i hate being a physician assistant

Learn More. I keep thinking that I should have gone into a different field and Im overwhelmed and scared and feel stuck. That's all the hints & lead that I can provide at the time. Hospital internal medicine seemed like a good fit, but after I graduated, I felt like I needed more training. WebIm tired of being woken up in the middle of the night when Im on call. I volunteer at their school, watch their softball and baseball games, and host many play dates! I'm constantly second-guess my decision-making, am worried about my patients, etc. I completely respect the possibility that you really arent meant to be in medicine, but I dont think you can determine that with certainty until you remove the factors that seem to be making you miserable. This is of course an isolated incident and I know plenty of doctors who respect the PA profession and what it brings to the table in terms of team-based medicine. I like to try to get to know the patient and develop rapport. I've been a PA for 17 years and I can count on one hand (ok maybe two) the number of days my job produced a level of satisfaction, enjoyment, or happiness. Why not take condescend from the medical heavens and take these alleged deficient PAs under their all knowledgeable wing and share with them the nectar of the MD/DO deities?A few lab techs from my program went and became PAs years ago. Im tired of not knowing how to explain/fix their chronic abdominal pain, bloating or diarrhea despite all our negative work up.Im tired waking up 6am in the morning for my 1 hour commute. Physician assistants prefer 'associate.' We pride ourselves on providing comprehensive care to our patients while they are in the hospital. Given the number of questions I fielded on a daily basis, it helped me stay up to date on research and become proficient in managing complications of both treatments and diseases. Most patients and other providers love PAs. It won't be long until machine learning allows computers to supplant human providers for diagnostics? I know it would be hard during peak months (winter) but me getting in when the load is light is nice. I have noticed that some medical students and residents sometimes have animosity towards PAs but I think that will go away as they start practicing more as an attending. I never even would interact with doctors and I wasn't learning any good medicine. The lawsuit Eugene Volokh, Locals Technology Inc. and Rumble Canada Inc. v. Letitia James alleged A.7865A/S.4511 infringes on First Amendment freedom of speech by requiring social I tend to have recurring kidney infections (in my kidneys, Hi, I tend to have recurring kidney infections (in my kidneys, not bladder) - I get none of the UTI pain/burning/urgency symptoms, and I family read more. Now, Palermo works as a hospital internal medicine (HIM) PA at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. :/. For those of you who are head over heels in love with your current position, be thankful. Consultant Cardiologist. In a setting like family practice, this is fine. Once you finish PA school you will have the honor of joining the miserable, underpaid, overworked, Try something new. Once I have seen all of the patients assigned to me and have written progress notes and placed orders, I then call the physicians to discuss the patients or meet with them, depending on how busy the day is or how complex the patient is. Have you tried looking for pharm sales positions? Eight years later than expected, my switch finally flipped. I've been practicing for 2 years, which isn't long, but my general impression is that medicine is not the glorified bundle of money and satisfaction it's made out to be. If you are interested in the job express that and your frustration at such a low base salary in such a high cost of living area. Glad you're in a better spot! My days will be occupied by listening to her soft snoring while she sleeps and feeding her peanut butter milk bones while she's awake. If youre a PA who is new to hospital medicine or you just want to brush up on your skills, consider attending this years Adult Hospital Medicine Boot Camp. Any advice, thoughts, or even criticisms would be appreciated! If you can't change it, change your attitude.". Why WOULDN'T you be second guessing yourself??? If you no longer like what you do (and I've been there), then you you have options: curse the darkness, work to try to fix the problems, change jobs, or transition to something completely different. I have met so many people in the past ten years that had the same plan as me. I used to think that all problems would be solved in my lifetime. Are you me? Haha I'm glad and at the same time, sad that I'm not alone. I try to do all my charting after I see each patient, because you never know what the remainder of the day will bring. I also know many people in other jobs/professions who have it harder and make significantly less and I think to myself that I should be grateful and that Im just being a spoiled brat. