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PA is #3 best Job in America


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4 minutes ago, rev ronin said:

Not that you can go back and do this again, but I believe that 3-6 months prior to graduation is the appropriate time for starting to job hunt.  I had a signed offer in hand (contingent on graduation and PANCE, of course) in May (or was it June?) for a September start date 1 month after my August graduation, and I got another informal offer ("well, if you didn't already have a job lined up...") from my final rotation.

yup, me too...but we are old....:)

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3 hours ago, ANESMCR said:

5 years CNA, EMT, Anes Tech. Two premed B.Sc. Started my trek to PA school 8 years ago. I graduated 08/2019 and started job searching/applying immediately. Yes, I f/u regularly, write emails, make phone calls, apply more than once, you name it. First month I was applying to my areas of interest (Family med). Second month expanded to endo, UC, EM, RPA, surgery, neuro, psych, rheum, ortho. Only thing I haven’t applied to is OB/GYN. I had a standard rotational experience with additional surgical training. I have been very flexible with exception to large metropolitan areas. Of which I refuse to live in because...quite frankly it would be torture for someone like myself. I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs ranging from UT, NM, MT, CO, WY, and FL. One family med opportunity came out of it and they eventually went with a candidate with more experience. I’m originally from northern CO, a location which I’ve accepted is a long shot for jobs from my experience there thus far. Even with my connections from years in the hospital systems there. As for my colleagues, their backgrounds range from scribing, emt’s, RT’s, etc. As of late, I do have two interviews set up now. One of which I’m very hopeful for. 
 

None of that is ever my point. I don’t want to throw anecdotal stories in others faces. I appreciate the leaps and bounds AAPA/PAFT has made in the last several years. All I am saying is that I was floored by the reality of the market these days. That it can take months and months to find something. And aggravated that nobody wants to talk about it. I kidd you not, not one dose of reality is handed to bright-eyed pre and current PA students when discussing opportunity. Those three pillars of job searching simply aren’t there anymore. People don’t even believe you when you tell them it’s more difficult to land a good PA job these days. After all, we’re #3 right? Instead, it’s as if I’m committing an act of treason by speaking up after seeing so many new grads dismissed so easily due to lack of experience in the field, AAPA, you name it. The conversation always end with, “well, it must be something you’re doing wrong”. So I will cower back into the new grad corner I belong in, keep my mouth zipped, and keep on truckin. 

Like some of the old-timers on here, I started applying for jobs several months before graduation. I got mostly "no" because they wanted someone who had actually graduated, but hey, I tried, got the hang of it, and learned. I treated every rotation like an interview and gave my CV to each preceptor that I could see myself working or networking with. I got a job offer on a rotation two months before graduation (they were hiring another surgeon who needed a PA). Mostly luck of the draw, but had I never inquired, maybe it wouldn't have ever happened. My ER rotation was also starting up a residency-type employment situation and offered me a seat, but I turned it down since they were still developing it and I had nothing in hand guaranteeing employment. That preceptor eventually called me 6 months later asking if I was still interested in a job. A year out, my IM preceptor was expanding his practice and contacted me, asking if I wanted a job. Have you tried contacting your connections and networked? State conferences? Have you tried calling your school? My alma mater has some job search resources for alumni. They also boasted a particular "employment" percentage within a certain amount of time, which is another reason why I chose that school. But I digress.

I and a dozen of my other classmates (out of 90) were fortunate enough to get job offers while we were students; this wasn't the majority. Others took the first job offer they got after graduation. A few took a little bit longer. Now, as a preceptor myself, I try to talk with my students about the job search, what to look for in a first job, etc. In fact, when I put in my resignation for my last job (and first job referenced above; stayed for five years), I contacted one of my students and recommended him for the position, which he eventually accepted. Most of my students, like you, wait to start their job search until graduation and had interviews and offers within a few months. The ones that took a few months were usually more particular about what kind of job and where.

