The Physician Assistant Startup Podcast

The PANCE blueprint has a lot of topics to study, so how do you know what to focus on? We haven't ever claimed to be the best students in the world, but you can gain from both our procrastination and our experience as preceptors over the last 14 years: Learn the basics. Know the easy stuff: 3 options for treating nausea, most likely causes of postoperative fever...don't swing for the fences and learn obscure pimp questions. Those might get you some props in the moment, but the best students (who we later pursue for jobs) are the ones who get the big picture. Google search the "Top conditions diagnosed in _____________ (insert rotation name here)" and you'll quickly see what you can focus on for your rotation. Get a solid understanding of those and you'll make a good impression. Yes, you have to learn it all for the PANCE exam, but as your rotation draws near, you'll feel crunched for time - learning a good foundation of the most common things you'll be seeing will absolutely help you out. See the video of this podcast and the rest of the show notes here: https://youtu.be/Cd77EkH1hzg  

#PASchool #PAStudent #PhysicianAssistant #PrePA #PAStartup Shadowing, school, rotations...it all seems so overwhelming. A recent Reddit post reminded us of being in school and wondering how we'd ever remember or understand things to make it as a PA. We have some tips for you! Don't forget to subscribe to the PA Startup channel. Leave us a rating and review! Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/PAStartup Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay ------------------------------------------------------------ Intro/Outtro Music Dizzy by Joakim Karud http://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-7YDBIGCXsY ------------------------------------------------------------

#PASchool #PAStudent #PhysicianAssistant #PrePA #PAStartup Shadowing, school, rotations...it all seems so overwhelming. A recent Reddit post reminded us of being in school and wondering how we'd ever remember or understand things to make it as a PA. We have some tips for you! Don't forget to subscribe to the PA Startup channel. Leave us a rating and review!   Links: Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/PAStartup Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay ------------------------------------------------------------ Intro/Outtro Music Dizzy by Joakim Karud http://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-7YDBIGCXsY ------------------------------------------------------------

Psychiatry is actually in every specialty, but what would a job as a PA in in psych be like? Meet our friend Ariana, a Psychiatry PA (who recently moved on to Burn and Reconstructive Surgery)--she has some amazing tips for medical providers of any kind! She has been active in her state chapter as well to help advance the PA profession both in the field of psychiatry as well as Optimal Team Practice! Thank you Ariana! Ariana's Instagram: https://instagram.com/sparkles_and_scalpels_ Timestamps: 11:30 - How to connect on some level with patient 14:20 - Establishing trust 32:00 - What her typical day is like 39:00 - Future of PAs in Psych 41:00 - Optimal Team Practice and defining "interdependence" Don't forget to subscribe to the PA Startup channel on YouTube HERE. Leave us a comment while you're there; we need something to do while we wait for our next case to start! Links: Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! YouTube: https://youtube.com/PAStartup Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAStartupDOTco Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay ------------------------------------------------------------ Intro/Outtro Music Dizzy by Joakim Karud http://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-7YDBIGCXsY ------------------------------------------------------------

Want to watch this podcast instead? (you'll quickly see we have good faces for podcasting!): https://youtu.be/go9Edf69LDw Support PA Startup, subscribe to our channel--I mean, we might as well make this official, am I right? How do you find a good fit as a new graduate who is just wanting to get hired? Too often new grads take a job without thinking about their relationship with the physician. We work closely with physicians as PAs, but not all physicians understand the best ways to utilize PAs. There is a huge difference between working in a practice where you're utilized well and practicing to the top of your ability versus being stuck simply doing grunt work. Hopefully this episode can show you what to WATCH FOR and what to watch OUT for! Links: Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay

Please help support our YouTube channel: like and subscribe this video (you'll have to look past our ugly faces!!) http://hyperurl.co/PASU_YouTube We gave students a little bit of a hard time on our "Things You SHOULDN'T Do on Rotations" episode, so it's only fair to follow up with ways you can stand out.  Show notes: https://pastartup.co/episode034 What do you think? Leave a comment over on YouTube and let us know what we forgot to include! Surgical Recall: https://amzn.to/2M9Rn7C Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2021: https://amzn.to/3o3VqQ9 Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment: https://amzn.to/2M6zqHm Scut Monkey: Clinician's Pocket Reference: https://amzn.to/3p07RxH PANCE Prep Pearls, Part A: https://amzn.to/39UmFYs PANCE Prep Pearls, Part B: https://amzn.to/392I6HL   Links: Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAStartupDOTco Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay  

