Are PA’s Satisfied?

Medscape dove into the statistics regarding PA career satisfaction in the year 2023. Some results interesting, some not so much, so let’s dive into some keys points:

> 45% of PAs neither favor nor oppose the Physician Associate name change

> 90% of PAs don’t use Physician Associate Title

> 52% of PAs practice independently, physician on site

> 55% of PAs think they should practice independently

> 82% think pandemic practice scope expansions become permanent

> 37% thought their job satisfaction decreased due to COVID-19

> 86% say they are glad they chose their profession → best stat in my eyes

> 55% said they would choose a non-healthcare career if they could do it again → most interesting stat for me

To view the full article click here

Realistic Dark Side of medicine from a Pro

Dr Mike is a practicing doctor who also took the internet by storm when he was deemed “the Sexiest Doctor Alive.” He has multiple social media platforms where he conveys honest and truthful aspects of healthcare…while also reacting to the occasional medical meme.

Below is a podcast he did where he talks about some of the dark truths of medicine and the pitfalls some providers and patients face. Very interesting to listen to. And if anyone knows where to send in my ballet for “Sexiest PA Alive,” I would greatly appreciate it. Kidding. But not kidding!

The MOST DANGEROUS Medical Advice To Avoid | DoctorMike

0:29: 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Mike, a board-certified family physician and social media personality, shares his thoughts about dangerous medical advice on supplements and lumps.

19:04: 💔 The speaker discusses the challenges and issues with insurance coverage for medical treatments and how it affects patient care.

26:02: 💰 Insurers hide the true costs of healthcare from consumers by increasing deductibles and pushing the burden onto them.

40:10: 💰 The speaker discusses the financial aspects of medical school and residency, including the high amount of debt incurred by most students.

46:32: ⚠️ Supplement companies prey on insecurities and make false promises, exploiting gray areas in marketing regulations.

53:30: 💪 Our perception of pain is influenced by our mental state, and by experiencing the pain and not reinforcing negative emotions, we can break the cycle.

1:00:34: 👨‍⚕️ The speaker discusses the perception of chiropractic medicine in traditional medicine and acknowledges that while there are good chiropractors, some may make false promises and practice outside their scope.

1:06:48: 💪 Taking care of your health involves avoiding bad habits and engaging in good habits like exercise, sleep, and social connections.

Keeping you motivated 💪🤓

Success in PA school is not about the destination; it’s about the journey. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the small victories, and keep moving forward with determination.”

…the last thing I remember was driving my car

It was a gloomy, rainy evening in the heart of the 2021 COVID-19 surge when I was working one of my per diem shifts in the ER when I saw an open patient on the board in their late 50s with a description of “Motor Vehicle Accident.” I reviewed the chart in detail, triage note, vital signs and started on my way over towards the patient. I saw the patient in the corner, mask on, connected to the monitor. I approached the bed and introduced myself and started asking the patient questions.

Me: “My name is Matt and I’m the PA taking care of you today. So what brings you into the ER today; what happened?”

Patient: “To be honest, I can’t really remember. I was driving on the highway and went to take the next exit and the next thing I knew I was in the back of an ambulance.”

My brain: Was she hit by another car? Did she faint? Did she have a seizure, despite no history of them?

I started thinking and processing the situation and further asked the patient about EVERYTHING. I went through the entire mnemonic, SOCRATES SAMPLE STEPSONS and the patient was very vague with their responses. I continued with my exam and nothing really stood out to me. No pain anywhere. Patient moving all extremities with no weakness. The patient only really complained about “still feeling off.”

I finished my exam and told the patient I was going to put in some orders to see what was going on.

The patient was appreciative and appeared comfortable as I walked away.

As I went back to my computer, I checked the chart again and the EMS note read that there was only one car involved in the crash. Interesting. But as I went to put in the orders and begin dictating my notes, I got a “Jimmy Neutron Brain Blast” and remembered…..she had her mask on and I didn’t look at her mouth!

F***!!!!!!!

I quickly went back and asked the patient to remove the mask and smile big.

Smile was big, equal, and symmetric.

Me: “Can you please stick out your tongue and say ‘ahh?”

As the patient opened their mouth and stuck out their tongue, I saw it and then the whole picture made sense.

She had a small lateral tongue laceration.

My heart immediately sank because I already knew the diagnosis.

Lateral tongue lacerations are usually present after a seizure. The patient reports no other pain but “feels off” could mean the patient was in a post-ictal state. The patient is in their late 50s with no history of seizure and no history of drug/alcohol abuse which most likely means she has some sort of mass in her brain.

Sure enough, imaging of the patient’s brain looked something like this:

I educated the patient what I had found and told them the treatment plan on admission and getting a neurosurgery consult. I answered all the questions I could, but the neurosurgery team actually walked in as I was explaining, so they took over answering all the questions.

Tough case as the outcomes of cases like this are never good. But yet again, the mystery was in the history and the exam.

Thats all for today.

Thanks for reading,