How many years does it take to become a physician assistant? There’s a short answer, and a long answer. PA school itself usually lasts 2-3 years. But there are several things you have to do before PA school as well. In this post I’ll dive into the details of how long it takes to become …
How Long Does it Take to Become a PA? [A Detailed Timeline] Read More »
People often ask about physician assistant job descriptions. Overall, it’s kind of a boring topic. So I’ll try to spice it up a little bit. Instead of just giving one job description, I’ll give multiple job descriptions for various work settings. This includes a general PA job description, as well as descriptions for some of …
Job Descriptions for Physician Assistants (in Various Specialties) Read More »
Emergency medicine is a pretty popular specialty for physician assistants. But working in the ER as a PA has both advantages and disadvantages. I’ve worked in emergency medicine as a PA since 2014. In this post, I’ll share several of the pros and cons of working in the ER as a PA. Let’s dive in. …
Pros & Cons of Working in the Emergency Room as a Physician Assistant Read More »
Most physician assistants assume they’ll be working full-time, with just a couple weeks of vacation per year. That doesn’t leave much time for lengthy trips to foreign countries, or to slowly take your time while traveling. And for a lot of people, that’s how it goes. They just take a couple hurried vacations each year, …
How to Work as a PA and still Go on Crazy-Long Vacations Read More »
One of the most challenging parts of working in the ER is doing night shifts. But you can’t avoid them 100% (in most cases), so it’s worth figuring out a few strategies to make things easier. In this post I’ll share 5 tips to help you prepare for–and thrive during–night shifts in the emergency room. …
In the end, physician assistants and nurse practitioners do a very similar job. Nearly identical. But there are a few key differences to know about, if you’re thinking about pursuing one of these careers. In this post I’ll explain the differences that are worth knowing about between PA’s and NP’s (and the similarities). Let’s dive …
Physician Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner [Which Differences Matter?] Read More »
I’ve been working as a PA in the ER for several years. And I get a lot of questions about the differences between PA’s and nurses in the ER. What does each one do? How’s the job satisfaction? How about the pay? And so on. In this post I’ll explain what it’s like to be …
ER Physician Assistant vs ER Nurse [Job Comparison] Read More »
Most people assume being a physician is a better career option than being a physician assistant. And while there are some advantages to being a doctor… There are also several advantages to being a PA over being a doctor. In this post I’ll share five of the most obvious advantages of being a PA, based …
5 Advantages of Being a Physician Assistant (vs a Doctor) Read More »
Some people consider becoming a physician assistant as a second career. While this can be beneficial, and a good idea for some, it also comes with a variety of challenges. In this post, I’ll explore what it takes to become a PA as a second career, and the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. Let’s …
Physician Assistant as a 2nd Career [Becoming a PA Later in Life] Read More »
A lot of people ask if a PA can do surgery. The short answer is yes. But there are a variety of limitations. In this post. I’ll share the spectrum of possibilities about how a PA can participate in surgery. Let’s dive in. Can a Physician Assistant be a Surgeon? A physician assistant can’t technically …
Can a Physician Assistant Do Surgery? [Simple Answer + Full Story] Read More »
To be honest, there aren’t that many books you really need for PA school. That’s because most of the time, you’ll be studying power points, lecture notes, or other resources provided by your PA school faculty. But there are a few books that I found extremely helpful when I was a PA student. The books …
Here’s a short list of tools I bring to every work shift as a physician assistant. I’ve tried other brands, but ultimately settled on the list below because they work well and are reasonably priced (except maybe the Leatherman shears, which are pricy). I’d recommend having some version of these supplies during your clinical rotations …
Working as a physician assistant can be challenging. You have to deal with a lot of other people, and conform to a lot of other personalities and systems. There are a handful of key qualities that prepare you to work as a physician assistant. In this article I’ll talk about what qualities make a good …
You may have heard “horror stories” about how difficult or demanding PA school can be. Or maybe you haven’t heard much at all, and you’re just wondering what it will be like. Either way, you’re in the right place. Today I’ll share with you a detailed overview of what you can really expect in physician …
What to Expect in Physician Assistant School [A Detailed Overview] Read More »
Physician assistant is often ranked highly among most appealing or attractive professions. Physician assistants get paid pretty well too, which is always nice. But how many hours do physician assistants actually work per week, or per month? Or daily for that matter? Today I’ll share my experience, and what I’ve learned working as a PA …
How Many Hours Does a Physician Assistant Work Per Week? Read More »
If you’re thinking about becoming a physician assistant, you should definitely spend some time shadowing before you make a final decision. By shadowing, you get some first-hand experience, and a glimpse of what it’s actually like to be a PA. I’ve done my fair amount of shadowing, and I’ve also been shadowed by students many …
How to Shadow a Physician Assistant [And Why You Should] Read More »
Let’s talk a little bit about PA specialties. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, being a physician assistant is similar to being a doctor. In fact, it’s so similar that when I meet people from other countries, it’s much easier to just tell them I’m a doctor than to try and explain the difference between a doctor …
PA Specialties That are Like Being a Doctor, and Those that Aren’t Read More »
I guess that title’s a little ambiguous, since it could refer to this website, or to the profession. 🙂 Why don’t we talk a little bit about both. What’s the purpose of this website? I created this site to share my experiences becoming a physician assistant, from the decision to apply to PA School to my …
It can be a little confusing to know how to address a physician assistant. I’ve been working as a physician assistant (PA / PA-C) since 2014, and I’ve been addressed quite a few different ways over the years. For the most part, it’s not a big deal, and we get used to people not really …
Let me tell you a little story about a patient I saw recently in the emergency room. The point of this story isn’t to complain (though perhaps I’m venting a little). It’s just to give you a taste of what it can be like as a PA working with supervising physicians (sometimes also called “collaborating” …
Working with Supervising Physicians in the ER (Recent Story) Read More »