Medicine can be very serious, but given the intensity of some situations along with the awkwardness of human nature, we all have funny experiences as medical providers. Here are some of our favorites; don't worry, we add to the list daily and will have more stories to tell! Subscribe to the PA Startup channel on YouTube! We'd love to see you over there--we have these episodes and shorter clips available for you, come say hi! Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAStartupDOTco Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay

How do you pay for PA school? How hard is it to pay off student loan debt? Meet Kristin. She’s a PA, just like us. She graduated and got a job, just like us. But that’s where the similarities stop (with us anyway!)—she paid off nearly $200,000 in student loans in JUST 16 MONTHS! She didn’t stop there…she has some exciting things going on with her new financial freedom and BEST OF ALL—she can help YOU do it too. Kristin offers coaching both in-person and online to help you get on top of your financial situation, whether you’re a student, new grad, or old guy like Chris. Student loans are a fact of life for pretty much everyone. With the average cost of PA school coming in at $88,677 (!!!)* we all expect to have them and have to pay them. I’ve always assumed paying them down with the minimum payment was the only option—until THIS conversation! Give Kristin a shout: https://instagram.com/strivewithkristin Or hit up her website for free blog articles, get on her mailing list, or check out her coaching course: https://www.strivewithkristin.com Kristin rocks. I want to be like Kristin some day. Time Stamps: 2:26–The beauty of flexibility as a PA 2:51–What’s it like working overnights? 4:16–How much debt did Kristin have? 7:38–HOW DID SHE GET OUT OF IT? 13:45–How to pick a moonlighting gig 17:25–Tips for getting started 21:03–What you should be doing in school 22:30–Kristin drops the mic (even more unBELIEVABLE news!) 25:34–No wait, she’s not done—yet another Mic Drop moment! 26:30–Where Kristin invests money (*not financial advice, just her experience!) 30:05–How Kristin can help YOU do the SAME THING 32:50–Where to find Kristin online, get on her mailing list, or check out her course 35:39–Overwhelmed by debt? Kristin has some encouragement for you *Thanks to The PA Life for this statistic, show Stephen some love: https://www.thepalife.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-go-to-physician-assistant-pa-school/ Don't forget to hit "Like" and subscribe to the PA Startup channel on YouTube! Links: Visit us: https://pastartup.co FREE RESOURCES: https://pastartup.co/resources Complete Episode List: https://pastartup.co/podcastlist Give us a FOLLOW! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAStartupDOTco Support PA Startup: Swag: https://pastartup.co/store Audible trial: https://pastartup.co/audible PA Startup Guide to Writing Your Application Essay: https://pastartup.co/essay  

Rotations are a great part of PA school--they provide a way to balance book knowledge with clinical knowledge, provide perspective....but also they give you an opportunity to put your best foot forward. Full Show Notes: https://pastartup.co/episode31 Visit us on YouTube and Subscribe to the PA Startup Channel!

We're back with Season 3 of the PA Startup Podcast!  The podcast is now also on YouTube, so we'd love a "like" and subscribe over there as well! Today is an exciting day: introducing our new cohost, Garner Wilson PA-C!  

Theresa Brodeur, PA-C is back (you'll remember her from the Residency podcast!) to talk about her job as an ER PA. This episode is jam-packed with great information. Show notes: www.pastartup.co/episode29

What’s it like to work a day as an Orthopedics & Plastic Surgery PA? Today’s guest is Shannon Korth, PA-C. She started as a surgical technologist then found the PA profession. She met a lot of people working as a tech, which worked to her advantage after graduation. Read the show notes here: http://www.pastartup.co/episode28   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession!

PA Residencies are out there—but what’s it like to attend one? Today’s guest is Theresa Brodeur, PA-C who is from Syracuse, NY. She attended PA school and knew she wanted to pursue Emergency Medicine, so she attended a Residency in California to further her skills.  How did it go?  What was it like?  Read the show notes here: pastartup.co/episode27    Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

What is your Purpose as a PA? What ignites you? Maybe you don’t know—I didn’t, and felt like an imposter. Then my daughter and my wife almost died. It was an awful experience, but it showed me my Purpose at the most unexpected time.  See my "little" family (we've grown since then!) at the show notes: Episode 26   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

Great questions from YOU listeners!  Q&A Number 3!  Show notes here: Episode 25 Do you have a question? Send any pre-PA, current student, and new grad questions to questions@pastartup.co   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco    

4 things you MUST do RIGHT after your interview Everyone’s focus is on the interview, right? That’s what you’re working for—good grades, CASPA application, letters of recommendation, and a great essay (need help with that? Check THIS out…). The day finally comes and you go to your interview…but once you’re done, what do you do next?? Check out the 4 steps in the show notes: Episode 24 Listen to Episode 18 if you haven’t already—Insights From A Program Director, as well as Episode 23-What Do I Do If I Don’t Get In…both have great info for the application process.   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

