Finding a Physician Assistant to Shadow or Become a Mentor

When I first contemplated a career as a physician assistant I was hard-pressed to find a PA to shadow. I was dying to find a PA and pick their brain, learn about what they do, possibly shadow for a day or two. But, the question is where do you start? Every single PA I know would love to be approached by a potential PA school applicant. I have never met a PA who does not love to talk about their profession. In fact, every time I hear one of my patients discuss their dream of a career in the medical profession (often as an MD) I make sure to mention "have you ever thought of going to PA school?" Many people still believe that a physician assistant is a stepping stone on a career path to a medical doctor. I make it my personal goal to educate them otherwise. But we PAs are busy people, and as much as we love to share information about our jobs and bathe in your abundant joy of our successes, we have patients to see, phone calls to make, insurance companies to haggle and a plethora of other daily tasks that require our attention. So how do you overcome this obstacle and find a PA to shadow? PA Shadowing quick tip: Find a physician assistant to shadow or sign up to precept atPhysician Assistant Shadow Online. Just ask a Pre-Physician Assistant Student The Foolproof Guide to Finding a PA to Shadow 1. First things first, get a new wardrobe: Invest in some business casual. I would define this for you, but I have a horrible fashion sense- if you don't know just spend a couple of hours on Pinterest. And to the guys out there don't ever use Axe body spray, that I do know! 2. Do some research: Get online and look at local clinics that have PAs Approach smaller practices or rural practices where they might be more amenable to having someone shadow. You will have more luck at smaller clinics because large institutions often have HIPAArules that preclude PAs from accepting students. Contact your local, regional or state PA chapter for insight and guidance (here is an interactive map I developed to help you). Ask to attend one of their meetings and personally seek out a PA to shadow. Go to a local clinic, urgent care or hospital. Search online for medical facilities in your region. Drop me a line on this blog. 3. Always show up in person:Whatever you do, always show up in person! Don't leave a message on the answering machine and don't send an email. An email, phone call, and voicemail are way too easy to ignore. Trust me on this one; I do it all the time. Here is a template for success: "Hi, my name is Stephen (Mitchell, Bob, Joe Smith . . ) and I am a pre-physician assistant student at the University of Westminster, and I am passionate about becoming a PA. I read online that John Smith works here and I saw that he is a PA. I was hoping that I could talk to him and see if I could set up some shadowing time or at least introduce myself and get to know him a bit." Rejection scenario 1: "James the PA is busy right now and doesn't have time for you."You say: "I understand completely when would be a good time to set up a time to talk?" Rejection scenario 2: "OK, just leave your info, I will give it to Jane the PA later." OK, do have a card with your info on it, but let them know that you will be back next week to follow up and ask when would be the best time to come back. Rejection scenario 3: "We don't take PAs to shadow." "That is OK; I would love to just talk to Josephine the PA and see if she has any advice for me when would be a good time to come back?" 4. Bring Starbucks: The goal here is not to help relieve the stress of mind-blowing PA school student loan debt for your potential preceptor by financing her nonfat decaf organic chocolate brownie iced vanilla double-shot gingerbread frappuccino. The coffee is merely an olive branch you extend in hopes of getting to know a PA better. Thus, reassuring the PA you hope to shadow that you are indeed a "normal" person, just like her former self, interested in learning as much as you can about the PA profession. Possibly a better (underutilized) approach would be to buy coffee for the receptionist and office staff in exchange for a few good words with the PA in mention to support your case. 5. If you are affiliated with the military, try to find a military PA to shadow. PAs are on staff at all military medical facilities. 6. Go above and beyond and take an online HIPAA training class: If you really want to impress sign up for an online HIPPA training course and become HIPPA compliant. Now when you approach prospective shadowing sites you can show your first concern is with patient privacy. Yes! The Roundabout Method for Finding a PA to Shadow 1. Take a job in a clinic where PAs work: Three front desk staff and two medical assistants at my current clinic have gone on to attend PA school. They shadowed me, I took them out to lunch, I helped them with their essays, and I wrote them reference letters. You will be hard-pressed to find a better opportunity to get to know a PA "up close and personal" than working alongside them and becoming their patient care ally. 2. Volunteer to work in any capacity: In an office or emergency room or wherever PAs are employed. In the course of your volunteer work, you might become acquainted with a PA who may be willing to let you shadow separate from your volunteer time. Your Main Goal on Your Path to PA Shouldnt be Immediate Success or Money, But to Learn as Much as Possible What is your goal of all this PA shadowing? Your goal should be togive a well-researched answer to this question:What does a PA do? You may think you know the answer, but do you? (window["TotalPollAsync"] = window["TotalPollAsync"] || []).push({id:"15946", container:"totalpoll-async-5e099fd6a2669"}); So you want to be a physician assistant? If you are thinking of acareeras a physician assistant the first step it to reach out and find one. No matter what people say, it is not as hard as you think. In this case, the rewards will go to those who are most willing to put themselves out there. Whether you are taking the roundabout way, or the more direct, foolproof way, these paths will converge. Don't hesitate to go all out; you will be met with big smiles from overly busy PAs and front desk staff who will (with a little coercion) be happy to take you under their wing and teach you everything they know. Be ambitious and be confident in yourself, you want to be a PAso be willing to take the necessary steps. Even if that means feeding the coffee addictions of a sleep-deprived PA or an overworked, and underpaid clinic front desk staff! - Stephen Pasquini PA-C You may also like -The Physician Assistant and the Frog: Kiss Many a Frog Before you Marry a ToadEvery night before bed my wife and I take time as a family to read to our kids. I love fairy tales as teaching tools. I particular love the story of the princess who had to kiss a frog in order to find her handsome prince. There []Overcoming Obstacles on Your Path to Becoming a Physician AssistantLife 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 []Why I love being a PA: My letter to a prospective MDDear Pre-Med, This is why I love being a physician assistant: I was pre-med for three years and completed my prerequisites as an undergraduate at the University of Washington in Seattle. I graduated with a bachelor's of science []