Life is full of obstacles. They can be as simple as getting out of the bed in the morning, or as arduous as writing the perfect physician assistant application essay. Most of the time the biggest obstacle is ourselves. The excuses that we create to avoid doing the things that matter most. This is true […]
Archives for 2012
How NOT to be a PA Sellout: The Physician Assistant Vocation
So many PAs I meet are unsatisfied with their careers. I have met many a mid-level practitioner who has become entangled in a web of profit driven, incentivized by the numbers healthcare. They have forgotten why they became a PA, to begin with. We all become PAs with a great desire to help people, but it often doesn’t end […]
Haiti Medical Mission Trip: Settling In, Resetting my Clock and Resetting my World View
This post is the third of a series about working as a physician assistant in Haiti. Growth happens at times when we are the most challenged And yes this almost always involves overcoming fear. There is no better way to travel than with the locals, no better way to experience the culture, no better way […]
How to get 100 CME Credits as a Broke Physician Assistant
OK, so I am not exactly broke but I once was, and I am always treading a fine line. I have two children in braces, a wife working part-time, a struggling retirement account, a car payment, a mortgage payment, and, to top it off, I don’t receive a CME stipend from my employer! The only […]
I Want to Know if I am Making the Right Choice to be a Physician Assistant?
Let me guess, you’re asking yourself . . . “Am I am making the right choice of becoming a physician assistant over a doctor?” “Am I letting myself down?” “Am I selling out?” “Am I letting my family down?” “Am I giving in?” “Am I taking the easier road?” I know how important these questions […]
Physician Assistant Application Letter of Recommendation Samples: Applying to PA School
PA School Letters of Reference Here are two letters of recommendation I received when applying to PA school. I am not posting them here as a way to fluff my feathers but merely to serve as an example of what I included as part of my actual PA school application. A great letter of recommendation weighs heavily […]
Teens in Crisis: Emergency Telephone, Text and Web Resources Available to all Teenagers
If you are a teen in crisis or counseling a teen in crisis please reach out to one of these organizations below The Covenant House (Opening doors for homeless youth) www.covenanthouse.org Homeless kids come to Covenant House in crisis. Immediately and without question, we meet their basic human needs – a nourishing meal, a shower, […]
Working as a Physician Assistant in Haiti: Organization & Logistics
This video is from the wonderful FREE EdX course: The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health The idea of working overseas as a physician assistant had always perplexed me. The laws governing PAs and our scope of observed practice in foreign, third world countries seem nonexistent. I know what we can do and I am aware that our level […]
Cookie Cutter Medicine – The Future of PAs and The Future of Medicine
One of the most popular books ever written on building a business is called the E-Myth Revisited, and here’s what the author, Michael E. Gerber says about the perfect business model: The model will be operated by people with the lowest possible level of skill Because if your model depends on highly skilled people, it’s […]
My First International Trip to Haiti as a Physician Assistant – Preperation
This post is the first of a series I am excited to be going to do some work in Haiti this October. My whole life I have wanted to do medical work overseas and now I am seeing a dream fulfilled. I will be flying from San Francisco to Washington DC where I will meet up […]
NCCPA Examination Content Blueprint PDF (ECB)
When studying for the PANCE or PANRE let the NCCPA Content Blueprint be your guide! Along with a good review book, the content blueprint allows you to focus your review on the topics that will be covered on the PANCE and PANRE. In my experience, it is best to review the blueprint, find your weak […]
Free 5 Minute Clinical Consult and Epocrates Online Premium
Pfizer for Professionals Pfizer for Professionals: As much as I hate to give my email address over to the pharmaceutical companies this one is worth it. When you create a free professional account you get free access to several amazing resources and even an iPhone app that allows you to access these resources on the go. And yes, it really […]
Most Social Problems Do Not Have a Quick Fix
When Good Intentions Are Not Enough As I prepare for my first medical missions trip to Haiti I question my intentions. I fear that this trip may turn out to be less about helping (because who can help anybody in a week) and more about fulfilling my desire to experience the “thrill” of international medicine. The question […]
Is Physician Assistant (PA) School Hard?
Is PA school hard? Here is a question I get asked all the time: Is PA school difficult? Of course, in many ways, it is equally as rigorous as medical school. As students in the first year of our didactic portion (the book work period), we took many of our classes alongside medical students. Although, we […]
Pulmonary System: PANCE and PANRE Examination Content Blueprint
The PANCE and PANRE: Examination Content Blueprint checklist 2017 The PANCE and PANRE Pulmonology Content Blueprint represents 12% of your exam and includes 32 diseases/disorders Take a Comprehensive Pulmonology Exam Comprehensive 142 Question Pulmonology Exam (SMARTY PANCE members Only) Take Exam Interactive NCCPA™ PANCE/PANRE Content Blueprint Checklist Track your progress while linking to courses, lessons, and exams […]
