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What should a PA/ATC after 1 year of Ortho PA experience in CT, am look for info on salary negotiations?

Is there a percentage to ask for?

Also we r getting bought out & will b owned by company that owns the hospital beginning 2011.

 

current info:

10 days each of: vaca, sick, cme.

$2500 for cme.

paid malpractice, state license fees, dea, AAPA.

Membership in AAPA & local state PA

No Call, nights or weekend time.

Am Rounds split with other PA's = 1-2 mornings/week

OR when needed ave 8-12 cases/month

 

Thanks for ur input

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  • 2 months later...

Hi "maniac" - I'm accepted into both medical school and PA school and I really love orthopedic surgery. I know it's very, very hard to get into an ortho residency as an MD...is it difficult to get an ortho position as a PA? I'm hoping to live in/near a city, not rural. Also, I see that your signature includes "ortho PA- Lov'n Life" - so you love your job? Do you ever wish you were the ortho MD? I've shadowed at an ortho clinic in a mid-sized city and the two PAs were new/recent grads and told me to go PA, while every doc told me to go MD...I'm going crazy over which to pick, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

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cp16,

 

I would suggest going to Med School if you have the time and desire. By going the MD route you'll never wonder... what if? I have been working in ortho now for 6+ years as a PA. I have a great job and work with a group of excellent ortho surgeons who treat me (and other PAs) well. With the changing healthcare climate I would never go back to med school.... and I don't ask the "what if" question because I like what I am doing!

 

If you do go to Med school... hire a PA! I would in a heart beat!

 

~unique

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  • 3 weeks later...

My first opportunity to work as an ortho pa. lucky to score a sit down meeting about compensation. not sure what to expect. the opportunity in los angeles with a famous ortho surgeon. high profile actors and athletes. job duties entail clinical management most of the week and some OR time. The position would start out part time since i fulfilling another committment.

Need suggestions on what to ask for. How to get compensated for first assisting? Is the compensation based on each surgery? Do i get a percentage of the surgery cost? Hourly vs salary?

 

Help me out. Need some numbers to present to the doc in our very soon diuscussion about pay.

 

thanks!

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  • 8 months later...
I don't understand how ortho PA's, even beginning ones, are making $75k/yr. Isn't that sort of starting salary for primary care? If I did an ortho residency there's no way I would work for that little.

 

It also appears that a lot of those 75/yr rates were at least from 5 years ago...not sure if the salaries have improved or not, but I'd defiantly seek more current data.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator

the avg pa with 1 yr of experience made 90k in 2010. the avg fp md/do made twice that. as physician salaries increase ours will in proportion and if they decrease due to changes in the health care arena ours will decrease as well.

using nations such as canada, france, and england as a guide, I predict that any decrease in salary will be more than made up for by an increase in benefits that we currently have to pay for. I have looked into pa positions in england with the natl health service and although they pay less every conceivable benefit is included so I would actually take home more there than here, even after the higher taxes. the last job I looked at there for example included free onsite child care at the hospital, a housing stipend, a car stipend, 100% health care covered with no deductibles, etc

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  • 3 months later...

Just a little update: I'm soon-to-be new grad (2 months) and I have been looking almost exclusively at ortho. I have an ortho-specific recruiter, and have been on some interviews. For a NEW grad with NO ortho experience, the going rate is 75-80k. For someone with a surgical tech, ATC, or other ortho-related background, it would be 85-90k.

 

I had a classmate who was a surg. tech before PA school and she was offered from 80k all the way to 100k starting. She took an EM job for 100k+, but got screwed somehow.

 

I've been offered as low as 65k (!) plus a call stipend, which I declined. My recruiter says to expect ~85k. I have an ortho research background. I also came across a clinic-only ortho job that paid 125k+ for a NEW grad....up to 195k for an experienced PA. I dont know how they did it. My recruiter said that is the highest he has ever seen personally.

 

Just food for thought. It is totally dependent on region, practice, and experience.

