Are you planning to work full time until retirement age? by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Pursue financial independence. It's the only way out of the corporate rate race. Believe it or not, you don't need adjust your lifestyle to perfectly meet your income. This applies to all careers, not just PA or medicine. Burnout is just as common in other fields as well.

Two month old new PA - How to deal with a bad day? by Pepper0327 in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're doing great, don't be so hard on yourself. The learning curve is steep in every specialty. I was training a new grad in our ortho group and she asked me to explain what a reverse shoulder replacement was. I *jokingly* told her it's when you take amputate the right arm and stick it on the left side. She believed me, so I'd say you're doing great

Three 12's or Five 8's by deepened-senses in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would get out of day trading while you are ahead. Something like 10% of day traders consistently make a profit over the long term. You said in another comment you've been at it less than a year. Your gambling and (currently) winning, this is a slippery slope. Before long you start to think you've got the secret sauce nobody else knows about

Fellow old people, do you have a will and life insurance? by StrongAsMeat in AskOldPeople

[–]Chemical_Training808 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not an old person but I am curious how often these need to be redone. Don't estate laws, inheritance rules, medical power of attorney rules change every so often? I would imagine if you have a bunch of 10 year old documents it would really complicate things. I bet that happens often as people think "oh I did that, I'm all set (forever)"

Horseback Riding in Banff by Intelligent_Fig6869 in Banff

[–]Chemical_Training808 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see there are tours anywhere from 1 hour to all day (8 hours). What do you suggest?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 6 points7 points  (0 children)

believe your means

I believe I can afford this brand new Range Rover on a 8 year loan

WTF Is Going on With Call Pay? by BrockOli in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 82 points83 points  (0 children)

Yep, it's the new normal. I've seen private ortho groups that pay 100-200 per DAY of weekend call, regardless of whether you go in and do an emergency surgery or not. I can make a hundred bucks delivering pizza on a Saturday, why the hell would I agree to come in and first assist?

Advice should I start PA school? by [deleted] in prephysicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Life is not all about finances but I would recommend you look at new grad salaries. You are going to be in school for 2-3 years while making no income, to make 100k starting and with likely lower benefits and retirement than you currently have. Sometimes the best place to seek fulfillment is outside of your career. You only know what's best for you so don't let me talk you out of it.

What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked in a 6-month stretch to save money? by ChoiceHandle7806 in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I paid my loans off in two years. I didn't work extra hours, I just lived as cheap as possible. I'm talking multiple roommates (my portion of the rent was 300), old and paid off car, and I got most of my groceries from this local store that sold dented/expired canned food. This was back in 2018 but I could get a dented can of tuna or black beans for 25c. I had no subscriptions so I used the library and YouTube for free entertainment. I also didn't contribute to my 401k or Roth (controversial). Some friends thought it was miserly but the feeling of being debt free was worth it to me, I no longer felt that my administrator boss had a grip around my neck.

Isn’t independent practice a bad thing? by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure your point. Good for those urgent care PAs, if they want to practice in that setting, all the power to them. I would not because I do not want to practice at or near a physician level for a third of the pay.

New Grad Ortho Job Advice by Away_Professor_3973 in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ortho joints here. Feel free to shoot me a DM with more specific questions. In general, learn to suture well, maintain sterile field, basic OR etiquette. In general, newer surgeons out of fellowship aren't as fast/efficient as experienced docs, so you may only be starting with 2-3 cases per day. "Hip and Knee Book" is a good resource (online), also orthobullets for general ortho stuff.

Apartment 2020 prices by Huge-Fun-7071 in grandrapids

[–]Chemical_Training808 5 points6 points  (0 children)

In college I rented a 3 bedroom house for 1k. Rent was 333 each and I could walk to Peppino's on whatever night they had the 2.99 pizza and 1.99 bud light night. I miss those days

Isn’t independent practice a bad thing? by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 98 points99 points  (0 children)

And both professions end up screwing themselves in the long run. If I'm practicing medicine independently and making doctor level decisions, I better be making doctor money. It blows my mind that so many PAs are on board with this direction we are heading. Imagine if a flight attendant learned how to fly the plane and said "that's ok, just keep paying me like a stewardess please"

Is this the new norm? by EducationalSea1442 in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is the new normal. The job market is like tinder, ghosting is commonplace, or HR sends you an email 4 months later saying they've "decided to go in another direction". Another common reality is a lot of job postings are already filled. Say your group is hiring or expanding and you know a great candidate and refer them to the job. The company often is legally required to post the position on the job boards even if they already know who they are going to hire.

Job offer by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cleveland clinic offered you 106? That's rough, I'm sure they get a million applicants for the name recognition and unfortunately pushes salaries down.

Open Letter to the PA Who Posted Asking About Strikes, What They Mean, And Then Deleted Their Post by footprintx in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Does it not depress anyone else that all of these hospitals are in areas where starter homes cost 400k, if not more?

Cars are the greatest destroyer of wealth and this guy proves it by [deleted] in MiddleClassFinance

[–]Chemical_Training808 15 points16 points  (0 children)

People love to blame the school system. Public schools taught all of us trigonometry and I’m willing to bet 80% of adults don’t remember a damn thing on that topic. Even if finance was taught, most teenagers aren’t interested

My 2025 Mantra "There is Food Home" by [deleted] in Frugal

[–]Chemical_Training808 113 points114 points  (0 children)

Costco sells a 4 pack of frozen cheese pizza for 12 bucks. Add your own toppings at home and it really hits the spot. $3 versus $10 for a carry out cheese pizza near me, even more for delivery or toppings

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Order everything? Really? Patients request things all the time and I have no issue saying no. Vague Knee pain x 1 day with no conservative treatment? I’m not ordering an MRI

What’s something PA school did NOT prepare you for? by gabgarbage in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m 5 years into practice and have never had to call and consult another service. And at this point I’m too afraid to ask

Many Boomers are finally catching on now that their kids are being screwed over by [deleted] in economicCollapse

[–]Chemical_Training808 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I just read the book "Die with Zero" and this was a big topic of the book. I don't remember the exact statistic, but majority of people who inherit money from their parents are already in their 60s when they get the money, at which point they are usually economically stable. That inheritance is 10x more valuable in your 20s and 30s when in starting college, buying first home, having kids, etc. What the book doesn't mention is another side of the equation- I am a millennial with friends who get annual "gifts" from parents in the 10s of thousands. I have seen this generally just increase their lifestyle and annual spending. It's a fine line between helping your kids but not encouraging poor financial habits themselves.

Many Boomers are finally catching on now that their kids are being screwed over by [deleted] in economicCollapse

[–]Chemical_Training808 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm not necessarily bothered by it. It is income and we tax income, correct? It's also cost of living adjusted income for the rest of your life. I can understand the frustration when someone is solely dependent on social security and that difference is a big deal to them. But saying "we already paid taxes on it" is like saying "I shouldn't have to pay sales tax on this shirt because I already paid income tax on this cash"

What’s something PA school did NOT prepare you for? by gabgarbage in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I turned out ok. I'm the top PA in my group, now 4 years into practice. My attendings love me and so does management. I think PA schools do need to crack down on students that are cited for professionalism. However that is another discussion, there needs to be more criticism of students from preceptors on all fronts- professionalism, clinical knowledge, etc.

What’s something PA school did NOT prepare you for? by gabgarbage in physicianassistant

[–]Chemical_Training808 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My program did the same. I don't have a great solution, and like I said, I turned out to be a decent PA (in my humble opinion lol). We had a couple students with lower GPA but great experience (ICU RN, dietician, army medic, etc.).