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Diagnosis & Disease Information
More PAs Choosing Specialties Over Primary Care
PAs have come a long way since the birth of the profession in 1965, when the very first PA class was taught at the Duke University Medical Center. Today, the profession is rapidly growing, and PAs are in demand more than ever. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 86,700 PAs practicing in the US, and the PA job market is expected to grow 38% by 2022. Originally meant to serve in primary care, the profession is now seeing a greater number of PAs choosing to hone their skills and branch off into medical specialties instead.
The Juggling Act of Balancing Work and Personal Life
In recent years, Americans desire for balance between work and personal life has grown substantially. In the Huffington Post, Chad Brooks recently discussed a 2013 Accenture study that found over two-thirds of US employees now believe they can have a rewarding career as well as a fulfilling life outside of the workplace. It is no longer enough for many workers to be successful in their fields; they also want to have a high-quality personal life.
Online Doctor Reviews and What You Can Do
One of the biggest changes wrought by Internet transparency is the ability of almost anyone to air both opinion and grievance to a wide audience. For physicians, and all other professionals in the field, this freedom has brought some challenges. Grievance, rather than praise, is more likely to motivate individuals to take to the web to make their comments public. Good reviews are expressed online, but dont tend to carry as much weight as the cautionary tale. Angry patients often turn to the public and their peers online to register grievances, which in some cases can feel like character assassination.
The Evolving Nurse Practitioner
Studies are predicting that there will be a significant shortage of primary care physicians in the US by the year 2020. Some estimates say there will be a reduction of 91,500 total physicians, with 45,000 plus in the field of primary care and the remaining in specialties. The nation will be facing a serious issue with a population that is aging and growing. Another important factor is that our doctors are aging too. It’s estimated that one-third of practicing physicians will be retiring in the next decade. Add to that the changes implemented by way of the Affordable Care Act, and the numerous states that have removed barriers regarding what nurse practitioners can and can’t do without physician assistance, and you have a landscape that is changing rapidly and dramatically for the profession.
Prohibitive Costs of Medical School and Incurred Debt
Student debt is a concern in the US overall, with college costs increasing at a higher rate than inflation for decades now. The rate of tuition increase for medical schools has exceeded other areas of graduate education. Student loan indebtedness has risen right along with college costs, with the median debt at $170,000 for medical school graduates in 2012, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. They report that nearly 90% of medical students graduate in debt.
The Unlikely Legacy of Vivien Thomas
The first Blalock-Taussig shunt (BT shunt) was performed at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1944. Used to promote blood flow in cyanotic newborns with congenital heart defects, this pioneering surgical treatment has since been used by surgeons around the globe to help thousands of blue babies. The procedure also propelled Johns Hopkins surgeon Alfred Blalock and pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig into the surgical spotlight.
Career Burnout: Reinvigorate or Change Your Medical Career
Job burnout is stressful. It causes a unique type of stress that includes mental and physical exhaustion. There are so many factors that can contribute to burnout on the job, including work-life imbalance, monotony, lack of resources, and a dysfunctional workplace, to name a few. A MedPage Today survey indicates that approximately 38% of doctors experience job burnout.
Fact or Fiction: Do Doctor Dramas Accurately Portray Real Life in the ER?
In the pilot episode of Scrubs, JD gets his first emergency call after a patient’s heart fails. He frantically runs toward the patient’s room, but panics and instead hides inside a closet where he finds Elliot, who is also hiding from the adrenaline-fueled moment of saving someone’s life. Meanwhile, the scene cuts to Turk, who is already at the patient’s bedside, furiously rubbing the defibrillator’s pads together before shocking him back to life. Stop right there. Did you catch the inaccuracy?
California vs. Florida: Which State Is Better for Physician Assistants?
For some, theres no question about which subtropical state they prefer to live in. Whether its for the authentic Mexican food and killer surf spots of SoCal or the famous Orlando amusement parks and nightlife of South Beach, both California and Florida have an abundance of unique draws for prospective residents. But in which state is it better to be a PA? In this article, well check out what its like and what it takes to be a PA in 2 of the sunniest parts of the country.
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