Everyone fears rejection, but it’s a fact of life Statistically speaking, it very well might be part of your PA school journey. While it hurts to not get in the first time through, the way you handle this rejection and get back on task makes all the difference. My guest for Episode 23 has lived it—and handled it like a champ. Check out more in the show notes here: Epsiode 23   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

What is the first month like as a new PA? The first 30, 60, 90 days as a PA are a blur for most…transitioning from a student to provider, getting a job, meeting new people, and suddenly—you’re it, you’re the provider! It can be intimidating and overwhelming, but we’ve all been there.  Meet Andre here: Epsiode 22   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

Catching up with Mike, the Finance Fellow (from Episode 7) and his job as a PA in Acute Care/Trauma Medicine.  Learn more in the show notes: Episode 21 Find Mike here: Twitter: @thefinancefello Blog: www.TheFinanceFellow.com Email: Thefinancefellow@gmail.com    Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco    

  Writing tips are just for pre-PAs, right?  No...! Mike Huckabee, Ph.D., PA-C, Program Director for the Mayo Clinic PA Program, talked in Episode 18 of the PA Startup Podcast how the essay is the best way to stand out among competitive applications, and I agree.  It’s the START of your interview…the first chance you can show them personality outside of grades/transcripts and work history. But writing isn’t only for applications—you’ll be writing cover letters for jobs, thank you notes to preceptors/interviewers, and in many other ways throughout your career. But HOW you write is equally important as WHAT you write. Check out our 5 Killer Writing Tips here: Episode 20   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

How often do we get to ask Program Directors questions and get transparent answers? NOT OFTEN, so this episode will knock your socks off!  Check out the show notes: Episode 18 Mike Huckabee, Ph.D. PA-C is the Program Director at the Mayo Clinic PA Program and a personal friend–in today’s episode we have unique access to his thoughts on pre-PA/PA applicants, application process, and more!   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco    

Meet Stephen Pasquini, PA-C! He’s not only a Family Practice PA with over 10 years experience, he’s also the founder of The PA Life.com (https://www.thepalife.com/), an AWESOME resource for PAs. But his reach doesn’t stop there, he’s also the founder of SmartyPance (https://smartypance.com/) (which is a great PANCE/PANRE review course!!), PANCE/PANRE Academy, author of TWO Essay books for pre-PA applicants, and offers Mock PA School Interviews for refining that PA School interview! What a guy!!!! Oh, and he’s got a Podcast too! The Audio PANCE & PANRE Show notes, links and more: Episode 17   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

A Day In the Life: Pulmonary Medicine As Nick says, pulmonary patients are often the “sickest of the sick”, which is a great mindset to have when selecting rotations: if you can handle the sickest patients, then the rest won’t be as intimidating.   Show notes: Episode 16   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

A Day in the Life: General Surgery, featuring Jessica Harper, PA-C Jessica started out in cardiac rehab and personal training before PA school, but met military PAs along the way who provided excellent care.  She loved surgery and hasn’t looked back.   Show notes: Episode 15   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

New Grad Questions! Q&A #2 Thanks for all the great questions; submit yours to: questions@pastartup.co Salary vs. RVUs Negotiating salary for first job Contract vs. Offer Letter Residencies Surviving vs. Flourishing in school Show notes, links, and more info: Episode 14   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

A Day in the Life: Cardiothoracic Surgery Welcome to the first “day in the life of” series. This is probably my favorite type of podcast episode I have planned and want to offer you as listeners of the PA start a podcast. When I was a student, I always wanted to know what my life would be like working in different specialties. The goal of this series is to shed some light on what an actual position in these specialties might entail. This episode with with Eric, PA-C--a cardiothoracic surgery PA.  Check out more info here: Episode 13   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

Fundamentals: Negotiating Negotiating sounds like it’s only for contracts or getting a job, but you’ll find you will have to negotiate in every aspect of your career: getting your job, finding common ground with patients, managing teams or even being managed, outside administrators, work life balance, the list goes on and on.  Excellent show notes (humble brag much??): Episode 12 Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

   CONTRACTS and STUFF TO CONSIDER Contracts and/or offer letters are something you usually only see once, so it’s hard to get up to speed on what should be included, and if you miss an opportunity to include something, it’s usually too late by the time you realize it. Check out things you HAVE to have and things that are good to consider in the show notes here: Episode 11   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco  

