Career Advice: Urgent Care vs ER

[JWB77]

I am in the process of setting up my clinical electives with an ER focus when my clinical director asked me today if I would be interested in urgent care. Apparently, the big UC company in my area is looking for students to do a clinical rotation with them with the intention of training them and hiring them after graduation.  From what I have heard, they are a good company and compensate their PAs very well. I have always leaned toward the ER because I like the fast pace, variety, and doing more procedures, but a good ER job for a new grad in my area is harder to come by. I know with most jobs you can only get 2 of the 3 (specialty, pay, location), and residency is not an option. I think I would enjoy UC for a time while I’m still an over-eager new grad, but I know I would enjoy the ER more as a career.

So here are my questions:

A)      I know UC jobs are generally nightmares for new grads, but would you recommend taking it knowing that you would have the last 6 weeks of your clinical year for essentially on the job training?

B)      Sacrifice one of my only two electives in the UC and essentially have a guaranteed job with pay and location, or do a more useful elective and take a gamble on an ER job (specialty, pay and location)?

C)      Would I still be able to get a job in the ER (small, low acuity) with having only UC experience later in my career?

Thanks for the help.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

A) I would never work in UC

B) see A

C) yes but if you want low acuity EM, that’s just UC.

 

realistic answer to your question, do whatever is practical for you and your family.

[MT2PA]

FWIW there is never a guaranteed job.  Something to keep in mind.  Unless it's in writing, it's an empty promise at this point.  

[Joelseff]

FWIW there is never a guaranteed job.  Something to keep in mind.  Unless it's in writing, it's an empty promise at this point.  

So true! I had a "Guaranteed Job" in PA school with my former boss and mentor. Sadly he died during didactic year. Lost my job but more importantly lost my mentor.

However I did find a job after graduation and have been employed ever since...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Acromion]

A.) No, don't do urgent care as a new grad. You sound like an eager but naive PA student so let me pull the wool from your eyes. This big UC company you are speaking of is trying to harvest naive new grads like yourself so they can use you to bill a bunch of 99204's for URI's and ankle sprains. 

B.) Don't take an elective to get a job unless it's a really good one. 

C.) It is much easier to go from ER to UC than vice versa. In fact, I think a lot of the habits you might acquire from working in an urgent care would be maladaptive for the ER.

My advice to you is to take the most challenging job that interests you when you graduate, even if it means making some sacrifices in terms of location or practice environment, as your first job will set the trajectory for the rest of your career. Also as a new grad you will still have a student mindset, so you will be eager to take on more challenging patients and learn from them.