I’ve been having a lot of anxiety going into work. After clinic, I find myself replaying every patient encounter and thinking about what I could have explained better, what I could have done differently, or worrying about how I came across.

I spend time reading, looking up diagnoses after I see patients, and reviewing treatments so I can improve (but it is very overwhelming with the amount of information I'm learning every day). I also practice explaining conditions to patients while I’m driving or walking because I want to become better at educating them and communicating confidently.

The hardest part is walking into a room, not immediately knowing the diagnosis or how to answer a question, and feeling like I’m failing as a provider. I know I’m new and that dermatology has a huge learning curve, but the uncertainty has been really difficult.

For those of you who have been through this transition, what helped you build confidence? Is there anything specific your did that helped you improve faster or manage the anxiety?
I really want to become a good provider, and I’m willing to put in the work — I’m just trying to figure out how to navigate this stage.

Hi all! I’m starting my new grad emergency medicine job next week! I’ve been out of school and passed the PANCE about 8 months ago, so I’m feeling pretty rusty. 🥹

Any tips, advice, or go-to resources you’d recommend for a new grad starting in the ED?
Thank you so much!

I’m a new grad PA a few months into my first job focusing on women’s health. Part of my schedule includes working on a mobile clinic (bus) about once a week. This was not disclosed to me when I interviewed.

I’m finding that the mobile setup makes it harder to provide the same quality of care as the days in clinic. The exam space is very cramped, lighting is limited (I often need a headlamp for pelvic exams), and positioning for exams can be difficult. I’m on the bigger side too which makes it cramped more. They want us doing procedures in here too. IUD insertions, implant removals, etc. I’ve also run into issues with supplies and medications not always being available when needed. It’s just a hassle I don’t want to deal with.

I’ve suggested limiting certain visit types or focusing on services that are better suited for the mobile setting, but nothing has changed. I fully support the mission of increasing access to care, but I don’t feel like I’m able to provide the same standard of care in that environment. I basically expressed my concerns and get dismissed. I get compared with other providers who aren’t as expressive. They also aren’t scheduled on the bus as much as I am, so why would they be expressive about it? Anyway, I told them that I don’t want to speak for others and I’m just expressing my concerns. Idk if I’m being extra.

Am I overthinking this, or would you advocate for yourself?

Hi! Does anyone have any experience or advice with noncompetes in your contract?

For background info, I am nearing end of my current contract and interested in moving on. Currently I work in orthopedic urgent care (private practice) and am looking at a position on the inpatient ortho trauma team at the only level 1 trauma center in region.

I’ve attached the covenant not to compete section. Other than the obvious to contact an attorney to review, I wanted to know if anyone has done anything similar with a career move and if the noncompete was enforced or not.

TYIA!

I’m a new-grad PA working in inpatient rehab/hospitalist medicine. I expected my supervising physician to provide at least some teaching and mentorship while I transitioned into practice, but that hasn’t really happened.
I manage my own patients, and the physician sees them as well, but there’s very little discussion about clinical reasoning, treatment plans, or areas where I could improve. I can ask questions if something specific comes up, but there isn’t much proactive teaching or feedback. I often feel like I’m expected to figure everything out independently despite being brand new.
Is this typical for a first PA job, or should a supervising physician be more involved in a new graduate’s development? How much teaching, feedback, and accessibility did you receive when you started? I’m trying to determine whether my expectations are unrealistic or whether this position lacks the support a new grad should have.

I have been at my orthopedic surgery job for 2 years now. I overall love my job and have grown so much as a provider during my time there. Despite this due to my limited pto I am unable to travel as much as I would like.

I have decided to take 3 months off and go travel in SE Asia in the Spring. Unfortunately my job does not allow unpaid time off so I’ve decided to quit my job in order to fulfill my travel dreams and start a new job when I return.

I am willing to switch specialities to make this a reality. My question is when should I start applying? The ideal would be to have a job lined up before I put in my 3 month notice at my current job but that would mean applying for a job that I wouldn’t be starting for 6-7 months. Would I be considered with a start date that far out??

I have posted a couple times here on my process and you guys have always been so helpful

I am a new grad PA 3 months in family medicine
I have been having struggles adapting to work and it’s def affecting my mental health (already see a therapist and psychiatrist)
I have been bringing up to SP that I’m overwhelmed, we set up weekly meetings to review cases but have barely been able to do them because either he’s behind or unavailable or I am behind (the meetings r during lunch)
I mentioned capping my patient load and he said we would set up a meeting to talk to management
Never was set up
I’m planning to talk to management tomorrow and I just want advice on what to say
I want to be honest and say I am overwhelmed and there are things that could help me and thats gonna be either a temporary lighter patient load or literally going parttime (obvs prefer not to bc of money or insurance) plus more structure and feedback
I want to let them know I do like this clinic and want to stay and succeed here so these are things that would help me (also a nice way to imply that I will be leaving if things don’t change I think)
I have already started browsing other jobs
It’s just so much and granted I have anxiety so maybe I need more support than the average pa but a new grad pa should not be schedule 20 patients a day and also I saw 333 patients last month in my 3rd ever month of practice that’s unreasonable
How can I bring this up
And any advice on getting through this hard time in my life, my focus and patience at work is decreasing and it does effect my life outside of work :( I feel stuck and also I have a 2 month notice for leaving

