andersenpa Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Have you made a major switch in specialties during your career? What was the switch? Was it early or late in your career? Curious how many of you have done it, how drastic then switch was and what impact it had. (I'm just asking out of curiosity, I still have no plans to leave the dark side Lesh)..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amandas1228 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I am very curious to see the responses to this post... I have been an ortho PA for 4 years and think often of switching to IM or EM. I am terrified, having not done anything but ortho since school. I'm thinking about switching after I take the PANRE next year, I think reviewing all the medicine will give me a bit more confidence. Any insight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roman6163 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Chronological Order: Internal Medicine 4 yrs Navy Aircraft Carrier (Did Everything Under the Sun) 2 yrs Family Practice 4 yrs Emergency Medicine/Urgent Care 3+ yrs Infectious Disease 2 yrs (Moonlighting) For me, it takes around 8-12 months to fully adjust to a new specialty, but I enjoy the variety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFarnsworth Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Mostly I've been in surgery but switched flavors: Spine surgery 2.5 years General surgery 1 year and working per diem ER Urologic/robotic surgery 2.5 years and in the middle of that I did cardiac at the same time Pediatric surgery so far about a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryfran123 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My first 3 years as a PA were quite the adventure: Graduated Inpt Detox at a major rural tertiary hospital--3 months Family Practice/Walk-in center/SNF/inpt Detox-Rehab (all in same building)-- 9mos Family Practice-1yr ER--2yrs Trauma/SCC--ever since............................ For me, I think the most important impact was once I started working in the ER, I recoginized how much of a "knack" I had for it, a feeling I never had in FP. However, entering Trauma/SCC I felt like I finally had "hit my groove" so to speak. Everything just "clicked" and I KNEW I had found my permanent home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBPAC Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Trauma PA 1 year right after graduation at a large referral center ER PA at a low volume rural hospital 3 years Family Practice at the same hospitals outpatient clinic for 2 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted July 2, 2009 Moderator Share Posted July 2, 2009 I really an not manic but this might appear that way.... 2002 Grad 3 months in ER right after grad (put me on overnights and I broke) 5 years in a walk in clinic (occ health, internal med, DOT pe, primary care, urgent care) 2 year of Per diem Rehab medicine (1 year when finishing the 5 year job and one year when starting IR - only one weekend per month) 2 years of interventional radiology now in pain management....... Oh yeah and just started doing Ortho work per diem on weekends..... So since 2002 - 2 different field, Medicine, Radiology, Pain management. #2 Per Diem positions - Rehab Physiatry, and Ortho Was in the ER admitting a patient and got talking to an ER doc about this and he was impressed - stated it is good to get wide based experience - it all helps.... I did stay in the medicine job for over 5 years though and that helped alot. I am now sort of searching for a doc that I can work with for a career - one that understands and backs me up with close to independent practice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physasst Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I am very curious to see the responses to this post... I have been an ortho PA for 4 years and think often of switching to IM or EM. I am terrified, having not done anything but ortho since school. I'm thinking about switching after I take the PANRE next year, I think reviewing all the medicine will give me a bit more confidence. Any insight? Yep. I was in chronological order: Neurosurgery- 1.5 years Orthopedics- 6 years EM- 7 years, although I started moonlighting in EM while I was still in Ortho, so there is a several year overlap there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbcbentley Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 You are an inspiration. Isn't this one of the perks of being a PA? The ability to switch to different areas of medicine. Chronological Order: Internal Medicine 4 yrs Navy Aircraft Carrier (Did Everything Under the Sun) 2 yrs Family Practice 4 yrs Emergency Medicine/Urgent Care 3+ yrs Infectious Disease 2 yrs (Moonlighting) For me, it takes around 8-12 months to fully adjust to a new specialty, but I enjoy the variety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Cardiology- 3 years Internal Med-1 year FP- 1 year Remote/Tactical Med in Austere environments (Sudan, Iraq, Afghan)- 1.5 year Addiction Med-1 year Adolescent Med (Peds) - 1 yr still doing the last two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBIDoc Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Trauma/SCC 4 yrs Moonlighted in ED 3 yrs Owned/Managed Surgical Assisting Co. (ortho, OB/Gyn, Gen, Neuro) 3 yrs Back to Trauma/SCC plus thoracic/vascular 2 yrs Cardiac/SCC 6 mos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmj11 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Headache--Third World Primary Care--Family Practice/ER-Rheumatology--Family Practice/Urgent Care--Headache Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andersenpa Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Headache--Third World Primary Care--Family Practice/ER-Rheumatology--Family Practice/Urgent Care--Headache Aren't FP/UC/EM headaches as well? ba-dum-dum-bum, I'm here all week, folks....:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Ranger Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Chronological Order: Internal Medicine 4 yrs Navy Aircraft Carrier (Did Everything Under the Sun) 2 yrs Family Practice 4 yrs Emergency Medicine/Urgent Care 3+ yrs Infectious Disease 2 yrs (Moonlighting) For me, it takes around 8-12 months to fully adjust to a new specialty, but I enjoy the variety What does one actually do when working in Infectious Disease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roman6163 Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 What does one actually do when working in Infectious Disease? I work in a 70-bed hospital for mostly tracheostomy patients. People who have gone into respiratory failure and need to be on a vent, usually