jmj11 Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 I'm curious as I'm at this juncture. If working made no difference to your income, would you continue working as a PA, or pursue your other interests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 (edited) Can I participate? If yes, I would only work 1-2 shifts a month for the mental stimulation and pursue other avenues as a distraction; flying planes as a hobby, traveling/spending 2-6 months in a new country, learning a trade for fun, real estate. Mind you, I've only been in a professional career for less than 3 years and I'm absolutely over the bureaucracy. But alas, it's the only thing I've tailored my resume to do and it's the only way (for now) for me to dig my self out of low-income and into middle/higher income. Edited February 24, 2021 by Diggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Absolutely not. I would stay in school forever, maybe become a professor, which I am still interested in teaching at a PA program in the future. But practice clinically, absolutely not. Too high risk and things seem to be getting worse, not better in medicine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgriffiths Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I would...but it would simply be for the interaction and the stimulation. I'm FAR too young to retire completely and have essentially zero responsibility outside of being a husband a father. But, I certainly wouldn't work as much as I do now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pac30 Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 No I'm completely over the BS. 9 years in and I have no idea how I'm supposed to make this last another 25+ 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANESMCR Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I’d do one day per week, maybe, but no guarantee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 25, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 25, 2021 I would still work, but a lot less. Probably 24 hrs/week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 25, 2021 Administrator Share Posted February 25, 2021 But working as a PA DOES impact my income; I've lost over half a million dollars by NOT staying in IT Security for the last 10 years, taking 28 months of no income for PA school, and working in family medicine. But yeah--I work, every week, as well as splitting my time among other things that give meaning to my existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmj11 Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 I have to decide if I keep my cert by the end of March. The only thing I lack is Cat I CME. With my COVID vaccinations done (had work restriction due to bone marrow transplant) I could go back to work if I wanted. I miss it, but other times I don't. Am staying busy writing, hiking daily, building a stone cottage, but there are times I miss medicine. I have two more years on my disability, which ends if I draw a salary, so it makes no fannical difference to me. But it raised he intriguing question if people loved medicine enough to do it for nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MediMike Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) I'd have to oe I'd probably die. Not from boredom but from my wife murdering me. Honestly, my job is pretty niche and a fantastic fit for me so I'd probably keep at it. Edited February 25, 2021 by MediMike 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiovolffemtp Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 The closer I get to retirement the more I ponder this sort of question. My current answer is that I will probably continue to work at a reduced amount, mostly for the mental stimulation. I used to think that I'd do that as a ff/medic, now I think that doing it as a PA is better path: more mental stimulation and less physical demands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakaHoo Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 11 hours ago, Pac30 said: No I'm completely over the BS. 9 years in and I have no idea how I'm supposed to make this last another 25+ 8 years in, feel similarly. Pay is good - Job is stressful - Hospitals/Admins care about 1 thing and 1 thing only - profits 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) I just came across a list of goals I wrote about 30 years ago. At the time, I wasn't a PA and I wrote that I wanted to retire at 57! I didn't do that! Instead I became a PA at age 60 and I am still working at nearly 75. I believe that I'm financially independent enough now to stop working. I have a couple of pensions, I am required to draw down my retirement savings, and there are more 1099-Rs than W2s when I do my taxes. Now I just do 1 or 2 days weekly as a clinician and teach for a PA program half-time. The variety and stimulation is important to me. I am also learning to prioritize our personal life more too; my wife and I took a month off to go somewhere warm in January and life went on. If there is a lesson I've learned through all this is that you need to find a job that you like. There is an assumption that all jobs are the same; a pessimistic guy I used to work with kept repeating "that's why they call it 'work.'" But it really wasn't true; some jobs are more suited to your needs than others so you have to keep trying to find your niche. I am the kind of person that has some non-work interests but I do get bored without a purpose after a while. If you personally have some driving interest (like flying your plane around the country, hiking the Appalachian Trail, etc), then you might want to design your life so retire when you can and enjoy those activities. No one answer for everyone but figuring out who you are and what you want in life is a lifelong voyage. Edited March 17, 2021 by UGoLong 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayamom Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Absolutely not. Not worth the risk and stress. Volunteer at an animal shelter is my goal! Hiking building a stone cottage sounds lovely. Enjoy. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted February 25, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 25, 2021 If I did not need the money, I'd absolutely continue to work the ED in small rural facilities. Though I would have far more stipulations, like I'm not doing any more morning rounds on 72 hours shifts, because F that noise. But I'd probably only work something like 24 hours a week like others. I assume your talking about volunteering, because you say it doesn't alter your income. If you aren't being paid, then you are well protected in many instances. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/liability-considerations-physician-volunteers-us/2010-03#:~:text=Although state immunity laws provide,of volunteering their professional services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 No. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmj11 Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Related question, if I decide to keep my cert, having just finished the re-cert and paid the fees, the only thing lack is Cat I CME. I know this question has been asked before, but for an update, where is the best place to get free Cat I CME online? I always had mine via conferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMeOuttaThisMess Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, jmj11 said: Related question, if I decide to keep my cert, having just finished the re-cert and paid the fees, the only thing lack is Cat I CME. I know this question has been asked before, but for an update, where is the best place to get free Cat I CME online? I always had mine via conferences. I'm in the same boat but my license expires at the end of August and I'm debating whether to keep it active. My cert is good through end of next year. I don't anticipate using it any longer but one should never say never. I think that I used this site, https://www.freecme.com, in years past when I didn't subscribe to what is now EM:RAP. The EM topics don't seem very EM to me. It may be worth it to re-subscribe to EM:RAP just to be entertained while getting the CME. To answer your original question, no, unless it was for mission trips or ability (key word) to assist in volunteer endeavors which have apparently been effectively shut down here in Texas due to legal oversight requirements. Edited February 25, 2021 by GetMeOuttaThisMess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid2010 Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Maybe-but on a VERY limited basis, like a couple shifts/month. And even that is no promise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 14 minutes ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said: I'm in the same boat but my license expires at the end of August and I'm debating whether to keep it active. My cert is good through end of next year. I don't anticipate using it any longer but one should never say never. I think that I used this site, https://www.freecme.com, in years past when I didn't subscribe to what is now EM:RAP. I said the same thing a year ago when I left my job to move and (I thought) retire. Yet here I am, very happy I kept my license up. I need it now, bigly lol. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Open a roller skating rink - assuming people can come and COVID is not as big of a threat. Teach kids to skate. Skate everyday myself to my 80s music and bring at least one dog to work. Learn a few more languages. Go to school for fun stuff. Yeah, there are other things I could do if salary wasn’t an issue. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 26, 2021 Administrator Share Posted February 26, 2021 9 hours ago, jmj11 said: Related question, if I decide to keep my cert, having just finished the re-cert and paid the fees, the only thing lack is Cat I CME. I know this question has been asked before, but for an update, where is the best place to get free Cat I CME online? I always had mine via conferences. Do your Bupe waiver for 24 hours free. Medscape. UpToDate if you have it. JAAPA CME is 1 a month. Other journals often do about that (1/month) as well, I do most of them from Wilderness & Environmental Medicine to keep up my FAWM. Lots of societies have online CME, often in the form of virtualized conferences for 2020. I've used SEMPA 360, Catholic Medical Association's bioethics stuff... Not super cheap, but you can often get 20 Cat 1 hours for $400ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Nope. I have not worked as a PA in 11 months and will be starting work in the clinical laboratory at a local hospital in the upcoming week. (My undergrad degree is in Medical Technology). Can't quite retire yet at age 61, but am happy to be returning to being a lab rat. I still really enjoy case studies and do miss some of the patient contact, but have no desire to ever step back into direct patient care. I am grateful for the experience, amazing co-workers, and retirement savings I was able to build as a PA, but I'm done. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluiz1997 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Absolutely 100% NO. 20 years in and I am at the very end of the road. I can't say that I enjoyed a single day. I am good at what I do and I did what I needed to do to help support my family. I cannot wait for the next chapter. I will not miss it for one second. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photograph51 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 I think I would keep my PRN every other weekend job, but there's no way I would keep getting up at 3:10 am if I wasn't getting paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.