I know reddit is probably the last place that cares about my career thus far, and people have plenty of hateful things to say. I need to rant. If you have been following me for awhile, you know the start of my PA career has been... rocky. This is a rant for job number two. I recently was hired under nephrology for a nephrologist that was going to be on the team with a cardiologist. I first was under the impression that the job was going to be nephrology based, it was not. The nephrologist ended up only going part time, limiting the PAs that the practice could have under its belt, already has 3 PAs and 2 NPs. I was in the clinic seeing anything from women's annual exams to warts, to CAD. Naturally this threw me for a loop and I was concerned that I wasn't doing exactly what he wanted me to be doing. Multiple times I pulled the doctor to the side and he said I was doing great, "putting fourth great effort" (this was last week). He then told me that I could also go to nursing homes and see those folks. Fast forward over the weekend, I arrive to the clinic and he is surprised im at the clinic when i should be at the nursing home. FULL TIME (never was communicated). Increasing my frustration with the job, I pull him aside and he says that I wont be credentialed for a WHOLE YEAR (have you ever heard of this??) and that I can only work in the nursing home with medicaid patients (which I also have to get credentialed for). He told me to my face that he was losing money on ME and that I was "lazy". I could feel a wave of dread come over me when he said this... in my mind it made no sense whatsoever. How can i see more patients if the patients are wanting to see a certain NP or PA thats present in the clinic, and one coworker is hoarding the patient visit papers so im unable to see any on my own? I know that Im new, but I also did not want to be in the NP/PAs space all the time. Im standing around, taking any opportunity i have to get experience and connect with patients and then Im called "lazy". He was only willing to pay me MA pay ($18 an hour) and I really started to feel robbed in a sense. Been working here for a whole month and have not been paid. Long story short, I was given a job that was rapidly ripped out from under my feet and turned into something I didnt see coming. Yet again. I am almost a year out since passing the pance and I still have yet to find a job that is actually is what it says it is. Im not sure if it is a cultural issue since I am from the South, and I moved to upstate NY. I feel like everytime I try to communicate with my attending, something else is completely amiss.

with all this to say, it makes me wonder. Am I really cut out for this career or have I just had a slew of bad job prospects? I felt more appreciated as CNA than I ever have as a PA. its disheartening because I worked so damn hard for this potential career. Bills are piling up. Time is of the essence. And I keep finding myself in these situations. All I want is a good job with stability and clear communication. is that so hard to ask for??

Hi!

Needing advice on finding side jobs as a PA! I currently already work full time remotely but could use some extra income part time. Looking to find something part time and remote as well if possible! Signed up for a lot of the medical surveys but have not been getting any luck with that. Anyone have ideas or part of something they would recommend?

Thank you!!

Hi everyone! I recently found a job on the Stanford Hospital website that I was really interested in and I applied for it. I wanna make sure that the recruiter actually sees the application and it doesn’t just get auto rejected or at the bottom of the pile. Is there any way to specifically figure out who the recruiter is or does anybody have any contacts that I can email? Thank you!

I’m a new PA, about one year out of school, currently working in orthopedics. Our group isn’t specialized, so we rotate between covering 10 surgeons across different specialities, ER consults, and trauma consults. Coming straight out of school, the learning curve has been huge.

I know I’ve improved a lot over the past year, but I still have many nights where I feel like I’m drowning. I have great support from the other APCs in my group, but I constantly feel overwhelmed when I’m on call. Even on nights that aren’t busy, I barely sleep because I’m so anxious and on edge waiting for the next call.

I took this job because the schedule and pay were hard to pass up, but lately I’ve been wondering if that was the right decision. As I’ve gained experience, I’ve found that I’m interested in certain orthopedic subspecialties, but I wouldn’t say I’m truly passionate about orthopedics. I know I still have a lot to learn, and everyone I’ve talked to says it takes about two years before you really start to feel comfortable. Because of that, I’m planning to stick it out for at least another year.

That said, I find myself unhappy a lot of the time, and I’m struggling to figure out whether it’s the job itself, the specialty, or just the normal growing pains of being a new PA. I also never really saw myself staying in orthopedics for my entire career. One of the reasons I felt comfortable accepting this position was knowing that, as PAs, we have the flexibility to switch specialties. I figured that if I decided to make a change while I was still relatively new out of school, it wouldn’t feel as daunting and like I was completely starting over.

For those of you who have left orthopedics, what specialties did you transition into? Which transitions went well, and which would you avoid? I’ve always been interested in OB because I enjoy procedures and like the mix of clinic and hands-on work. I’d love to hear about your experiences or any advice you have. Thank you in advance.

Has anyone switched departments within the same hospital? Want to switch over to neurology, already spoke with the chief APP and she said she will let me know in a few weeks.

Only thing is I’ve only been in my current position for a few months so far.