PA school- A year left to go, then what?

[Vanquisher]

I had been thinking that I would like to have a career in dermatology or emergency, but recently, I've been thinking that the right place for me might be interventional radiology. While there is no zit popping, which I highly enjoy, there are a lot of procedures with, what appears to be, a great schedule.

Do your rads spouses work with a lot of PAs? Can you see a place for PA's in this field? What kind of lifestyle to IR docs have? Let's be real here. My hubs works a billion hours a week. I love procedures, but I'm not about the surgery life.

What kind of experience and training can I realistically gain in the next year (conferences, etc.) to make myself more attractive to a radiologist or hospital practice? I get only one, four-week elective and am thinking if I don't change my mind before then, of trying to set that up in IR.

Thoughts?

http://www.sirweb.org/clinical/cpg/JVIR_PA.pdf
[MENTION=1725]bokelley[/MENTION] [MENTION=1889]SoonerTexan[/MENTION]

[SuzySunshine]

We have a good friend here who is PP IR, I will ask him about the PA angel next time I see him. I will tell you that his lifestyle is fabulous! He takes call but is off one week/month, every time I turn around he's picking the kids up from school, taking them to activities, etc.

[SoonerTexan]

I'll ask DH tonight. He just finished IR last month and is sort of in the same boat as you--really likes the procedures, hated the schedule.

I want to say he worked with mid-levels, but they may have been doing a lot of the grunt work and patient consenting (like he was as an R1). My sister is starting NP school and he is encouraged her to think about something in radiology, so there must be something!

I know the hours were horrendous for the attendings here, but it is academia and apparently a crap ton of people have left and they can't hire fast enough so they are 50% down. I'm not sure the same schedule horror applied to the PAs and NPs. He's also not sure what it is like in private practice--I've been trying to connect with someone to ask about it but haven't had a whole lot of luck yet.

At any rate, I'll get the whole story tonight!


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[Vanquisher]

Awesome. Thanks for any feedback!

[SoonerTexan]

Okay this is what I got out of him:

They didn't have a PA, but they did have an NP. She worked 5 days a week, 7-3:30 (or close to that) with no call. This is at a large academic med center, so no idea what it would be at a smaller hospital or private practice.

She would do patient consenting, minor procedures (PCNs, permacaths, and other stuff I can't remember) independently and assist the IR docs with more complicated procedures. How much she did of what depended on how much there was to do that day.

Haha and if she is employed by UT I could totally look up her salary online, but I bet she isn't.

Hopefully BOKelly will chime in. Her husband has way more experience. Text me if there is anything else you want me to ask DH


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[Vanquisher]

Well, I have an idea what IR PAs/NPs make. That schedule sounds perfect for me! That's exactly what I want. Thanks for asking. I'm going to ask the IR at Chads hospital if I can shadow him when I have a free day or half-day.

[PrincessFiona]

1 year left? You go girl!!!! So proud of you!


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[bokelley]

I asked Ryan and his first question would you want to be clinical or procedural? Clinical is ur basic clinic pa. Procedural is picc, tunnel caths, hours can 50-60 a week. Usually no call. Pay is very good!

[Vanquisher]

PA school- A year left to go, then what?

Procedural. 100%. I'm willing to do a mix, but I want procedures for sure.

What would a clinic rads or IR PA do? For being around medicine as long as I have, I had no idea there were clinics for radiology? Part of the appeal for me is as little clinic as possible.

I understand rounding, brief histories,and consenting on patients that need procedures, but I'm not understanding clinic. I feel like a dumb ass.

[bokelley]

Ryan has clinic two days a week. He has patients referred to him outpatient. He works them up and schedules surgery. Post op etc...same as any clinic. There is a huge push now in ir to be clinic based and procedural. Ir doc need to admit and round on their patients. The days of inpatient only and no follow up are leaving ir.

[bokelley]

PA school- A year left to go, then what?

At least 50% is now outpatient referrals. And expected to grow. Vascular work (cold legs) are a big part of that. Money is the biggest issue. Inpatient is not paying well so everything is being pushed outpatient. I think he said prostate embo require monthly follows up for a bit.
Some links about clinics
http://med.stanford.edu/intervention.../patients.html

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/i...iology_clinic/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3036252/

[Vanquisher]

Thanks!!!

[Vanquisher]

That's all really interesting. I had no idea there was so much outpatient! Oh well. I'm going to still try to shadow and see if I like it.

[PrincessFiona]

So I guess this means no ortho! Why don't you want to do clinic?


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[bokelley]

That's all really interesting. I had no idea there was so much outpatient! Oh well. I'm going to still try to shadow and see if I like it.

You should!! Ryan love the pa they had at slu. He was awesome. He (pa) did all procedures and a np did clinic. They really work hand and hand with the docs. At least in academics that was how it was. Not sure in private practice.