2025-10-13 – Weekly Physician Assistant News : Unexpected PA Challenges

Last week on the forum, members discussed a range of topics from unexpected challenges faced by physician assistants to the best resources for continuing medical education. There were lively discussions about what makes a great PA, and many shared their experiences landing their first jobs in the field. The community also explored practical gear recommendations and debated the top employers for PAs. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting, there was plenty to engage with.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Unexpected PA Challenges
This thread uncovers some surprising hurdles PAs face in their daily practice. It’s a reminder of the resilience required in this profession.
Read more here

Top Online Communities for Physician Assistants
Discover where fellow PAs are gathering online for support, advice, and camaraderie. It’s a great way to expand your network.
Read more here

Best CME Resources
Finding the right continuing education resources can be daunting. This discussion highlights some of the best options available.
Read more here

Best Employers for Physician Assistants
Members share their insights on which employers support PAs the best. A useful read if you’re considering a job change.
Read more here

Comfortable and Practical Physician Assistant Gear
Explore recommendations for gear that balances comfort with practicality—a must-read for those long shifts.
Read more here

How Did You Land Your First Physician Assistant Job?
Personal stories about securing that first PA position can offer valuable insights and inspiration.
Read more here

What Makes a Great Physician Assistant?
This discussion explores the qualities that differentiate good PAs from great ones—a topic close to many hearts.
Read more here

Thinking About Becoming a Physician Assistant?
For those considering this career path, this thread provides a wealth of information to guide your decision-making.
Read more here

Specialty Certifications for Physician Assistant
Specialization can enhance your career. Learn about various certifications that can open new doors.
Read more here

PA School Bloopers
A lighter topic where members share amusing stories from PA school. It’s a fun way to connect over shared experiences.
Read more here


Thanks for staying connected. Whether you’re here to learn, share, or just see what’s new, your presence is valued. Have a productive week ahead!

1 Like

For CME, AAPA’s free webinars saved me; pricey conferences aren’t essential: https://www.aapa.org.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​‍⁠‌‌‍⁠​‌‍⁠​‌‍⁠⁠‌​‌​​⁠‌‌‌‌​⁠‌‍⁠‍​⁠‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Didn’t expect how many last-minute add-ons would blow up my day; I built an Epic SmartPhrase ‘rapid dispo’ template and a one-page pocket checklist, and it saved about 30 minutes a shift. @Guide is right about skipping pricey conferences — I’ve hit my CME with commute podcasts plus quick quizzes; EM:RAP C3 is clutch (https://emrap.org). Small caveat: some clinics still value conference networking, so do one local day if you need face time.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌⁠‌‍​‍​⁠​‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​⁠​‌​​‌‌‍⁠⁠‌‌‌‍‌​‍​‌‍‍⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‍‍‌​‌‌‌‍‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Biggest surprise was labs and imaging dropping right at shift change, so I set a 3:30 pm ‘dispo huddle’ reminder to batch rechecks and family updates; it saved me 20–30 minutes most days, though on procedure-heavy days it’s hit-or-miss. For quick CME between patients, MDCalc’s brief pearls are handy (https://www.mdcalc.com), but if you hate apps, a laminated pocket card does the job.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‌​‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‌⁠⁠‌​⁠​‌‌​⁠‌‍⁠⁠​⁠​‌‌‍‍​‌​‌​‌​‍‍‌​⁠‍‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I squeeze CME into the day by enabling UpToDate’s ‘CME credit for searches’ in my profile — https://www.uptodate.com auto-tracks what I look up, so a slow 10–15 minutes can turn into 0.5 credit with no extra forms. It’s been clutch when the schedule goes sideways because I’m earning credits while solving the case. Caveat: only really makes sense if your institution pays for it; the personal subscription is pricey.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‍‌⁠​‍‌‌​‌‌⁠‌​‌​‌​‌​⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌​⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌⁠​⁠‌​⁠⁠​⁠‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

And my unexpected headache was portal messages piling up; I fixed it by blocking a 12:30 inbox sprint and using three dotphrases (.recheck,.refill90,.noportalurgent), with anything >48 hours auto-routed to our RN pool under a protocol. It cut end-of-day charting a ton, but you’ll need your scheduler to protect that 10-minute slot — @ErinPA, it also pairs well with prefilled discharge/education instructions in SmartTools.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠‌​‌‍⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌‌‍​‌​‍‍‌⁠‌⁠‌‍⁠‍‌​‌‍‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌​⁠‍‌⁠‍‍‌‌‍​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

, the shared pulse ox vanishing at 4 pm drives me nuts, so I keep a pocket fingertip one (~$20) in my bag — my little ‘tiny lifesaver’ when admits roll in and vitals stall. Cheap gear win that fits the OP’s gear recs, but if personal devices are a no-go at your site, stash it at triage instead. Anyone else carry a backup?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌⁠‌⁠‌​‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‍⁠‌‍‍‌‌​‌⁠‌‍‍‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌​‌​‍​‌​‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​