What Impact if Your PA Career Abruptly Ended?

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

12 hours ago, CAdamsPAC said:

I am about to find out after 33 years of PA practice and 12 years before that struggling to get into a PA school. No doubt it will be a real kick in the pants!

It's been heaven so look forward to it, except for the sheetrock/paint dust, vacuuming, dusting, etc.  I have been cheated out of being one of only a couple of folks in a movie theater midweek, early morning, chomping on popcorn due to COVID.

Edited August 28, 2020 by GetMeOuttaThisMess

[DogLovingPA]

20 hours ago, ANESMCR said:

What were you thinking??? You must be bat shit crazy. 

Yes, yes I was (am)

[jmj11]

On 8/26/2020 at 9:59 AM, EMEDPA said:

I enjoy my time away from work, but miss work after a few days unless I am on a cool vacation somewhere or scuba diving, etc. I grew up in another state (CA), and despite moving to the pacific NW 21 years ago I have made very few close friends outside of work( ok, none). My wife grew up here, but her friends are really not my friends. She went to HS with them, not me, so we don't have shared history. I have 10 days off because I was supposed to be taking my kid to college. Not happening now. I have some stuff to do around the house, but I wouldn't be sad if I had to go back to work tomorrow. My best friends now are all folks I met at work. Many I no longer work with, but still hang out with, go to concerts with, etc.

Your "kid" is college age already? I'm shocked with the passage of time.

[jmj11]

I'm feeling my way through this. I profoundly love writing (am deeply into a thriller novel with a PA protagonist) because I get to create a parallel universe of my liking and live within that world for a few months. But, it is not conducive to building friendships as it is a solo venture. If it had not been for COVID and me getting a bone marrow transplant just before, I would have been part of many groups (love sailing and hiking). I'm back to hiking, kayaking, sailing and biking, but all solo save my Saint Bernard Greta. I do miss immensity the people I worked with and some of my patients. Now I am no longer in the provider role, I'm becoming more friends with some of those patients (as long as we don't talk shop too much). I'm having coffee (social distancing) with a patient and her husband next week, with whom I've become close. 

[Brigid2010]

On 8/24/2020 at 6:46 PM, Reality Check 2 said:

Today, and likely just today - I would walk away and not be sad.

Today has sucked, medicine sucks right now and people are just mean.

If I did lose my job - my family would be in financial straits and a world of hurt.

I don't identify as my profession. I would love to do 50 other things - however, none of them pay what I make now.

So, my psyche would suffer for my family but not doing what I do would not change my identity as a person.

But again, today really sucks.

 

This--so much this...

[EMEDPA]

On 8/28/2020 at 8:33 PM, jmj11 said:

Your "kid" is college age already? I'm shocked with the passage of time.

yup, taking a deferral/gap year though.

[CAdamsPAC]

On 8/26/2020 at 11:02 AM, sas5814 said:

Interesting question. The financial aspect would be really tough. As someone stated above there are other things I might like to do but none with anywhere near the income.

I learned a few things during my long furlough. The first is my identity isn't really all that wrapped up in being a PA which surprised me. Some years ago I had a conversation about this very thing. If you meet someone new and you hear "tell me about yourself" almost anyone will mention their occupation as one of the first few things in describing themselves.

With the general high suck factor of practicing these days and the increased suck of working UC in a major med center, other than being stressed about the finances, I found I didn't miss medicine at all.

My work colleagues, all of whom I really like a lot, were just gone and I didn't particularly grieve their absence. I only spoke to a couple over the months and that was mostly to catch up on the work gossip about what was going to be re-opened and who mighI have a new position that lacks everything I disliked about corporate medicine. I may grow to enjoy working again. For years it has been something I suffered through as a matter of necessity.t get called back to work when. I may be a little different than most about what constitutes a friend. I have a few and they have been my friends for many years. I don't pick up new ones casually.

I have a new position that lacks everything I disliked about corporate medicine. I may grow to enjoy working again. For years it has been something I suffered through as a matter of necessity.

"I have a new position that lacks everything I disliked about corporate medicine. I may grow to enjoy working again. For years it has been something I suffered through as a matter of necessity." Scott you will truly enjoy the job as your voice will be listened to, your decisions not questioned, you as a professional will be respected across the board. I would have bailed if I hadn't joined  the PAs on the Slope.

[bobuddy]

I have been reading this thread several times - and am pondering where I am headed in the future.    COVID furloughs have shown me while my community defines me as their medical provider - my clinic has shown me that I am very expendable.   I have been struggling with my perception of "me" before COVID and after COVID.    I am back to my  clinic full time again but during furlough, I joined the VA system that had COVID money available for extra temporary positions.    Three weeks ago, I was offered part time permanent employment through the VA which I accepted so I will do both for awhile.    I see the changes on the horizon with both of my clinic SP's nearing retirement, NP's taking our jobs and corporate medicine taking over - and generally going in a direction that leads me to believe I need to keep all of my options open.  There was definitely a "grieving process" for all of these realizations.     If income was not an issue, I think I would be happy packing it all up, taking my dogs and hitting the road west to be a NP Ranger,  hiking in the Rocky Mountains.   I hope I could do volunteer service somewhere.   With the VA /Federal system, I have doors opening with disaster relief and IHS locum opportunities that I had put off exploring in the past.    I am trying to look at all of this as "stretch and grow" but - again - there is definitely a grieving and letting go of previous ideologies.   

