Advice.....free clinic work while waiting for job?

[Poetsiren]

Ok.... so I got my PA-C on pretty much the LAST day in April.

 

Places in KY didn't even offer an interview and take notice until I had the PA-C after having graduated with my MMS.

I've been to interviews - some good and some meh - and I have a few more scheduled.

 

But I am not used to being jobless - I am a workhorse and used to work 12-16 hour days BEFORE PA school. And I've always been that one who worked at a crap job, got another job THEN quit, with literally no time off in-between. I've always either been in school or worked - sometimes both. Obviously, school is over. Work has yet to come to fruition.

 

I'm BORED and feel like I am started to get depressed merely because I am jobless. Even if clinical rotations were stressful, I was never so happy to be working - practicing medicine is seriously my calling, and I even got to the point that some of the private clinics would let me do whatever I wanted and trusted me, and preceptors praised me at days end for the quality of work that I do! I LOVE THIS PROFESSION! It is unfortunate that those practices are states away, or I would be like, "can I help out?" LOL.

 

Obviously, I cannot get my state license without an SP - and I am all done except for my SP.....

But you know the drill: I can't have a state license to practice without a Supervising Physician....I can't have a Supervising Physician without getting a job.....I can't get a job without my state license to practice.....Damn catch-22.

 

Many people on this forum have suggested free clinic work to others without jobs. Would this work for me? There are a few free clinics and rural clinics in my area. I already sent CVs with cover letters and business cards to the local FQHC's near me.

My thinking is that if I can get in with one of the practicing physicians at a free/volunteer clinic they can help me get my license so I can volunteer there and I can get some experience while fighting this stagnant-waiting-room feeling and basically kill ALL the birds with this stone before salary work because it will also be on my CV.....

 

Thoughts?

 

PS. Husband is laughing at me for these 2 months of joblessness and telling me how silly I'm being right now. :P I'm just so BORED and want to stay active!

[ventana]

Heck why not? But you are new grad, and that means you need a mentor, and that might stress a free clinic out.....

 

But why not try??? Seems like a good idea to me

[Poetsiren]

Does anyone have experience as far as licensing or malpractice issues with volunteering at free clinics?

[loliz]

Obviously, I cannot get my state license without an SP - and I am all done except for my SP.....

But you know the drill: I can't have a state license to practice without a Supervising Physician....I can't have a Supervising Physician without getting a job.....I can't get a job without my state license to practice.....Damn catch-22.

 

 

 

Are you sure about this? I'm not sure what the rules are in your state but I would not say there is anything "obvious" about this.

You should be able to apply for your license, once you have a job you can add your SP name and your delegated privileges to the licensing board records.  I definitely applied for a job long before I knew where I would be working. 

[Poetsiren]

You should be able to apply for your license, once you have a job you can add your SP name and your delegated privileges to the licensing board records.  I definitely applied for a job long before I knew where I would be working. 

 

Yes. I have made specific inquiries in my state about licensure conditions. I have completed all of my portion of the licensure application and cannot get active license in my state w/o an SP portion of the application completed.

 

The last bit is more about the jobs themselves.

I have applied for jobs, and been dismissed during the application processes on the sheer basis that I do not have an active license. I can apply to my heart's content, try and explain away the misconceptions about PAs, but positions in and around my area don't want someone not already licensed - I have been told as much. Even during an interview, when they "realized" I wasn't active license! (It apparently doesn't matter to them that they would need to do an SP app anyway when they get someone in!) This is a heavily NP saturated area, and NPs are independent here. Imo they don't want to do the paperwork. Yes, it is a catch 22 for me. I just wish that they would advertise for "NP" position and not "NP/PA" when they clearly don't want a PA.

 

My thinking is that if I can get in with one of the practicing physicians at a free/volunteer clinic they can help me get my license so I can volunteer there and I can get some experience while fighting this stagnant-waiting-room feeling and basically kill ALL the birds with this stone before salary work because it will also be on my CV..... the goal is just to make it an ACTIVE license. And I figure I can make good contacts along the way!

[Guest Paula]

Your idea might work if you find a helpful physician who will become your SP and get that license.  Your situation is a reason why PAs need a separate licensing board that separates the SP from the license.  KY has not been a friendly state towards PAs or NPs for that matter.  I remember seeing KY Medical Society ads from years ago that slammed all "mid-levels" including optometrists and podiatrists. 

