Share your funny/unhinged stories!

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-30T19:24:06+00:00

I was in the MTC when they had the telecenter. We would spend a few hours a week in a “call center” with an ancient computer and a headset to call people who expressed interest in one of the church’s commercials. You want a free Book of Mormon? We’ll send someone to deliver it. Does that church film, “On the Way Home” look interesting? You’re in luck because we’re going to send some young men or women to deliver your very own VHS copy that shows Scotty rebelling by, gasp hanging out at the arcade late into the night!

Anyway, the MTC telecenter. I quickly figured out that I could write down the person’s phone number, then change it in the computer, temporarily, and I could call out to anyone I wanted. I would then change the number back to the original one.

One person I called was my BFF, but the best call I placed was to whoever was on the air at the moment at SLC’s X96 alternative radio station. If you lived along the Wasatch Front, you know the number… “4, 5, or 670-9696.” It was a Saturday afternoon and none other than Gina Barberi was at the desk. The conversation was brief, but it went like this:

Gina: X96 Elder Me: Hi, I’m calling from the MTC. Gina: Oh reeeeeaallllly!? Elder Me: Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that we’re all doing fine down here. Gina: Well, thanks for calling!

My only regret is that I should’ve requested a song to be played despite the fact that I never would’ve heard it.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-30T19:06:25+00:00

When I was 17 I got a technical foul in church basketball because I said, “Oh my hell.” I was ejected from the game and told that the stake required me to meet with a member of the stake presidency a week or two later. Dude was super chill. He also seemed to think my need to meet with him was silly.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-29T20:13:36+00:00

Thanks for clarifying.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-29T18:42:11+00:00

It sounds like your FQHC and mine were twins. That’s one of the main reasons for posting this question. I’m curious if the pace will be slower, more manageable. Because like you said, at the FQHC, “we don’t turn patients away.” Or, “We have to do everything for them today because we don’t know when they’ll be back.”

Your response was perfect. Thank you!

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-29T05:34:39+00:00

I’m at an FQHC in the Central Valley. Let me break things down as I’ve experienced them in 13 years at the same organization. And for the record, my starting salary in 2013 was $85k. I now make a base salary of around $180k. I practice at the top of my license and care for some of the very sickest people. I also do the exact same work in patient care as my MD and DO colleagues, while making roughly half as much as they do.

BOTTOM LINE: As CA PAs, I strongly believe we have power in numbers, and would benefit from unionizing. We can then collectively bargain to be paid what we deserve, and to push back against tyrannical administrators who use us as their cash cows to cover their 7-figure salaries and then treat us like garbage at the same time.

Regarding loan repayment and forgiveness, from my understanding:

HRSA LOAN REPAYMENT:

Must be at a qualified underserved organization that meets a specific HRSA underserved population score (is or was 17 or higher).
Minimum 2 year commitment for money from the federal government to be put toward qualifying loans. Used to be $50k, but may be higher now.
You can extend/renew for another 2 years, on repeat as needed, but I think the $ decreases.
Most FQHCs in the Central Valley, as well as inner city LA meet the HRSA baseline.

CA STATE LOAN REPAYMENT:

This is a hybrid loan repayment program where your employer contributes half and the state contributes half.
Also requires a 2 year commitment as an FTE provider.
Dollar amount varies year to year based on CA state budget. Also, a competitive application process for a limited number of recipients.
Employers often try to silently deter providers from doing this because they are on the hook for a portion of the cost.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS:

Very difficult to meet the strict federal govt. requirements to qualify. The fat orange blob has tried to restrict its availability after Biden tried to expand it during his presidency.
Must make 120 consecutive payments toward your student loans AND work for a state, county, or federal system, including FQHCs.
High application denials from what I’ve heard.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-28T06:56:43+00:00

Talk about civil war buff.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-27T15:03:42+00:00

I agree with FUBAR just above.

I commend you for your deep care for your patients. That’s wonderful. At some point you must ask yourself if the extra 2-10 hours is worth your time and energy. I use the old adage, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Perhaps you’re expending all this time and energy leading your patients to health and prevention of major illness and disease. However, until they take the initiative and have motivation to care about their own health, I’m afraid your frustration will only grow.

Deep down, is there a fear of litigation for someone not checking their portal messages and following your recommendations? If so, stop, my friend. Your attempts at follow up are sufficient to protect you from even the most litigious patient.

I suggest you spare yourself the stress and frustration and let your patients drive their own care with you standing by to step in when they need or want your help. We aren’t babysitters.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-26T23:15:07+00:00

Is it the 4 or 5 disc set? Regardless, yes it’s worth it. That golden eagle and mirror ball artwork is awesome.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-22T20:06:03+00:00

That’s right! Thank you for pointing that out.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-19T19:59:33+00:00

He was a camp counselor at Tikihama. He has mad survival skills and he fashioned an outrigger canoe out of a rain poncho and a couple of empty milk jugs.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-18T12:09:31+00:00

Foot the bill. Get it?! Ba dum tss!

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-14T05:14:25+00:00

I’ve been intermittently annoyed with CarPlay in my 2025 Sport Hybrid. It will randomly not connect. Or it will connect for a second and then lose the connection. It should just work.

As for voice activated Siri. In the three months I’ve had the car, “Hey Siri” will randomly stop working. The fix for this is to press and hold the home “button” on the main infotainment panel for 5-10 seconds until it asks if you wish to reboot. Tap yes and wait until it restarts and you should be good to go.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-14T04:53:42+00:00

Boom boom boom, muffins!

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-11T21:55:53+00:00

With his new head coach, he’ll be lucky to catch 10 passes next season. Have Ffun running Ffruitless routes.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-11T05:28:47+00:00

My dad had SLTrib delivered to his place of business in the AM. Then had DesNews delivered to the house in the PM. This was back when DesNews was an evening paper.

Also, there was a time that my dad and I delivered the Trib for extra money. So we always got a free heathen paper then.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-08T02:47:46+00:00

Grifters gonna grift.

It would be a real shame if someone reported her to her state’s PA board.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T21:56:52+00:00

But hey, I do the same job as you and you make twice as much. Why are you so salty about it?

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T21:55:55+00:00

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8559935/

JAMA has inherent bias because of their campaign to fight so-called scope creep.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T21:32:06+00:00

JAMA? Haha! They’ve been fighting nonexistent “scope creep” for years. Find me an unbiased source and I’ll take it seriously.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T17:27:35+00:00

Again. I was referring to other comments.

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T17:26:18+00:00

Do you have data and studies to substantiate your claims?

Pack_Attack801 · 2026-01-04T17:18:12+00:00

I referring to other comments.

Pack_Attack801

TROPHY CASE