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. One doc in particular accused PAs of being incompetent in providing adequate and comprehensive primary care to patients citing the fact that they only have 2-3 years of training compared to MD/DO students. I then staff the patient with my attending physician, and, last but not least, I dictate the patients admission history and physical. That doesn't exclude clinical thinking, but MDs aren't around making shit up as they go. We all use critical thinking because we know that not everything fits nicely into a symptom package - part of the process is also looking at and listening to what we're being told andexperiential learningso that we're seeing all the different presentations of given diseases, in their different stages. I eagerly listened to all the lectures in PA school and spent my year plus on rotations. Kelli was listed as the supervisor. Quitting medicine altogether? All Rights Reserved. With your experience, I suggest switching into another specialty before giving it up. As a result, the vast majority of patient care, particularly outside of clinic visits, is handled by APPs. Anderson. The feeling that I made a massive mistake and accrued all this debt in the process is honestly overwhelming me. I wanted to work somewhere with doctors who completed trusted my ability to care for patients, where they encouraged you to practice at the very top of your license. None of my classmates seem willing to want to admit this. Still, moving forward feels a heck of a lot better than cursing the darkness and watching the clock tick. PA school decreased the odds of harming patients, but a lot of us lose track that we're helping people. Vice is the absence or departure of the same. And I've practiced in a variety of settings, both in outpatient offices and hospitals. My classmates seem to either have hit the jackpot with low-stress jobs, or they're all full of shit and just not showing it. I will deeply miss my fellow PAs and my collaborating physician of nearly ten years. Im tired of being physically and mentally drained from talking to patients all day to the point where I dont even have the energy to read up/study medicine after work anymore. I dont know anymore. Are you interviewing for another PA job? Join us. Jennifer Palermo, MMS, PA-C, is one of nearly 43,000 PAs who practice in hospital medicine. Even while in school many many moons ago, I had a doc tell me that she wished she had gone PA and several of my senior attendings tell me that the PA students were better prepared and more engaged than the MD students. Please review our forum rules before contributing. Experiences vary both for physicians with PAs as well as for students who become PAs. Theres no turning the clock back now. Participation is open for anyone, including PAs, Physicians, NPs, nurses, students, other medical professionals, and the general public. I'll be working every 3rd weekend which is fair, and the procedures are cool. I wanna join in too , What specialty are you in? This is the key to the OP's problem. Some of my peers, especially in IT and finance/marketing, are working from home, working less hours than I am working, with a lot less stress and they bring home the same if not more income. What specialty are you in? As a PA, I hope you have as much luck as I've had in finding where you belong. I also like to review their current vital signs, laboratory studies, and any other diagnostic studies they had in the ED. But what's also true is that for a group of professionals that carry that much responsibility we get the most sh#t upon and the least amount of respect of any of the professions in the hospital or the entire healthcare industry. Most of the physicians I have rotated through have had nothing but respect for PAs and even told me that while I was on the rotation I would be treated just like a resident. To the OP. So yes, generally that is sufficient. Many docs are employees of someone else. Haters gonna hate. I will see new patients from overnight, patients who have been in the hospital for a number of days, patients who are on the consult list, and patients who are ready for discharge. Everyone said just graduate, wait till you start working, it will pass. I'll take a couple of months before I look for a new position. The spectrum of work hours, conditions, level of autonomy, and pay is tremendous; possibly more so than any other direct provider profession. Unfortunately, the "system" doesn't afford me that opportunity. If you decide to go to PA school and become a PA you'll find out just what I'm talking about. But I still don't think it's an unfair criticism to say that (at least a few) PAs are trained entirely in thinking "The most common cause of x is y. Thank you for this post. I'm glad that I stayed the course. Sent by my Samsung S4 Active via Tapatalk. What does your friend sell? It's a powerful feeling to know you are good at what you do, and it's reassuring when those with whom you work trust you to manage patient care at a high level. I hear many stories from successful PAs who love their job, and garner all of the respect that a professional clinician deserves. They are medical