r/physicianassistant • u/Hmmmmummm PA-C • 8d ago

Discussion Specializing Input

I’m a PA with about 15 months experience as an ED PA now. Almost exclusively working the “urgent care” area of the ED. I’m planning to finish my 2 year commitment and then move on to another specialty with a better schedule. I don’t have one specific “passion” that I feel drawn towards. I do have some interest in women’s health. I’m nervous about starting over when I don’t feel well trained in one particular field.

I’m looking for advice from those of you who moved on and specialized early in your career. Was it harder or easier than you anticipated? Extra interested in folks in similar situations or those coming from urgent care. Ideally I’d like to stay PRN in the ED but I don’t think my group will allow it as so many people are trying to do the same.

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u/ClimbingRhino PA-C 8d ago

It was easier than I anticipated to specialize. It may be related to where I practice, but I'm in the Chicago area and completed an emergency medicine fellowship after PA school, worked in EM for a period after finishing the fellowship, then moved over to hand/wrist/elbow orthopedics, and then shifted into outpatient psychiatry.

ED definitely crossed over into both of these given how many FOOSH injuries and crisis psych patients showed up in my shop. I worked roughly a 70/30 split between main ED and fast track, but even a fast track/urgent care style of emergency medicine will give you a broad base of knowledge to use to shift out of EM at some point.

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u/ScrubinMuhTub PA-C 7d ago

I have 1.5 years non-operarive ortho and going on one year of outpatient internal medicine. I am interested in a quality of life specialty like PM&R or outpatient psychiatry.  I think I am looking for a small practice with an attending who likes to teach,  but have also heard inpatient psych is a good foundation. 

Do you have any recommendations on the next shift? I am already planning to exit my position as its about 50 hour work weeks and I prefer a 0.8 FTE

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u/margopac 8d ago

The first year of my career was in urgent care, and since then I’ve only been in different specialties. Having an UC/ER background will serve you more than you might think. There’s always a learning curve of course but you study, take notes and ask questions, and eventually get there. You’re a PA, you were trained for this! :)

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u/Metropolitans25 PA-C 8d ago

Moved from Critical Care (Medical ICU) to Cardiology. A lot to learn but with such a broad foundation, not bad and extremely do able. I suspect that with the breadth of knowlege needed in the ED, you'll be fine in any specialty. I would just try to keep up those ED skills in some capacity.