A good friend of mine recently hired a PA. She was a new grad, right out of school, and he was super excited about her. He hired her two months BEFORE she graduated.
You know why he hired this new grad who had no experience and no license? Can you even imagine?
Two reasons:
1- She could talk to people. She could hold a conversation. She could look you in the eyes. She had no experience as a PA, but she still had valuable skills. That’s a strong base to work from.
2- She was enthusiastic. Because she didn’t have a license, she worked for him as a medical assistant until she got it. This way she learned his business, learned how he practiced.
Something I want you to think about: everyone has valuable experience. New grads bring a lot more than they think to the table. Experienced PAs switching specialties too. You may have technical skills, people skills, office management skills. All of these are transferable. They just need to be framed so that they sound like huge assets. It isn’t that hard because they are HUGE assets.
You don’t walk into an interview and think, “I’m a new grad with no skills. Why would they hire me or pay me anything?” You walk in thinking, “I’m so ready to learn, participate, and help people; I can’t wait to get started.”
How about that job at Starbucks where you spoke to thousands of people every single day? You don’t think that translates to seeing patients? You have skills! Show them and tell them. Don’t hide.
Changing specialties? Of course, there will be a learning curve, but you’ve worked in an office. You’ve spoken with patients. You’ve done 85% of the job. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you haven’t.
This rock star PA wound up passing her boards with no problem. You know how she made sure she passed it? She was smart enough to use The Final Step.
Lol. I’m totally serious. I met her when she first came to my hospital for credentialing. The Chief of Surgery is my supervising physician, and every new PA coming to the hospital OR has to “interview” with him. I happened to be in the office, so I introduced myself as she came through. She recognized me by my voice and told me she had used the podcast and The Final Step to help pass her exam.
She was super smart. Maybe you should follow her lead.
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Brian Wallace