 

FQHC's aren't free clinics but doing face to face networking with other health professionals might help you and be a key to getting hired somewhere.

 

Do you live near a border state that is friendlier to PAs where you could seek licensure?

 

Keep us abreast on your progress. 

[Statko]

I would advise you to be very careful with malpractice and supervision in a free clinic setting, especially when you are a new grad and newly licensed. My experience with free clinic work is that even if you have a SP affiliated with that clinic, s/he may never see you (and vice versa). It was also volunteer work, so that's something else to consider. You also want to make sure you have a contract with the free which you pay a lawyer to review to make sure you are not opening yourself up to any liabilities. Again, supervision and malpractice are potential pitfalls of free clinic work, and the patient population can be very complicated. One other thing to consider: this work can be very rewarding and fulfilling, but will you feel like keeping the commitment to work at the free clinic if you get a job tomorrow? If not, it's not really fair to the organization or the patients.

 

You state that you have already been on several interviews and have more scheduled. This is great! I think your husband is correct; try to relax and enjoy the process. Looking for a job as a new grad for two-three months while getting licensed doesn't sound outrageous to me... it sounds totally normal. I would focus your efforts on networking and getting your name out there.

 

I also would suggest to reverse-engineer your process. Rather than looking for jobs that are out there...try to attract the job you want.

I would take some time to figure out what you really want. What would an ideal job look like for you? What specialty? What would the supervising physician be like? What makes some of your interview experiences "meh" and what would make them "wow"? Once I had a clearer picture of that, I would start drawing up a targeted plan for accomplishing/getting it. Maybe I join my local state chapter and network with other PAs there. Maybe I start cold-calling docs (that's how I got my first job!). Or volunteer at the local hospital (make sure they know your skill set, so you're doing something interesting and quasi-clinical rather than just delivering mail.... my hospital volunteer gig is to hold opiate addicted babies and help run a support group for low income / disadvantaged mothers). Find out who the local pharmaceutical reps are and when they will be having a "educational dinner" so you can just happen to be parked at a table with other physicians. Call and explain your predicament to local recruiters (in hospitals, clinics, etc). Sell yourself - you're a local candidate (no relocation costs for them!), you have a vested interest in the specialty/population as evidenced by, etc etc etc. If you get a cold shoulder, ask if they know of other opportunities or if they would mind if you checked in every few months.

 

Be patient, positive, and stay focused. You will have plenty of time to be a work horse once you start working! :) 

[Poetsiren]

.......................... You also want to make sure you have a contract with the free which you pay a lawyer to review to make sure you are not opening yourself up to any liabilities. Again, supervision and malpractice are potential pitfalls of free clinic work, and the patient population can be very complicated. One other thing to consider: this work can be very rewarding and fulfilling, but will you feel like keeping the commitment to work at the free clinic if you get a job tomorrow? If not, it's not really fair to the organization or the patients.

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I also would suggest to reverse-engineer your process. Rather than looking for jobs that are out there...try to attract the job you want..................

 

Statko, Thank you for sound advice! I have already decided to have any contracts I receive be reviewed by legal counsel. As far as continuing to work at the free clinic if I get in there, I most definitely would! I volunteered at several free clinics through my PA program while in school. I loved every second of it and would go back to the ones that know me, but they are states away.

 

As far as reverse-engineering my process to find a job, not only have I been cold calling Primary Care clinics, but I have also been sending out lovely packets with professional header I designed in my computer - CV and cover letters and even a glossy seamless business card I ordered paper clipped to the front - out to office managers and clinics these past 3-4 weeks. I keep a stack of those business cards on me and several generic CVs in my truck at all times. (I really want Primary Care, but have several different CVs for different areas just in case - I've applied to Derm, IM and Peds, hospitalist, urgent care. I will not work in an ED - I didn't like it before PA school, and didn't like it during. Same with Surgery.) I have my BA in Spanish while doing pre-med in undergrad. I live in KY and there are alot of spanish-speakers in and around my area, so I highlight that I speak Spanish and have a decade as a medical translator through various specialties in medicine before entering PA school - so "Languages: English, Spanish" is front and center on my business cards, too. You would think that I would find more interested parties than I have, unfortunately. But, like was pointed out, KY is not friendly to PAs..... And moving is not possible at this time.