Minute clinic

[michellemybell]

Anyone on here actually worked in retail medicine like a CVS minuteclinic? Would love some input. Interview pending with them. 

[Guest UVAPAC]

Most of the Minute Clinics want APRN's and not PA-C's.  

I have talked to an APRN who previously worked at a local minute clinic, she said it was horrible.  She said when you are not seeing patients you are expected to sweep floors, help stock shelves, etc.  (Whether or not this is accurate I do not know.)  

[sas5814]

You are also supposed to be out on the store floor asking people if they have had their flu shots etc.... I have heard ugly things.

[mmiller3]

36 minutes ago, sas5814 said:

You are also supposed to be out on the store floor asking people if they have had their flu shots etc.... I have heard ugly things.

This. I was approached by the APN working at my local Walgreen's a few weeks ago about my flu shot. He was standing at the front door and hounding everyone who walked in as well.  I thought he was a store employee until I looked closely at his name tag. Talk about an interesting use of a Master's degree.

[beattie228]

Hard pass. Watered down medicine meets antibiotic vending machine sprinkled with a "Have you had your flu shot this year, CVS shopper?".

 

Find yourself an Urgent Care who allows you to practice evidence based medicine. Plus, saves you from having to hear Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas' on constant repeat.

[eighthnote24]

I had a PA friend who worked there as a "get me out of burnout" temporary job.

They have a charting system that ensures that basically a monkey with one arm tied behind its back could see these patients.  It does not allow for any clinical judgment.  Basically, if you enter in their system that they have a certain physical exam finding or symptom, it forces you into Rx'ing a specific drug and it will not deviate from that.

She was forced to walk the aisles and talk to customers and try to lure them into checking in for random stuff....flu shots....sore throats....she was supposed to look at what OTC meds they were looking at and offer to see them for their ailment in the clinic.

It didn't really work to get her out of burnout, obviously.

 

[Wish1pa]

I have a good friend that is an Np there. She is trying to find a new job, She gets paid well but she is the only one there for 11 hour shifts. She is the MA, the custodian, the insurance/billing person. Not to mention zero socialization and sitting there alone for 11 hours.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

Ours claims that 18/day at MC was a busy shift. You can see that in 4 hours at our setup easily on some days.

 

[Cideous]

I have some intimate experience with this, and ill leave it at that but here are some hard facts you can trust me on:

 

1.  They pay low.  Starting pay is right at $50/hr.  Their medical insurance is VERY high if you have a family.  PTO and CME is not bad.

2.  Depending on what clinic you work in, you can be very slow or have your ass absolutely handed to you.

3.  Yes, you verify all the insurance, collect the money, do the labs, bundle up fill out the lab send outs....everything.  That includes sweeping and mopping the floors and...wait for it...MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC CVS BATHROOM IS CLEAN 2X A DAY.  

4.  The good?  Most of the people are nice and the NP's were very accepting of PA's, but the store managers were jerks.  They believed you worked for them.  Yes, it's true, you are required to walk the aisles selling your services.

5.  The medicine is brainless.  All 100% evidence based to the nith degree.  If you deviate in even the slightest, you get written up.

6.  They have everything written down.  From what antibiotics to give, to what decongestants you can recommend.  Deviate, and you get written up.

Good luck.

 

[mmiller3]

On 12/3/2017 at 9:49 AM, Cideous said:

I have some intimate experience with this, and ill leave it at that but here are some hard facts you can trust me on:

 

1.  They pay low.  Starting pay is right at $50/hr.  Their medical insurance is VERY high if you have a family.  PTO and CME is not bad.

2.  Depending on what clinic you work in, you can be very slow or have your ass absolutely handed to you.

3.  Yes, you verify all the insurance, collect the money, do the labs, bundle up fill out the lab send outs....everything.  That includes sweeping and mopping the floors and...wait for it...MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC CVS BATHROOM IS CLEAN 2X A DAY.  

4.  The good?  Most of the people are nice and the NP's were very accepting of PA's, but the store managers were jerks.  They believed you worked for them.  Yes, it's true, you are required to walk the aisles selling your services.

5.  The medicine is brainless.  All 100% evidence based to the nith degree.  If you deviate in even the slightest, you get written up.

6.  They have everything written down.  From what antibiotics to give, to what decongestants you can recommend.  Deviate, and you get written up.

Good luck.

 

So, a "doc in a box" literally and figuratively. 