permanantely. ~80% of the time, most will never come off that vent. There are two main doctors who share in taking care of all the patients there. One is a Pulmonologist and the other is an Internal Med doc. Then they in turn consult us, Infectious Disease, for the patients who have infection/antibiotic issues. Things like high fevers, white counts in the 20's, 30's, and 40 thousands, positive blood/urine/sputum cultures, positive C. difficile diarrhea infections, decubitus ulcerations, many which are stage IV, some HIV, TB, hepatitis, etc. etc. etc. We are in charge of and take care of that portion of their health. The ID doctor I work for is pretty much an intellectual genius and a walking medical dictionary when it comes to diseases, infections, and antibiotics. She is Romanian, has a very nice personality, extremely smart, and treats everyone good, whether you are a fellow doctor or a bum off the street. I definitely feel priviledged to be working for her. It is amazing how many wild and crazy germs are running around in a hospital setting. Things you don't even read about in school. Almost all of the infections these patients have they got while in the hospital. So siffuce it to say, we stay pretty busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Ranger Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I work in a 70-bed hospital for mostly tracheostomy patients. People who have gone into respiratory failure and need to be on a vent, usually permanantely. ~80% of the time, most will never come off that vent. There are two main doctors who share in taking care of all the patients there. One is a Pulmonologist and the other is an Internal Med doc. Then they in turn consult us, Infectious Disease, for the patients who have infection/antibiotic issues. Things like high fevers, white counts in the 20's, 30's, and 40 thousands, positive blood/urine/sputum cultures, positive C. difficile diarrhea infections, decubitus ulcerations, many which are stage IV, some HIV, TB, hepatitis, etc. etc. etc. We are in charge of and take care of that portion of their health. The ID doctor I work for is pretty much an intellectual genius and a walking medical dictionary when it comes to diseases, infections, and antibiotics. She is Romanian, has a very nice personality, extremely smart, and treats everyone good, whether you are a fellow doctor or a bum off the street. I definitely feel priviledged to be working for her. It is amazing how many wild and crazy germs are running around in a hospital setting. Things you don't even read about in school. Almost all of the infections these patients have they got while in the hospital. So siffuce it to say, we stay pretty busy. It sounds like you work for a kindler, gentler, female Dr. House. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bb82 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Began in Gastroenterology and liver disease. Worked for 3 years and then switched to Dermatology for the past 4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbcbentley Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 How did you start out with Gastro. and liver disease? Did you enjoy the work and why did you switch? Began in Gastroenterology and liver disease. Worked for 3 years and then switched to Dermatology for the past 4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andersenpa Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 Out in this month's JAAPA: Do PAs change specialties during their careers? Quotations are from several different studies: "The data indicate that approximately half of all PAs are newly certified in the past 5 years, recently certifying PAs are choosing specialty areas at a higher rate, and that most PAs will work in two or more specialty areas during their career. " "Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported changing specialties at least once, and 49% changed specialties within their first 2 years of practice. " Interesting that the move of PAs from PC to specialties mirrors the numbers for docs. This reports ~65% of PAs in specialties, which accords with the numbers for MDs, 70% spec, 30% PC.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bb82 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Love hearing what others have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bb82 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 How did you start out with Gastro. and liver disease? Did you enjoy the work and why did you switch? It was the first job I had and I actually found it on the job postings at my school just before graduating. It was the first time the Dr. utilized a PA and it was a great experience for both of us. I enjoyed the work in GI, very interesting cases. I learned a lot and coming right out of school I wanted a position where I could retain most of those basic skills I had learned. After 3 years I just needed a change. I always wanted to work in Dermatology so I made the switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittryn Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 gen surg (learned a TON; nights/weekends) -> UC (hated it) -> ED (hated it) -> ortho (hated it) -> bariatric surg (loved it). now on a "leave" and considering next move: on with bariatric, or try something new? lateral movement (as opposed to upward mobility) is one of the best parts of being a PA, and as was said above, docs love it if you have breadth of experience. they'll ask you how to do stuff that you've done and is outside their scope of experience, and that feels good! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andersenpa Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 gen surg (learned a TON; nights/weekends) -> UC (hated it) -> ED (hated it) -> ortho (hated it) -> bariatric surg (loved it). now on a "leave" and considering next move: on with bariatric, or try something new? lateral movement (as opposed to upward mobility) is one of the best parts of being a PA, and as was said above, docs love it if you have breadth of experience. they'll ask you how to do stuff that you've done and is outside their scope of experience, and that feels good! :) You could give a one-woman PANRE review... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittryn Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 You could give a one-woman PANRE review... HAR! interesting career move, hmm.... (stroking chin)...BUT I HAVE NO MEDICINE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Holy thread resurrection batman! But I voted yes although I am about a month or so away from switching from PM&R to IM/HIV... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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