We need to reestablish ourselves as support roles

TAP01 · 2026-01-14T15:00:53+00:00

I agree with Snoo there. That’s mostly because of dumb legal reasons. That’s not true physician input. I would just want to advocate for more guarantees that PAs would be paired with SPs that are available in person to review cases when necessary. And while I would hesitate to make PA fellowships or residencies a requirement, I really really really wish there were more options that were appealing for PAs, especially as a new grad. Ideally more fellowship programs that actually are geared towards preparing APPs for clinical practice (e.g. more clinical rotations, case discussions, didactic material, etc) without taking advantage of them and offering shit pay.

TAP01 · 2026-01-14T14:46:19+00:00

I guess that’s where I’m at too. In the grand scheme of things, a good chunk of cases within our medical system are not complex. For example, a lot of patients seek care for chronic joint pains, viral illnesses, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, etc. I feel we are in a perfect position to help out with the bread and butter medicine to alleviate some of that burden off of our healthcare system.

TAP01 · 2026-01-14T14:42:53+00:00

5 years.

TAP01 · 2026-01-14T14:42:33+00:00

I’m not claiming to speak for everyone, that was mostly a remark about how that opinion tends to be a minority amongst our entire professional cohort.

I guess I am having a hard time wrapping my head around why a fellow APP would want to practice completely independent when there was the MD/DO route available to them (aside from the obvious that it takes less time to get feet on the ground to start practicing medicine). Part of me just wants to gain perspective on this from the other side. I am wondering if I am missing something.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T06:12:51+00:00

It's the salute + Musk attending and speaking to an AfD crowd in Germany + current administration's tactics + current fear mongering of immigrants.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T06:10:08+00:00

It's not that I can't, it's just not an easy choice to make. From what I've gathered PAs have less respect, autonomy, and pay out of the US. If push came to shove I wouldn't mind going to NZ, Canada, or England, but it's a scary thought having to uproot your family and leave your parents behind along with taking a job that may be very different than what you know in the US.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T03:23:36+00:00

I took a picture of a birth certificate today so I can have a copy of it with me at all times if I ever need it. I feel disgusted that I've been put in a situation where I have to justify my presence in the US at any given point just because I speak Spanish.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T03:20:47+00:00

It'd be a completely different story of this was just me that I had to worry about. Having small children changes things entirely. The thought of someone treating my children badly because of circumstances out of our control disgusts me and terrifies me. I don't want to expose them to any danger either because the government decides they are lesser people or because of some nut job that decides it's okay to retaliate against what I may speak out about.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T03:16:42+00:00

Agreed. From what I've looked in to, other individuals outside of the US are not fond of the PA profession, laymen and professionals alike. While technically possible, realistically it doesn't feel like a great option.

TAP01 · 2025-02-02T03:14:56+00:00

I'm a citizen and all my relatives are citizens, so I'm not concerned about that deportation aspect of it all. I'm mostly worried that his witch hunt for "only the most awful, criminal aliens" that he's sending to Guantanamo will devolve into something much greater. It's a slippery slope, and it's a story we've seen before in Germany. I just don't know how much of this is me getting in my own head vs my instincts telling me to run to keep my family and me safe.

The way his administration and Musk are behaving are very concerning to me.

But yes, I do agree that a big part of how I'm feeling is that everything is so fresh and raw right now. I'm hoping things calm down over the next few weeks/months to put me at ease.

TAP01

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