[Cideous]

^^^ More like a PA in a box.....LOL

[camoman1234]

Is that $50/hr standard for all CVS or based on the area you live in? Cause $50/hr around my area is GREAT! I would not work there, but for not even truly practicing medicine that ain't bad. 

[Cideous]

22 hours ago, camoman1234 said:

Is that $50/hr standard for all CVS or based on the area you live in? Cause $50/hr around my area is GREAT! I would not work there, but for not even truly practicing medicine that ain't bad. 

$50 is what I made in 1997....but, it is becoming more and more common again.  I currently make $65-70/hr, so yea for me it sucks.

Can I ask what region you are in where $50/hr is good?

[camoman1234]

1 hour ago, Cideous said:

$50 is what I made in 1997....but, it is becoming more and more common again.  I currently make $65-70/hr, so yea for me it sucks.

Can I ask what region you are in where $50/hr is good?

Lower midwest, my first job a few years ago started at $32/hr, I was higher than the starting salary of $28/hr cause I worked for that corp. for several years prior to PA school. I do not work there anymore, but know they gave a $7/hr pay increase to stay competitive. I work rural FM now for a private company and my base if $44/hr with a production which usually puts me at around $92K/year and they also pay for my health/dental 100%, where not other position in a 200 mile radius pays for health insurance. This area is very crappy pay, but very cheap COL and great things to do around here. For being a few years out, making $90K is crazy for FM and working 32-34 hrs/week. 

[Cideous]

2 hours ago, camoman1234 said:

Lower midwest, my first job a few years ago started at $32/hr, I was higher than the starting salary of $28/hr cause I worked for that corp. for several years prior to PA school. I do not work there anymore, but know they gave a $7/hr pay increase to stay competitive. I work rural FM now for a private company and my base if $44/hr with a production which usually puts me at around $92K/year and they also pay for my health/dental 100%, where not other position in a 200 mile radius pays for health insurance. This area is very crappy pay, but very cheap COL and great things to do around here. For being a few years out, making $90K is crazy for FM and working 32-34 hrs/week. 

That is just amazing.  Mercy.

[camoman1234]

22 minutes ago, Cideous said:

That is just amazing.  Mercy.

I understand it is low pay, but the very low COL helps out. I am doing well now, but being at least 3 hours from a major city(>150, 000) the amount of jobs is not there. We live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,700 sq/ft, mostly brick house, new construction on 3 acres for ~$145,000, that is what I mean by very low COL. My sister in law lives up by Chicago and is an RN making $28/hr, but the COL is crazy. Where do you practice at making $50/hr in 1997?

[Cideous]

On 12/6/2017 at 2:27 PM, camoman1234 said:

I understand it is low pay, but the very low COL helps out. I am doing well now, but being at least 3 hours from a major city(>150, 000) the amount of jobs is not there. We live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,700 sq/ft, mostly brick house, new construction on 3 acres for ~$145,000, that is what I mean by very low COL. My sister in law lives up by Chicago and is an RN making $28/hr, but the COL is crazy. Where do you practice at making $50/hr in 1997?

ER in Houston.

[Boatswain2PA]

1 hour ago, Cideous said:

ER in Houston.

$50/hr for ED in Houston?  

What happened???  Just 2 years ago I had an informal offer of $100/hr for nights in a very busy Houston area ED.

Does it depend on area of Houston?  Or have wages tanked that much??

[Cideous]

 

3 minutes ago, Boatswain2PA said:

$50/hr for ED in Houston?  

What happened???  Just 2 years ago I had an informal offer of $100/hr for nights in a very busy Houston area ED.

Does it depend on area of Houston?  Or have wages tanked that much??

 

Hi Boats,

They asked what job I had in 1997 that made $50/hr.  That's what I made in the ER back then.  

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

When we were breaking into the ED’s here in N. Texas in early 90’s I was at $30/hr. and surgical resident coverage was $45/hr which I could occasionally make on weekend shifts if I was covering for one of them (sleeping overnight).  Made more sleeping as a “resident” than I did as a PA actually seeing patients.

[camoman1234]

1 hour ago, Boatswain2PA said:

$50/hr for ED in Houston?  

What happened???  Just 2 years ago I had an informal offer of $100/hr for nights in a very busy Houston area ED.

Does it depend on area of Houston?  Or have wages tanked that much??

Crazy money for different areas, not sure about the COL in Houston, but that is good money!

[Boatswain2PA]

1 hour ago, Cideous said:

 

 

Hi Boats,

They asked what job I had in 1997 that made $50/hr.  That's what I made in the ER back then.  

Whew...good!  I missed that part.