[ANESMCR]

22 minutes ago, bobuddy said:

I have been reading this thread several times - and am pondering where I am headed in the future.    COVID furloughs have shown me while my community defines me as their medical provider - my clinic has shown me that I am very expendable.   I have been struggling with my perception of "me" before COVID and after COVID.    I am back to my  clinic full time again but during furlough, I joined the VA system that had COVID money available for extra temporary positions.    Three weeks ago, I was offered part time permanent employment through the VA which I accepted so I will do both for awhile.    I see the changes on the horizon with both of my clinic SP's nearing retirement, NP's taking our jobs and corporate medicine taking over - and generally going in a direction that leads me to believe I need to keep all of my options open.  There was definitely a "grieving process" for all of these realizations.     If income was not an issue, I think I would be happy packing it all up, taking my dogs and hitting the road west to be a NP Ranger,  hiking in the Rocky Mountains.   I hope I could do volunteer service somewhere.   With the VA /Federal system, I have doors opening with disaster relief and IHS locum opportunities that I had put off exploring in the past.    I am trying to look at all of this as "stretch and grow" but - again - there is definitely a grieving and letting go of previous ideologies.   

Sometimes I think back to my time at Colorado State University and wonder why the hell I switched my major from Wildlife Biology to biomedical science. 

[bobuddy]

ANESMCR - My brother graduated from CSU - my niece and nephew are there now.  My whole family is in CO - I can't get my husband to leave KY for some reason.    If he agreed, I would be leaving skid marks from here.    My next job will be working at RMNP if I have anything to say about it.    My last trip out there - I met a volunteer ranger on the tundra trails - his "job" was to hike the trails check on people.     I could hang up my stethoscope for that.......

[EMEDPA]

57 minutes ago, bobuddy said:

 My next job will be working at RMNP if I have anything to say about it.    My last trip out there - I met a volunteer ranger on the tundra trails - his "job" was to hike the trails check on people.     I could hang up my stethoscope for that.......

Back country search and rescue paramedic was once on my radar as a job as well. Me, the horse, and a medic bag. Doesn't sound too bad these days. 

[ANESMCR]

1 hour ago, bobuddy said:

ANESMCR - My brother graduated from CSU - my niece and nephew are there now.  My whole family is in CO - I can't get my husband to leave KY for some reason.    If he agreed, I would be leaving skid marks from here.    My next job will be working at RMNP if I have anything to say about it.    My last trip out there - I met a volunteer ranger on the tundra trails - his "job" was to hike the trails check on people.     I could hang up my stethoscope for that.......

Proud Alumni. Its changed so much over the years. NoCo and Wyoming were my entire life, not a bad place to be that’s for sure. Just not a good place to find PA jobs unfortunately. I had to leave to be a PA...so you can only imagine. I was herding cattle one day, next thing I know I’m in a different state chasing a career. You’ll get there someday. Take a trip with the hub once the smoke is gone, maybe something will strike a nerve. If you ever want a good spot to see I have plenty to give. 

[ArmyPA]

I write this having not seen an actual patient since March. I did some Occ health physicals for a company my friends own in June, but last shift in UC was in March. I am blessed enough that between my Army retirement, VA disability, and the money made from selling our last house (and GI Bill) we are doing fine financially. For the first time in a LONNNNNGGGG time we are living within our means and all of our bills except the new home and one car are paid off. Last month I started classes in Computer Engineering and Computer Science using my GI Bill, something that has always interested me. I think for me the biggest part was the income, but with my base retirement and VA compensation I know I don't NEED to make PA money, but the idea of never working again at 45 is just not for me. I have applied to a few PRN UC positions and will likely do that for a while, at least while in school. While I LOVED being a PA in the Army, having the absolute privilege of caring for American's sons and daughters, I have not had the same feeling overall in civilian/corporate medicine. I probably should have given the Army another 10 years but the family situation would have suffered and that was not an option. I had a much more difficult time leaving the military than I did stepping back from being a PA. Even without school my skillset after 23 years in the Army is deep enough that I could find work as I was a former Intelligence Officer and WMD specialist. I think for me it would be different if I were a Physician and I sometimes wish I went that route instead of PA, but that is not how the cookie crumbled so here I am. If I never work another day as a PA I may miss it sometimes, but not nearly as much as being a Soldier. Like LT Oneal, all of my friends are from when I was in service. That is actually why I am returning to school for Computer Science/Engineering, is to get a job locally as a civilian with the Air Force and be around troops again. Believe me, I have no business learning differential equations at my age...