Lessons Learned the First Year In Practice The learning curve is steep right out of school.  Often times we perceive something that is challenging but when you look back it was something different entirely.  Show notes: Episode 10   Support the PA Startup Podcast! Free 30-Day Audible Trial (free book of your choice!)  PA Startup Shirts!--Free shipping, represent your future/current profession! Give us a follow! Instagram: @PAStartup Twitter: PAStartupDOTco    

Preparing For the PANCE/PANRE Exam: Conversation with Certified Medical Educators The thing standing between you and becoming a PA, other than school of course, is the PANCE exam. The Physician Assistant National Certification Exam is the ultimate goal of your PA training; it is THE comprehensive review of everything you learned in PA school. Passing this test is the last hurdle to becoming a Certified Physician Assistant and getting started in your career. There are multiple tactics people use to best prepare for this test, so for today’s episode I asked Mike Nowak PA-C, director of Certified Medical Educators and a practicing PA to join me on the podcast. Mike has trained thousands of PAs over the years during his three- and five-day review courses and shares his best study tips and test recommendations with us. Find Mike Nowak, PA-C and Certified Medical Educators here: FACEBOOK: CertMedEd facebook page WEBSITE: Certified medical educators   Links from Episode 9 Amazon links are “affiliate links” which means I earn a couple of dollars if you purchase using that link at no extra cost you. It’s a great way to help support PA startup, the podcast, and helps us continue our efforts. NCCPA blueprint Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, Comprehensive book (The “Blue Bible”) 2019 Edition-https://amzn.to/2HWpY5O 2018 Edition-https://amzn.to/2FKjfbV Flashcards–https://amzn.to/2WJVgk2 CMDT Specialty Guides Family Medicine–https://amzn.to/2FJabE2 Cardiology–https://amzn.to/2HVUbSy Surgery–https://amzn.to/2WKgwGd Pediatrics–https://amzn.to/2CQJdJX OBGYN–https://amzn.to/2Id1WTL Geriatrics–https://amzn.to/2FKM1Jf Orthopedics–https://amzn.to/2I3Hkx7 Gastroenterology–https://amzn.to/2I3HKDH Emergency Medicine–https://amzn.to/2FTt5cx   HIGHLIGHTS—Time stamps of pertinent info for quick reference: 0:03–Killer Intro Music 0:27–Chris Darst, PA-C Has a Cold (er, Upper Respiratory Infection) 6:03–Hawaii Review Course! 10:20–Setting up a Study Schedule 13:40–Strategic Studying 15:08–Lag Time for New Information 17:53–Board Review Courses 18:43–Differences Between PANCE/PANRE 20:22–When Should Studying Start? 23:40–Variety with Studying 26:15–Why People Fail the PANCE Exam 29:24–Best Study Advice I’ve Heard 30:49–Test Taking Tips 35:30–Looking Forward: Preparing for your next boards

Shadowing is an exceptional way to learn more about the PA profession and stay motivated throughout your academic journey. It can help you explore the PA profession, find letters of recommendation, arrange elective rotations, and even a potential job in the future. In this week's episode of the PA Startup Podcast, we look at the benefits of shadowing, with reasons why it’s hard to arrange, 4 ways to find shadowing opportunities, and what to do before/during/after shadowing. Here are the timestamps for the various topics we discuss in today’s episode. Benefits of shadowing (3:07) Reason shadowing is hard to set up (8:48) What shadowing is not for (don’t go into experience for these purposes) (10:43) 4 ways to search for shadowing (12:35) Preparation for shadowing (17:56) At shadowing (22:19) After shadowing (26:32) For more info (28:42) Subscribe to the podcast here on iTunes, here on Google Play, and here on Stitcher Radio. Links: Physician Assistant Forum AAPA Scribe America—How to become a medical scribe

  Today we talk finances with Mike “The Finance Fellow”.  Mike writes a blog (www.thefinancefellow.com) about his journey from the financial world to now being a Trauma PA, discussing all different types of financial info for pre-PAs, current PA students, and practicing PAs.   More info on the show notes HERE. ***Information on this Podcast does not constitute true financial advice, please seek the opinion of a financial professional before making your own personal financial decisions!*** Find Mike here: Twitter: @thefinancefello Blog: www.TheFinanceFellow.com Email: Thefinancefellow@gmail.com   Send Q&A questions to us: questions@pastartup.co Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play!  And we’d love a rating and review!!  Hit the website at pastartup.co to get updates on guides, webinars, and more! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast above, follow us on Twitter (@PAStartupDOTco), and sign up for email updates below.  Man, am I bossy or what? Also, submit your questions for our NEXT Q&A episode to questions@pastartup.co.

