Advice for New Grad

[cbj57]

I am a PA student about to graduate in August. My background was in long term care and primary care before school. During school I really liked my EM classes and rotation. Looking at job postings it looks like there aren’t many opportunities for new grads in EM. Am I better off trying to get a job in Family Med? Or is a job in inpatient medicine better preparation for my end goal of getting into EM? For what it’s worth I enjoyed my inpatient rotation more than primary care. I have heard that urgent care is often not a great environment for a new grad is that correct? Above all I would really like a first job that has lots of training and supportive/accessible supervising Physicians. Any advice on what kind of jobs to seek out as I get closer to graduation?

[rev ronin]

On 3/26/2022 at 1:59 PM, cbj57 said:

I am a PA student about to graduate in August. My background was in long term care and primary care before school. During school I really liked my EM classes and rotation. Looking at job postings it looks like there aren’t many opportunities for new grads in EM. Am I better off trying to get a job in Family Med? Or is a job in inpatient medicine better preparation for my end goal of getting into EM? For what it’s worth I enjoyed my inpatient rotation more than primary care. I have heard that urgent care is often not a great environment for a new grad is that correct? Above all I would really like a first job that has lots of training and supportive/accessible supervising Physicians. Any advice on what kind of jobs to seek out as I get closer to graduation?

The answer to this isn't particularly state specific, so asking again in a broader forum may get you more replies.

The answer to your question is "it depends." I did family medicine, fully intending to switch to EM. Swapped to a second job with walk-in care, and ended up in both sleep and occupational medicine based on the experiences in that job--it's not that I stopped liking EM, just realized that my personality and preferences fit with those fields much better.

[Apollo1]

On 3/26/2022 at 4:59 PM, cbj57 said:

Or is a job in inpatient medicine better preparation for my end goal of getting into EM?

What do you mean by inpatient? There are plenty of services that utilize APPs solely for inpatient work. If you mean hospitalist, it doesn't necessarily set you up for EM. The workups are broader, and many hospitalists don't do procedures b/c of bylaws, practice preferences, etc. IMO, it makes more sense to transition from EM to hospitalist than the other way around, as you get a basic exposure to hospital function and can tangibly demonstrate real competency.

 

On 3/26/2022 at 4:59 PM, cbj57 said:

I have heard that urgent care is often not a great environment for a new grad is that correct? Above all I would really like a first job that has lots of training and supportive/accessible supervising Physicians.

It depends on the UC. You may have a tandem schedule initially, but often people are quickly transitioned to solo shifts depending on a facility's volume. The downside to UC is you may not have an attending/senior APP to seek guidance from in the moment, which especially matters when your gestalt is underdeveloped and it's up to you to properly dispo.

 

On 3/26/2022 at 4:59 PM, cbj57 said:

Any advice on what kind of jobs to seek out as I get closer to graduation?

Establish contacts on all of your rotations that can be leveraged when it comes time to apply for jobs. Stay in touch with them, even if that specialty is not your first choice. Better to have a job on your resume than be waiting for a "dream position" that may never materialize.