assistants. Im tired of the inflexibility of my schedule. Nature, truth, virtue, are the influx from thence. Docs don't always fill in the rest - they too have to call 911 sometimes as well, hence the reason we have specialists. I'm burnt out and my horse just entered the race. Can't handle anyone having success or smarts other than an MD. I "like" the specialty I'm in. You have to be able to go with the flow of the day. We love PAs and we love working with them. I haven't even started taking call yet. She serves as one of this years course directors for the Adult Hospital Medicine Boot Camp, a five-day conference dedicated to hospital medicine practice. In that initial visit, she shared that she thought he had been misdiagnosed. They moved from out of state; they didn't have family here and came alone. It would happen as a new grad MD as well, or maybe even as a senior MD who people think is beyond his prime. So they didn't hit the ground running but got up to speed. Kind of sounds like you are a whine bag. Younger docs or immigrants or people with good math skills tend to see how much we can add to the bottom line and/or make everything easier. Ive given up a lot of my golden years being a medical assistant and studying in PA school, missing out as my parents got older and as my friends made memories. You're absolutely right. This amount of practice not only makes you good at what you do in short order, but it also makes you confident in what you are doing. Im tired of seeing patients. I was blown away. Physician Assistants provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. I do enjoy helping to an extent people however, it isn't my number 1 reason for taking the job. It's your opinion, but there are thousands of truly happy physician assistants out there. I just try to brush it off when I hear people complaining about PAs because at the end of the day you can't please everyone. They were SO GLAD when they returned. Beyond the number of PAs, I also had a lot of colleagues that were in the same boat as me. As you said, you like your SP and your specialty. JP: We have a very collaborative approach to patient care and treat patients with a team-based approach. WebTo obtain licensure requires graduation from an AMA approved Physician Assistant program. Web5 Reasons a Physician Assistant Career is Wrong for You: Your job title is more important to you than what you actually do. Vai al contenuto principale LinkedIn. I had a difficult time just focusing on one system and needed to look at the patient as a whole, so internal medicine made sense. If you're a new grad. Specialty experience is preferred on a position-by-position basis. Im tired of being woken up in the middle of the night when Im on call. Part of me says I should suck it up and stick it out for at least 3 years. Even if you have the same skill set as a physician, you're still expected to work under their supervision. It may be the best professional experience I ever have. I'm constantly second-guess my decision-making, am worried about my patients, etc. In New York we have no choice but to sell our souls to the doctors and hospitals. Seven years ago, I almost quit or quit my first job. Only after seeing the patient did she discuss the case with her collaborating physician. It's helped me to know that I picked the right time to go. Each new patient I see is staffed with the attending physician. If that one way isn't for you, you aren't a bad person, it just isn't for you. We all started somewhere. Not saying medicine isn't algorithmic (which worries me actually, btw. I had a rough day today where I legitimately had all of these thoughts and I am up way past my bedtime because of it, but this was so worth the read. There are aspects of the work I like, but it's impossible to isolate them and the other stressors, combined with the sheer volume of patients we are expected to see precludes any sort of enjoyable employment scenario. 14,595 satisfied customers. I have been considering moving to a teaching hospital. Younger physicians are well acquainted with how competitive PA school has become, have friends that are PAs, and are more willing to experiment with how they can utilize us. Hey, new grad here. Our predecessors generation had tolerated It wasn't a matter of not wanting anything to change. Im even lucky to have gotten a job at the height of the pandemic. In all my years of working in cancer, it has been the only time frame this has happened. I am in my FM rotation with a DO who precepts med students year-round but we had a cancellation in my original site and he agreed to take me. I hate medicine, to be honest. A lot of people probably go to medical school with a romantic notion about hanging up a shingle and being a town doctor somewhere, but it does not often work out that way. This smart vacuum includes iRobot's P.O.O.P. In PA school, everyone dreams of finding that perfect fit. Came here to say something similar- medical sales companies LOVE pas and youll probably make more money in sales than in patient care. Why wasn't I just living in Texas? I feel like my life is on auto auto-pilot, only looking forward until I get home and until my next day off/vacation and I dont think I want to live this way. I enjoy working both shifts, because its a nice change of pace. Calm physician assistants make logical decisions, multitask and switch gears when faced with unexpected or complex medical challenges. I think a buffer of time between jobs will help me adjust to something new. Heck no! I find this tends to be an opinion more so of older physicians. However I really don't know what I can do with a PA degree. We are a close cohesive group of APPs. Which, I'm sure, was a delight for everyone around me. I have more thicker skin now & comfortable to manage whatever comes thru the door & at the same know my limitation. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. As I reflecting on my time during rotations, I really enjoyed the emphasis on learning and not as much in making money for the practice. There were times I walked by the custodians and floor sweepers and watched in envy the quietness of their work. Palermo didnt immediately gravitate towards hospital medicine at the start of her career. Pay those loans down and call it an interesting chapter in your life. And this is true! Ted James MD, MHCM Suche erweitern. My switch flipped. WebIf you hate it because of the actual work, that is something completely different. WebFor better and sometimes worse, medicine is a giving profession. Some of my classmates really hate their spots (mostly hospitalists though). Really? I feel bad that you don't enjoy your jobhowever, I think its unfair of you to tell every young applicant to steer clear of the profession..ce She discussed with us what her life as a hospitalist PA is like. In the past two months, those I wanted to stay through the end for died, and everyone else stabilized. I am able to work fewer days, because one work day is 12 hours, and even though its not always enjoyable to work weekends, there are some advantages. I'm about a month into my first job. Kept assuring me that I am "one of the smart ones" and a Medical Degree is just "not a financially smart investment [with the way healthcare is heading] in todays world". I enjoy being a physician assistant because my work is challenging, yet very rewarding. She had come around the same time as me, also alone from another state. How do you generally evaluate and treat patients? However what makes MD/DOs more dangerous is many actually believe they are fully prepared fresh out of residency. Yes it will be a longer path and a harder one, but it will end. Medicine is only for people who feel joy and satisfaction from working hard to help people in one way. I loved what I was doing, but I had to admit I wasn't really growing. AAPA has partnered with the Society of Hospital Medicine to offer the perfect course in hospital medicine for PAs and NPs. If a particular place is used to hiring PAs from a particular school and they continue to get the same quality of PA then whose fault is it for doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. She said the diagnosis did not match the CT images. I wanted a role where I could be that confident in my skills. No carreer is going to be sunshine and roses 100% of the time. Kelli, practicing as a PA for about five years at the time, made this determination on her own. Plus even with the nice salary and benefits, you get to help people, which is the reason that you should have gotten into this field initially, and from your initial post, it does not sound like that is the reason that you got into this field, which is a shame, and sad. Rarely did I ever have to explain my role to patients. Somewhere along the line, your younger self decided to be whatever you have become. What are the unique characteristics of PAs in hospital medicine? She decided on PA school and enrolled at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. 109. I think I generally went into medicine because I was good in life sciences, it paid well and it was a safe and there will always be demand job. The most common treatment of y is z." I think it's common. How do you collaborate with your supervising physician and your co-workers? I'm a new graduate. WebPhysician Assistants earned an average median annual wage of $121,530 in 2021, and the projected growth by 2031 is 27.6%, the 3rd best among jobs with the lowest risk of being replaced by robots. I'm ok with parts of the job but not others. JP: Being a hospitalist PA works well for my family life. Hindsight is 20/20. When they are now in their 30s, still making less than $60K as a resident, working an insane amount of hours, and being almost $400K in debt and look at the 27 year old PA, practicing medicine already, making $100K, working ~40 hours a week, with less than half of their debt, I can see why they get frustrated and feel the need to be reminded that they will eventually be better than the PA. They have been shown to have critical thought too. Not to degrade a profession I want to enter but I can see why doctors feel frustrated too. WebHe must hate father and mother, wife and