Congratulations to all the graduating PA students out there!  Way to go!  You did it...just pass that exam (you'll do great) and start that career! Show notes for this episode HERE. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast above, follow us on Twitter (@PAStartupDOTco), and sign up for email updates below.  Man, am I bossy or what? Als0, submit your questions for our NEXT Q&A episode to questions@pastartup.co. Ok, ok...that's all!  Thanks for coming by...I appreciate it!  

  Welcome to our first Q & A episode! These questions were submitted via email at questions@pastartup.co. We have four excellent questions today, I didn’t have time to feature everything that has been sent in, but please keep sending questions and we will get to them in a future episode. Brett asks how to decide between a more expensive but highly regarded school vs. a local, more affordable program. Emma didn't get into school this time around; what should she do now and if it looks silly to reapply to the same programs next year. Allison asks what to do if a preceptor is “pimping” you—should you answer I don’t know if you aren’t certain of the answer or should you try even at risk and looking dumb? Victor has a job offer but doesn't think he has much to negotiate with as a new grad, but his offer is a little lower than he'd like. Check out these questions on Episode 5 of the PA Startup Podcast; submit your questions to questions@pastartup.co Show notes HERE    

Job interviews Just like cover letters and resumes, job interviews are an art form. Practice makes perfect, and this episode has several different tips to help you perfect that art. The whole purpose of the job interview is to show whoever is hiring why you were the best fit for the job. That goes both ways, you need to make sure that the job is a good fit for you as well. There are two choices when it comes to jobs, and their importance is up to you. Most people have to decide between what specialty they want to do versus where people want to live. If you know one specialty is the only thing that will feed your soul, you might have to be willing to move to make that happen. If you know that you need to remain in one location, you have to have more willingness to try different specialties, at least at first. It’s rare to get your dream job in your dream location right out of school. But put in the work upfront and with your experience, you can make your dream job your reality. I hope this episode is hopeful for those of you out looking for jobs and interviewing. We touch on phone interviews and in person interviews, red flags to look for during your interview, and tactics to prepare before going into it with you to set you up for success. Show notes for episode 004 can be found at www.pastartup.co/episode4

Today’s episode is all about getting the job! FREE RESOURCES: pastartup.co/resume Subscribe on iTunes; leave us a rating and review! The whole purpose of going to PA school is to get a job as a practicing PA. But before you can start treating patients, you have to actually be offered a job. The medical community is small, so it pays to make a good impression with your preceptors. The first thing you need is a strong resume followed by a good cover letter. A resume shows your qualifications, your cover letter introduces your potential employer to who you are as a person. Show notes for today show are at PAstartup.co/episode3. I also put up a page with free downloadable resources for both resumes and a sample cover letter. Check out PAstartup.co/resume

Episode 002--Going From Good To Great It's not uncommon to finish school, land your job, then get in a routine of checking off your daily routine. The trouble is, you're selling yourself short. Finishing school isn't the end of your growth-you've got a ton of potential to grow into. We can all be good…but what if we want more? What takes you from good to great? It's a mindset. Show notes: www.pastartup.co/episode2 PA School Application Essay Workbook available on Amazon: Writing Your PA School Application Essay

There are a lot of different allied health positions or provider roles can choose from; how do you know if the PA profession is right for you? In today’s episode, we dig into FIVE reasons why you should be excited to become a Physician Assistant. Do you have questions? I want to know where you’re at in your training, what you were dealing with, and how PA Startup can help you on your journey. Shoot me an email at questions@pastartup.co. As always, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and leave us a rating and review.  Sit back, relax, take some notes if you want… Then get out there and get started. Show notes: www.pastartup.co/episode1  

In this inaugural episode of the PA Startup Podcast, we answer the important question: What is PA Startup all about?  We are helping pre-PA students, current PA students, and new grads start their careers ahead of the curve as Physician Assistants!  Not sure if the PA profession is right for you?  Having trouble staying motivated or choose a specialty in school?  Having problems with your job search?  PA Startup can help with all this and more.   Hosted by Chris Darst, MPAS, PA-C, a practicing PA with over 10 years experience, the PA Startup Podcast explores the features of PA School and starting practice as a PA that aren't taught elsewhere.  Chris has hosted hundreds of shadow students, is a preceptor for several PA students on rotation in Cardiothoracic Surgery each year, and has trained multiple new grads during which he found there were a lot of similar questions that needed answering about applying to school, staying motivated in school, boards, job search, graduation, and beyond. Check us out more at PAstartup.co!