You have great experience, and so it's disappointing that you haven't gotten very many bites. As mentioned, graduation is a tough time to start looking for jobs. A PA job can take 3-6+ months from the time of initial contact to the interview, negotiation, and eventually accepting an offer. Someone else on this forum recently posted that it took them 8 months to accept an offer, but they were being particular about the job they were looking for. I honestly wouldn't worry too much that it's taking you this long, especially since you're limiting yourself to those states and rural locations. Hell, I recently switched from ortho trauma to CT surgery, and it took me 3 months from time that I started looking to the time I accepted an offer and I'm almost 6 years out with great references from department heads.

After all that, however, I am led to believe something is amiss if you're applying to "hundreds of jobs" but have only received two interviews. I would encourage you to do some networking, and good luck!

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1 hour ago, Sed said:

After all that, however, I am led to believe something is amiss if you're applying to "hundreds of jobs" but have only received two interviews. I would encourage you to do some networking, and good luck!

I can't emphasize networking enough.  I have been hired 8 times at 6 practices; only the first two (2012, 2015) ) did I ever apply for a job--as in, respond to an ad.  For the Alaska job, I was approached by an agency ("headhunter") and all the rest were made within social networks.

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For some of us "Boomers", it took me 4 mos. to obtain two offers, one in FM and the other in spine.  Back in the stone-age there wasn't much of a network to build on because very few people had heard of us, and even fewer knew how to utilize us.  The FM gig was in association with a state med school satellite.  Oh well, back to my crochet...

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As a relatively new graduate (or at least I still think so) from 12/2016, I began applying and interviewing at least 6 months from graduation.  I actually got into minor trouble for traveling too much for interviews because my school felt I was missing too much of my rotations (all travel was pre-approved...but they were probably right).  I had 8 offers rotating in before I graduated.  4 of them were pretty terrible and were declined immediately.  3 seemed worth pursuing but ended up not being the "right fit."  1 seemed like a quality opportunity...and if I had been with pretty much any other ortho surgeon in the group I would probably still be there.  I left that job within 6 months (actually terminated when they learned I was looking elsewhere).  I had zero problems finding my next job...when it was time to leave that job I had zero problems finding my current employment.

Obviously my story is anecdotal and not necessarily indicative of every PA out there, plus I'm sure the world has changed some in 3+ years.  But, from what I can see, it seems that current PA students shouldn't be waiting until after graduation to start applying.  Sure, there will be some employers who only want someone with experience, or don't want to invest anything until someone has actually passed the PANCE, but that is not everyone.

The last piece of advice...there are three choices: specialty, compensation, and location.  Generally the advice is you get to pick two.  But, if you are a new graduate trying to find a job in a highly sought after location or specialty you may very well only get to pick one.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/2/2020 at 11:49 AM, Joelseff said:

 

Despite all the chicken little talk here on this forum and sometimes in the huddle, we are still one of the top professions in the US.

 

It can be better but I think we got it pretty good compared to other professions.

 

Here's to making the profession better.

 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

I do think a healthy amount of fear is good for the profession, especially for the pre-pa and pa students. Base on my experience interacting with the students, most of them don't have any idea what they are up against in the real world. I have pre-pa student asking for letter of rec but doesn't know anything about OTP. But they do know PA is the #3 best job in America LOL. One of my former student told me after he started practicing he realized the PA profession "sounds on much better on paper than in real life"  and I totally agree. Don't get me wrong, I love being a PA. I think this profession is better than 90% of job out there. But I feel I have the responsibility to tell the pre-pa and pa student the reality and the challenges they will face.  Now I make the pre-pas learn about OTPs and title change before writing them a letter of rec. 

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On 2/2/2020 at 8:25 PM, Joelseff said:

What I meant was for a masters level job we have pretty good job outlook depending on area and specialty and we are expected to make 6 figures at graduation... That's pretty good...and even compared to NPs, they have had independence in 22 states but PAs have not completely dried up in those states and generally have equal and sometimes higher pay.

 

I really like that see the data of that. A study of opportunities between PA vs NP in independent NP states would be awesome. 

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I really like that see the data of that. A study of opportunities between PA vs NP in independent NP states would be awesome. 

Just look up jobs at those states. Anecdotally, I have friends in Nevada and Washington State both of which are independent states and they are doing pretty well and tell me there are lots of jobs for PAs. Last I looked there are no states where they are not employing PAs.  Judging by the salary report our salaries are doing well also.

 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

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