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Just a little update: I'm soon-to-be new grad (2 months) and I have been looking almost exclusively at ortho. I have an ortho-specific recruiter, and have been on some interviews. For a NEW grad with NO ortho experience, the going rate is 75-80k. For someone with a surgical tech, ATC, or other ortho-related background, it would be 85-90k.

 

I had a classmate who was a surg. tech before PA school and she was offered from 80k all the way to 100k starting. She took an EM job for 100k+, but got screwed somehow.

 

I've been offered as low as 65k (!) plus a call stipend, which I declined. My recruiter says to expect ~85k. I have an ortho research background. I also came across a clinic-only ortho job that paid 125k+ for a NEW grad....up to 195k for an experienced PA. I dont know how they did it. My recruiter said that is the highest he has ever seen personally.

 

Just food for thought. It is totally dependent on region, practice, and experience.

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Just a little update: I'm soon-to-be new grad (2 months) and I have been looking almost exclusively at ortho. I have an ortho-specific recruiter, and have been on some interviews. For a NEW grad with NO ortho experience, the going rate is 75-80k. For someone with a surgical tech, ATC, or other ortho-related background, it would be 85-90k.

 

I had a classmate who was a surg. tech before PA school and she was offered from 80k all the way to 100k starting. She took an EM job for 100k+, but got screwed somehow.

 

I've been offered as low as 65k (!) plus a call stipend, which I declined. My recruiter says to expect ~85k. I have an ortho research background. I also came across a clinic-only ortho job that paid 125k+ for a NEW grad....up to 195k for an experienced PA. I dont know how they did it. My recruiter said that is the highest he has ever seen personally.

 

Just food for thought. It is totally dependent on region, practice, and experience.

 

Thank you for your post.

Is that 85K without a productivity bonus/profit sharing?

Also, how much would/could an ortho PA make after a few years of practice?

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Just a little update: I'm soon-to-be new grad (2 months) and I have been looking almost exclusively at ortho. I have an ortho-specific recruiter, and have been on some interviews. For a NEW grad with NO ortho experience, the going rate is 75-80k. For someone with a surgical tech, ATC, or other ortho-related background, it would be 85-90k.

 

I had a classmate who was a surg. tech before PA school and she was offered from 80k all the way to 100k starting. She took an EM job for 100k+, but got screwed somehow.

 

I've been offered as low as 65k (!) plus a call stipend, which I declined. My recruiter says to expect ~85k. I have an ortho research background. I also came across a clinic-only ortho job that paid 125k+ for a NEW grad....up to 195k for an experienced PA. I dont know how they did it. My recruiter said that is the highest he has ever seen personally.

 

Just food for thought. It is totally dependent on region, practice, and experience.

 

Thank you for your post.

Is that 85K without a productivity bonus/profit sharing?

Also, how much would/could an ortho PA make after a few years of practice?

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  • 8 months later...

about 8 years of experience in NH now at:

$125k

call is 1st call for in-house patients; no ER call; 4 evenings / month. (feel it's VERY reasonable).

$1,756 / yr for CME (do not feel my CME is competitive).

10.3 days of ET ever pay period/2 weeks.

 

It's not the highest paying gig in this region but I'm not slammed with a lot of call and I feel it's a good gig, (minus the lower-than-competitive CME $$).

 

It isn't the highest paying gig for this reagion, however,

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  • 8 months later...

Texas area: 4 yrs experience...

 

Just got moved from salary to hourly. This gave me call pay, overtime, shift differentials, etc. MUCH better for me. I'll be going from $118K to around $145K easy. May be more, depending on how hard I choose to work.

 

I was also working for 2 docs of a 3 doc practice. This meant taking calls form nurses, taking ER/traum call, etc 2/3rds of the month. Now they are hiring a new PA, so I am now exclusively with 1 of the surgeons.

 

My CME budget is a soft $2500 (if I need a bit more they give, if I use less, no one money back). I get almost 7 weeks a year PTO and 10 days for CME. They also pay for up to 3 books a year, all insurance, all licensure/testing, etc. And I get 3 memberships to professional organizations.

 

Overall it's not a bad gig. I am really excited about the new hourly set up.