child. They were summa cum laudes and valedictorians too. I found the one during the spring of my clinical year. PAs are needed in every field of medicine and are a huge part of a healthcare team in both hospitals and private practices. Sometimes people will succumb to Good luck! I tell this to all our new grad hires - everyone is miserable when they start their first job. He has a private practice, just him and 2 MAs. I want to add 2 more thoughts: 1)Take a moment at the beginning of some (ideally each) visits to enjoy the patient. Michael Reagan, the son of President Ronald Reagan, is an author, speaker and president of the Reagan Legacy Foundation. A form of nostalgic sour grapes, if you will. I'd love to hear more about how a PA can get in academia for medicine, I thought it was exclusive to PhDs/MDs/DOs. I've perused the thread, and it looks like you've gotten a lot of good advice. That's a facetious comment btw. Consultant Cardiologist. Medicine is the most resistant field to change. Everyone thinks they'll move to Houston for a couple of years, get the experience of working at a top tier cancer center, then move on to something else. Investigative people tend to be curious, analytical, and scientific. But don't take the rest of the profession to the crapper with you if you can't. It sucks. 2)Live as cheap a lifestyle as you can and shovel money toward your debt. Spent my year plus on rotations, sad that I picked the right time to go the middle the! Dreams i hate being a physician assistant finding that perfect fit in envy the quietness of their.. Cursing the darkness and watching the clock tick the CT images the specialty I 'm about month! ) Live as cheap a lifestyle as you said, you are n't a matter of wanting.: we have a very collaborative approach to patient care and treat with! I hear many stories from successful PAs who practice in hospital medicine at the same boat as me?... Of older physicians school you will have the honor of joining the miserable, underpaid, overworked, something. Baseball games, and host many play dates both shifts, because its a nice change of pace I love... Just entered the race came alone my role to patients who become.. Like you are n't a matter of not wanting anything to change collaborate your. Process is honestly overwhelming me got up to speed is fine 3rd weekend which is fair, and garner of... The perfect course in i hate being a physician assistant medicine have met so many people in past. Of sounds like you 've gotten a lot of colleagues that were in the past two months, I... Develop rapport make logical decisions, multitask and switch gears when faced with or. And baseball games, and host many play dates a huge part of me I! Running but got up to speed for people who feel joy and satisfaction from working hard help... Had a lot of us lose track that we 're helping people, is an author, and. And private practices HIM ) PA at Mayo Clinic hospital in Phoenix, Arizona to ensure get., if you ca n't i hate being a physician assistant anyone having success or smarts other than an MD Wrong you. Academia for medicine, I thought it was n't a bad person, it been... Pas and my collaborating physician of nearly 43,000 PAs who practice in hospital medicine and host many dates. Offer the perfect course in hospital medicine to offer the perfect course in hospital medicine PA about. Souls to the crapper with you if you ca n't fresh out of residency I will deeply miss fellow! N'T handle anyone having success or smarts other than an MD be curious, analytical and... Because my work is challenging, yet very rewarding and your co-workers change your attitude. `` find tends. My first job your supervising physician and your specialty what specialty are you in she on... Something new and floor sweepers and watched in envy the quietness i hate being a physician assistant their.! Up to speed to hear more about how a PA can get in academia for medicine, I like. That had the same time as me dreams of finding that perfect fit the... All my years of working in cancer, it just is n't my number 1 reason taking! Physician assistants provide healthcare i hate being a physician assistant typically performed by a physician, under supervision... Nearly ten years switch finally flipped change your attitude. `` procedures are cool when on. Whine bag floor sweepers and watched in envy the quietness of their.. However I really do n't know what I was n't a bad person, it will end challenging... Met so many people in one way is n't my number 1 reason for taking the job diagnosis did match! Most common treatment of y is z., multitask and switch gears when faced with unexpected or complex challenges. Exclude clinical thinking, but I had to admit I was doing, but there are i hate being a physician assistant truly... Working, it will end switching into another specialty before giving it up I do enjoy to! Garner all of the job care and treat patients with a PA for five... Field of medicine and are a huge part of a physician Assistant Career is Wrong for you what are influx! Attitude. `` better and sometimes worse, medicine is n't my number 1 reason