Not a New PA, but still inexperienced. How do I fix this?

[Reality Check 2]

I do not care if a PA has a bachelors or masters. That is why I support the PANRE/PANCE because it levels the playing field regardless of education.

 

My education years ago was still regulated by what is now ARC-PA so our educational backgrounds are similar to a striking extent - a huge bonus to the PA profession.

 

Hopefully no one on this forum would look at another PA differently based on educational degree. I would put my years of experience up against a new grad with a masters any day.

 

As for the OP - need a good mentor

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

While we may not, employers sure do. I know this firsthand.

[Reality Check 2]

Never had any discrimination in Washington due to no masters.

My employers have looked at experience and NCCPA and not much else. If you are certified than you go on a payscale based on experience by years. Wages no different for Masters vs No Masters - and no one would know - your title reads PA-C - nothing else.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

Allow me to clarify that we're talking major healthcare networks that have their own facilities/providers.

[Lauren R]

What is your goal?  Figure out what you want to learn or do and study that.  If you want to learn EKGs there are a lot of great resources out there. A really straight forward book for example is Rapid Interpretation of EKGs by Dale Dubin.  That said, it seems like you are leaving jobs for more than just not getting more help with EKG interpretation.  Keep in mind, most places aren't going to spoon feed you knowledge because they're busy.  Consider undergoing a residency program.  There someone would spend more time training you.  You should consider shadowing different specialties and figure out what you're interested in and go from there.  If you're just interested in constantly gaining more skills you might end up being someone that jumps fields every few years.  One good thing about being a PA is that you actually can do that if you so desire.

[PitouPAC]

Tmac- less than $80K per year with a $1000 increase in pay per year if I stayed.  

 

GetMeOuttaHere/ Reality Check 2-  Regarding Bach./Master's, I have come to the same conclusion in terms of larger corporations desiring or requiring a Masters Degree.   And I have even been told by their HR that they would definitely consider me for a position. . . with a Master's Degree.  I still apply to some of the positions when the listing only states NCCPA certified, but I just keep in mind that I may be passed over.

 

 Lauren R- I have only had 2 jobs.  The first I left due to reasons stated in the original post.  It just wasn't a good environment for a PA.  Since I had left, that same MD has had 2 other PAs.  All left in less than a year due to the same issues that I had.  He would not allow me (or them from what I am told) see patient's alone, he was a bit degrading, he liked to drill you on complex immunology concepts in front of the patients, and I didn't agree with some of his treatment methods.   I am not looking for someone to spoon feed me anything, just a mentor with experience to help me with some of the nuances of medicine and to drop a few pearls of wisdom my way.  I don't think it's a challenging request, had I stayed in DC, I had an MD that would just that.  But his job offer sucked unfortunately.  

And I don't want to learn skills just to learn them (although that would be nice too).  From my job searching, a good portion of the Fam. Med clinics that I applied to wanted PAs with experience in things that we didn't do at my previous clinic.