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  • 9 months later...

9 years out from PA school, currently looking at a potential switch to Ortho as a transfer from current Gen Surg position at community hospital on southcoast of Massachusetts. Prior experience includes cardiac and vascular surgery, gen surg, all w critical care experience and also did per diem emergency medicine. No prior ortho experience except total joint (hip/knee) rotation at Hosp for Special Surg in NYC as a student. Ortho position is for brand new service starting from ground up (old group on its way out), new grad starting soon as 1st PA hire, 2nd PA coming w new total joint surgeon has been out 2 years, so i would be most senior person and maybe quasi chief. Hospital is converting to Epic EHR in next few months, and i have prior IT background as technical trainer/help desk, and was involved in prior similar rollout at prior hospital. Community hospital is in underserved area w heavy Portuguese and Spanish-speaking population, both of which i speak. Options for where i would end up are very fluid goven the newness of the department, but biggest need right now is supporting 2 hand surgeons and a plastic surgeon that does some hand, w option to maybe switch to working w other new MDs scheduled to join and do bigger cases w them like sports medicine stuff. So far sounds like position would be combo of OR cases in surgicenter plus clinic, and id prob get my own clinic. Currently have a 4-day work week in Gen Surg but am told Ortho could let me keep this schedule w the switch. I have been in current position since Oct 2013 but not a good fit, heavy colorectal focus, weird dept dynamics. Current salary is $109,500, and got an addtl $5K signon bonus.

 

Should i take advantage of transfer to ask for more money? I would be due for a likely incrrase in Oct 2014 which i am told usually runs 2-4% on average, but dont know how even that would rank w pay for ortho. Any input (re: $ or otherwise) would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

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  • 6 months later...

My situation...

15 months experience

Large ortho group...work primarily with one doc, however have taken call with other docs

2 call days/month. $60 on weekday, $100 on wknd (regardless if we do 5 cases or 0 cases). Take all patient calls and floor calls

Surgery 3 days/week, clinic 2 days

$85,000 salary

$3500 bonus

7.5% employer provided into 401k regardless of my contributions

100K life insurance

$1500 yr for CME (use towards conferences, memberships, or courses)

1 week for CME, 3 weeks vacation

In the midwest

First assist all surgeries, I see approximately 12-15 pts each day in clinic, schedule all surgeries, arrange all pre-op work-ups (most time consuming) and make rounds on patients each morning.

 

Not the highest compensated position I've found, but the doc I work with is very respectful to me and patients and we have a good relationship...so I think that accounts for a lot.

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  • 1 month later...

I was a new grad when I got the job.  Illinois- Chicago land (suburbs) Worked for 2 years.

 

15 surgeons each in a specialty (hand, sports...)

7 PA's shared among every one.

 

95K starting- When I left 99K (salary)

3 days clinic 2 days surgery Could get pulled to do either randomly.

No over time/ compensation for call/ or bonus.

Call- a night every other week and every 7th weekend.

Hours were variable, basically until completed. 

 

Company got bought out and we ended up working for a huge multispecialty corporation.

 

Ended doing spine.  I was on call basically every 3rd week for a week.

My hours increased and still no extra for call or going in on the weekends I was not on call to round. 

 

I left that job and specialty for more stable hours and better pay.

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  • 4 months later...

Two years orthopedic experience in California.

 

110k base

500 per call weekend (typically rounding only, possible 1st assist)

200 per surgical assist after 5pm

401k with 2.5‰ match.

2 weeks PTO

24 hours sick pay.

 

First assist 1 full day a week with occasional other days need be.

30-40 patients per day on my clinic days.

 

8-5 typically and I am able to get all my charting done so I take zero work home.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

I just started as a new grad in a large orthopedic group (went to school in different state). My experience consists of my elective rotation in ortho.

 

$95,000 base salary

10% of accounts receivable as quarterly bonus

Working 40-45 hours a week

No call/weekends/rounding

401k with 2% match

5 days and $2,000 for CME

16 days PTO and 7 paid holidays

Malpractice covered (no tail)

Long term disability and life insurance covered

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