Krayne Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Hello! I am currently a student in Reno, NV and will be taking the PANCE this August. I will most likely be moving to Missoula MT after I graduate for my husband's job. I saw a post on here from a few years back about applying for jobs as a new grad in MT that was pretty discouraging. I'm curious if things have changed, any PA's in Missoula that could provide me with some insight? I appreciate it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose1 Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 I am from Missoula, and it is extremely saturated and becoming worse. So many people moved to Montana during the pandemic, it really changed the landscape for jobs here and not in a good way, and doubled the cost of housing. During the pandemic it got bad. I had two experienced PAs working with me at the health department for $30 an hour that were both laid off from their clinics and couldn't find jobs in Missoula, and couldn't move due to kids/home situation. I have a friend who graduated last year and ended up taking a job on the reservation and lives there during workweek because he couldn't find decent employment in Missoula or the bitterroot valley. He did get one offer from an urgent care but he would only be paid 85K and the patient load and benefits were not worth it (they ended up hiring an NP who took that salary btw). The university is a decent place to work, but again the salary is on the low end ($40-45 an hour). The community health center in Missoula is excellent, pays well but it is very competitive to get into. It would be an awesome place to work as a new grad because of loan forgiveness and the staff are very supportive. I would call them up and see if they are hiring. Most of the surgical PA jobs I have seen require 2+ years experience and a ton of call. Providence is the only hospital I would work for in town there. I would love to move back to Missoula when I graduate next year, but with how bad things have gotten I am planning to take a job on the reservation in NE Montana for as few years to get my loans paid off, money saved and get experience before even applying back at home. Hope you defy the odds and have some success with your search. Message me if you have questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krayne Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 3 hours ago, moose1 said: I am from Missoula, and it is extremely saturated and becoming worse. So many people moved to Montana during the pandemic, it really changed the landscape for jobs here and not in a good way, and doubled the cost of housing. During the pandemic it got bad. I had two experienced PAs working with me at the health department for $30 an hour that were both laid off from their clinics and couldn't find jobs in Missoula, and couldn't move due to kids/home situation. I have a friend who graduated last year and ended up taking a job on the reservation and lives there during workweek because he couldn't find decent employment in Missoula or the bitterroot valley. He did get one offer from an urgent care but he would only be paid 85K and the patient load and benefits were not worth it (they ended up hiring an NP who took that salary btw). The university is a decent place to work, but again the salary is on the low end ($40-45 an hour). The community health center in Missoula is excellent, pays well but it is very competitive to get into. It would be an awesome place to work as a new grad because of loan forgiveness and the staff are very supportive. I would call them up and see if they are hiring. Most of the surgical PA jobs I have seen require 2+ years experience and a ton of call. Providence is the only hospital I would work for in town there. I would love to move back to Missoula when I graduate next year, but with how bad things have gotten I am planning to take a job on the reservation in NE Montana for as few years to get my loans paid off, money saved and get experience before even applying back at home. Hope you defy the odds and have some success with your search. Message me if you have questions. Oof that's not easy to hear that but I appreciate you honesty, thank you for giving me a place to start. I will definitely begin aggressively applying and see what comes of it, I'm glad to know this information now instead of moving there in the fall with no job and a naive perspective. I'm sorry to hear that has happened to your beloved hometown, the same thing is happening here in Reno, it used to be a hidden gem until the pandemic, now house prices have tripled (Missoula prices look nice right now compared to here) and traffic is like living in LA. It's my husband's dream job too so I would hate to be the reason we can't move. I see some jobs in surrounding areas such as Hamilton which I would be open to, don't know if that area is any easier, I know it's more rural. Good luck to you, you will be graduated before you know it, goes so fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose1 Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Hamilton is a sweetheart of a town, the locals can be antagonistic towards outsiders (people not born there) but overall I think its a hidden gem. It's a doable commute from Missoula, around 70 minutes during the winter with icy roads and maybe 45 during the summer. I don't really consider Hamilton to be rural (its one of the larger towns in montana... top 20 for sure), but you might quality for HRSA loan status there. Stevensville is another place to check out in between, theres a clinic there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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