  Look around at those who from the outside we perceive as "having it all" yet we read or hear about them taking their own lives."

 

Sadly it takes people most of their adult lives to realize this , if ever. I think "burnout" is the product of people not realizing or accepting when it's time to walk away. I know my last 10 years of practice have been far less painful after walking away from working in a prestigious academic medicine practice and focusing on my life. Former coworkers comment how much happier and contented I appear since leaving the practice and I am!!! 

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/17/2018 at 8:51 PM, aa134673 said:

I feel the exact same way. I am not passionate about helping people, that is not why I went into medicine. I went into medicine because I love medical science. After working in the HC field for 2 years I've realized that day to day medicine actually doesn't utilize that much science at all. The treatments are all very formulaic. I'm working as a medical scribe right now and I've come to the horrifying realization that I actually hate the medical field. However, a whole career revitalization ordeal or trying to pursue something truer to my passions ( PhD for example) seems so not worth it esp. considering that that route comes with its own array of difficulties (4-6 yrs in school, low payoff, difficult job market). I'm watching a lot of people my age making ~100k with just a BS/masters and it's very difficult for me to accept not having a stable income for such a long period of time. I feel like I just have to make the decision to sell my soul and go for PA since everything is going to suck no matter what anyways. I'm curious about how your life turned out though since you wrote this in 2015. How have things gone for you?

Hey man I know exactly how you feel. I think as a scribe you have a basic understanding of the role of a provider, however, I also think there's alot of science behind the diagnosis and treatment plan that you don't see. Even docs that love teaching their scribes, don't go into great depths about the science behind the medicine. In PA school you will be taught a decent about of the science especially in regards to pharm. You will be taught a very superficial understanding of medicine, pretty much the basic diagnoses and treatments for all the organ systems. It is only when you start working in your specialty where you really learn the medicine. I've obtained an immense amount of knowledge from PA school and passed all my exams + PANCE but I still know very little. I have a great deal to learn in the upcoming years and I look forward to it. Here's the thing, just because youre not a doctor, doesnt mean you can't keep learning. I've had preceptors that were extremely knowledgeable and excelled in their specialty as PAs. 

As for how I'm doing? I'm doing amazing. Recently graduated and got a job in a specialty that I wanted along with a salary that was way above what I expected. Looking back now, going to PA school was one of the best decisions of my life. I didnt like my pre-PA job as an radiology aide because it was so boring. I like the role and duties of a provider. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still not "in love" with medicine or super passionate about it though. If I won the lottery tomorrow then I probably wouldn't be a PA or maybe I would do something else PA related. At the end of the day, I got a job that I like (so far) with a very lucrative salary so I can't complain.

If you gave me the choice to re do it, I would still choose PA over MD/DO. If i went to med school, I would be a MS3 right now and still got 1.5 years of school. Then residency. No thanks. I can finally join my non-med peers in the ranks of adulthood. Also, I'm very excited to finally have money. 

Feel free to PM me if you got more questions 

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