Edited September 13, 2020 by ArmyPA

[CornellSPA]

Great question and some even better replies!!! Like many at the start for me it was "all surgery all the time: working two surgical jobs, teaching surgery at 2 PA Programs, state and national board work and lecturers etc etc...until I had a similar conversation that started this thread with someone in the OR Lounge that convinced me to diversity: little league coach, run for the local school board, teach at community college, start trading stocks for income, etc etc .....now if someone sees me in the clinic to get their staples out they proclaim "Hey, I saw you coaching 3ed base!" 

So the answer is: Keep being amazing at your practice....but make sure you diversify! 

[ohiovolffemtp]

Maybe there's an element of getting tired with a path after awhile.  Maybe we go into something because we really like it, or parts of it.  Then, as we live the life of whatever we chose, we find that there are other parts:

• I loved the challenge of computer programming and all of the other technical problem solving aspects, but after 29 years of corporate america and seeing that what was valued was being the best player of the management fad of the day, I couldn't wait to get out.
• Along the way,  I stopped identifying myself as the corporate IT guy and identified myself as the volunteer fire/EMS officer and instructor.  I even spent 9 years working as a firefighter/medic.  The firehouse crew became a good second family, but the feeling of being a paid employee wasn't the same as the internal satisfaction of being a volunteer.  The money wasn't there and my body was/is aging.  Now, I seem to be getting my "fix" of taking care of people and of solving hard problems by being an EM PA.  I'm debating with myself how much longer I'll volunteer.

I listen to folks who are getting tired of being a PA.    I wonder how much is because of the environment in which they work.  I know that I came to hate the way a large hospital that was part of a larger chain treated medical staff (really all persons who worked there - their employees and us) and the way a large national staffing company treated us.  I know I'm much happier where I am now.  I also wonder if there is an element of tiredness and disillusionment that's inevitable if you spend too long in one place/career/etc.

[Cideous]

13 hours ago, ohiovolffemtp said:

Maybe there's an element of getting tired with a path after awhile.  Maybe we go into something because we really like it, or parts of it.  Then, as we live the life of whatever we chose, we find that there are other parts:

• I loved the challenge of computer programming and all of the other technical problem solving aspects, but after 29 years of corporate america and seeing that what was valued was being the best player of the management fad of the day, I couldn't wait to get out.
• Along the way,  I stopped identifying myself as the corporate IT guy and identified myself as the volunteer fire/EMS officer and instructor.  I even spent 9 years working as a firefighter/medic.  The firehouse crew became a good second family, but the feeling of being a paid employee wasn't the same as the internal satisfaction of being a volunteer.  The money wasn't there and my body was/is aging.  Now, I seem to be getting my "fix" of taking care of people and of solving hard problems by being an EM PA.  I'm debating with myself how much longer I'll volunteer.

I listen to folks who are getting tired of being a PA.    I wonder how much is because of the environment in which they work.  I know that I came to hate the way a large hospital that was part of a larger chain treated medical staff (really all persons who worked there - their employees and us) and the way a large national staffing company treated us.  I know I'm much happier where I am now.  I also wonder if there is an element of tiredness and disillusionment that's inevitable if you spend too long in one place/career/etc.

Good insight.

[ventana]

19 hours ago, ohiovolffemtp said:

Maybe there's an element of getting tired with a path after awhile.  Maybe we go into something because we really like it, or parts of it.  Then, as we live the life of whatever we chose, we find that there are other parts:

• I loved the challenge of computer programming and all of the other technical problem solving aspects, but after 29 years of corporate america and seeing that what was valued was being the best player of the management fad of the day, I couldn't wait to get out.
• Along the way,  I stopped identifying myself as the corporate IT guy and identified myself as the volunteer fire/EMS officer and instructor.  I even spent 9 years working as a firefighter/medic.  The firehouse crew became a good second family, but the feeling of being a paid employee wasn't the same as the internal satisfaction of being a volunteer.  The money wasn't there and my body was/is aging.  Now, I seem to be getting my "fix" of taking care of people and of solving hard problems by being an EM PA.  I'm debating with myself how much longer I'll volunteer.

I listen to folks who are getting tired of being a PA.    I wonder how much is because of the environment in which they work.  I know that I came to hate the way a large hospital that was part of a larger chain treated medical staff (really all persons who worked there - their employees and us) and the way a large national staffing company treated us.  I know I'm much happier where I am now.  I also wonder if there is an element of tiredness and disillusionment that's inevitable if you spend too long in one place/career/etc.

Go back into private practice! 
 

crazy patient telling screaming dropping F bombs at from desk today demanding to be seen.  Owes us $120.  Was very nice at the end of the visit to explain to her that behavior is not acceptable.  She replies she is going to complain to hospital thinking we are owned by them.  We are not.  I explain to her we are not.  That this behavior is not acceptable and if it happens again she will need to find a new pcp.  Very rewarding.  
 

would not want to be in a place bean counters rule.