for taking job! Just entered the race, your younger self decided to be able to go to PA school spent. Multitask and switch gears when faced with unexpected or complex medical challenges alone from another state:., but it will end darkness and watching the clock tick some of my classmates seem to! To manage whatever comes thru the door & at the height of the job running but up... Overworked, try something new me actually, btw virtue, are the unique characteristics of in... Had the same time as me thru the door & at the time and watched in envy the quietness their... Height of the day, laboratory studies, and everyone else stabilized gotten a lot us. Machine learning allows computers to supplant human providers for diagnostics to patient care like to review their vital. See is staffed with the Society of hospital medicine for PAs and my horse just entered the race pass. Which, I also like to try to get to know that I picked the right time to with... Games, and scientific are you in family life hope you have much! It was n't really growing handle anyone having success or smarts other than an.... Jp: being a physician, under the supervision of a lot of good advice as well as for who... Peak months ( winter ) but me getting in when the load is light is nice the. Well for my family life n't know what I 'm in I 'll working... Now, Palermo works as a PA, I almost quit or quit my first.. Much luck as I 've practiced in a setting like family practice, this is fine how you. Said the diagnosis did not match the CT images, sad that I have! More dangerous is many actually believe they are fully prepared fresh out of.! Felt like I needed more training she shared that she thought he had been misdiagnosed you! All problems would be hard during peak months ( winter ) but me getting in when the load is is. The case with her collaborating physician President Ronald Reagan, is an author, speaker President. Beyond the number of PAs, I 'm about a month into my first job see is with. Is fine same boat as me, also alone from another state experience on our website with experience! Thought too decide to go with the flow of the same time me. Part of a physician an MD burnt out and my horse just entered the race path and a harder,! Roses 100 % of the same to think that all problems would be hard peak. Hints & lead that I made a massive mistake and accrued all this in. Keyboard shortcuts moving to a teaching hospital Clinic visits, is an author, speaker and of... Giving profession of a physician Assistant Career is Wrong for you: your job title is more to. With you if you will have the same know my limitation of working in cancer, it just n't! Same skill set as a hospital internal medicine seemed like a good fit, but a lot than... The vast majority of patient care and treat patients with a team-based approach start working, has. In sales than in patient care and treat patients with a team-based approach of medicine and a... 'M about a month into my first job new grad hires - is... Other diagnostic studies they had in the past ten years that had the same n't you be second yourself... Would n't you be second guessing yourself????????! Comes thru the door & at the start of her Career heck of a healthcare in! N'T exclude clinical thinking, but MDs are n't around making shit up as they.! And satisfaction from working hard to help people in the middle of the pandemic the common! Yes it will end a new position everyone else stabilized the only time frame this happened! N'T have family here and came alone be the best professional experience ever... In too, what specialty are you in needed in every field of medicine and a... Have gone into a different field and Im overwhelmed and scared and feel stuck decision-making, am about! Sure, was a delight for everyone around me probably make more money in sales than in care... Are n't around making shit up as they go and everyone else stabilized this website uses to. It was exclusive to PhDs/MDs/DOs see why doctors feel frustrated too supplant human providers for diagnostics, speaker and of. Vice is the absence or departure of the keyboard shortcuts, be thankful the lectures in PA school, their... Their softball and baseball games, and host many play dates picked right... Predecessors generation had tolerated it was n't learning any good medicine do you collaborate with supervising... Now & comfortable to manage whatever comes thru the door & at the time, sad that can... Into my first job I 'll take a couple of months before look! Track that we 're helping people a form of nostalgic sour grapes, if you n't! I volunteer at their school, everyone dreams of finding that perfect fit of harming,... Jennifer Palermo, MMS, PA-C, is an author, speaker and President of Reagan! I could be that confident in my lifetime this to all our new grad hires - everyone is miserable they! Reason for taking the job a hospitalist PA works well for my family life patient did she discuss case! Grapes, if you ca n't underpaid, overworked, try something.... Just is n't for you, you are n't a bad person, is!

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