sportygirl07 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 What is the best part of being a PA? What do you like about it? Does being a PA feel rewarding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMD16 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Ability to switch specialty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 The chance to practice medicine and make a difference in a reasonable amount of time. I had lots of HCE before then, but I took my first prereq at age 51, worked in my full-time job for another 7 years while I finished the prereqs, and then went off to my 27 months of PA training. I can't imagine getting here any other way. And KMD16 is right, too! Barry Marietta Class of 06 Cardiology PA, EMT-P, retired engineer Author of Old Man on Campus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMD16 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Too many pluses staying as a generalist PA. Wants to specialize, good luck! There goes your autonomy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmj11 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Flexibility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebecker Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I get to take care of people. I'm not running numbers, taking out garbage, washing dishes, scrubbing toilets, or designing airplanes. I take care of people. It's amazing when I think about it. People are concerned. "Is my heart ok? Do I have diabetes? Why do my fingers go numb occasionally? I have a fever... Am I really sick?" These are their worries and their questions. Sometimes they're seriously ill, sometimes not. But they come to me to figure it out and help them. It's an awesome responsibility and I love it. As you can tell, it is quite rewarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted May 13, 2013 Administrator Share Posted May 13, 2013 The respect I get from my patients and the other clinicians. The ability to actually both help people, and keep the docs practicing at the top of their licenses, rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 13, 2013 Moderator Share Posted May 13, 2013 ability to influence a patient's life in their hour of greatest need. saw a guy nice older guy tonight with no pcp, off all his meds for months. terrible bp, multiple comorbidities, etc. tuned him up and arranged a new pcp for him. with any luck just added several years to his life....patients like this make all the folks with drug seeking, paper cuts and benign self limiting illnesses worthwhile. just one/shift. that's all I ask. flexibile scheduling, variety of pt presentations, and ability to work almost anywhere, anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myironlung Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 straight up paycheck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LESH Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 ability to influence a patient's life in their hour of greatest need.saw a guy nice older guy tonight with no pcp, off all his meds for months. terrible bp, multiple comorbidities, etc. tuned him up and arranged a new pcp for him. with any luck just added several years to his life....patients like this make all the folks with drug seeking, paper cuts and benign self limiting illnesses worthwhile. just one/shift. that's all I ask. flexibile scheduling, variety of pt presentations, and ability to work almost anywhere, anytime. That is so cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 For me, it is being able to impact patient lives and well being. I especially love Primary Care because you get to go through the stages if life with your patients and help them through them. Some of my patients are like family to me. I inherited many of my late mentor's panel of patients so some I have known for 15+ years and they knew me before I was a PA so there's a comfort level we have with each other. I have brought some people back from the brink of severe disease and cleaned up some other clinician's messes and my patients love me for it. It's not all rainbows though and you do get the "bad apples" and i am not always "Dr. House" but for the most part, I love my work. It also helps that my SP and I were friends before opening this practice together so i don't get a lot of the PA/SP crap that some PAs deal with. I see being a PA as the culmination of all my work and education in medicine going back 20+ years now. Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasip Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I wish so many more of them would give us this opportunity. While I concur with it being the most rewarding aspect of the job personally, I find that SO many reject this opportunity. I correlate it to taking your car to the mechanic and they're telling you that you have a bad fuel injector based on the diagnostics and you in turn tell them to just change the battery. You took it to them for a reason yet you aren't listening to what they're telling you. ability to influence a patient's life in their hour of greatest need.saw a guy nice older guy tonight with no pcp, off all his meds for months. terrible bp, multiple comorbidities, etc. tuned him up and arranged a new pcp for him. with any luck just added several years to his life....patients like this make all the folks with drug seeking, paper cuts and benign self limiting illnesses worthwhile. just one/shift. that's all I ask. flexibile scheduling, variety of pt presentations, and ability to work almost anywhere, anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted May 13, 2013 Moderator Share Posted May 13, 2013 hands down ---- taking care of patients and having a positive effect on them... getting them through a tough time and a horrible medical system (if you want to call it that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycRPAC Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Ventana, couldn't agree with you more. The relationships formed and appreciation of our patients really is a huge part for me. I find working together as PA/patient (sometimes patient family) team can be very rewarding not only medically but psychosocially as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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