Nobody hands you a job when you graduate. You have to go find it.

I get asked about the job search constantly, especially from people who want dermatology, so I'm walking through exactly how I found my first PA job and what I'd tell you to do differently.

Where you live matters more than most new grads realize. A saturated market means more competition for fewer openings, and being willing to look a little wider opens things up fast. Beyond that, it comes down to working your connections from your program, checking the job boards regularly, and yes, cold calling offices that haven't posted anything at all. That last one works more often than you'd think.

The hardest part is the waiting. The right job usually isn't the first one you find, and that's okay.

What I cover:

• How I actually found my first dermatology PA job
• Why location and market saturation change your whole search
• Using your PA program's network and preceptors
• Which job boards are worth your time
• Cold calling offices that aren't advertising
• Staying patient when the offers aren't coming in

Resources:

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

Free Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Pre-PA Academy: https://prepaclub.thepaplatform.com/landing/academy

Mentioned in this episode:

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Welcome to the Pre PA Club Podcast.

I'm going to talk today about different ways to find jobs after you're done with PA school and specifically derm jobs.

Welcome to the Pre PA Club Podcast.

If you want to learn how to become a physician assistant, you're in the right place.

I'm your host, Savannah Perry.

Let's get to it.

Hey there.

Thanks so much for listening.

If you're new to the podcast, my name is Savannah Perry and I am a dermatology physician assistant.

I have been practicing now for five and a half years and I haven't done an intro in a while, so I figure it's time I went to the University of Georgia for undergrad and then I went straight into PA school at Augusta University in Georgia and then I went straight into dermatology.

I am on my second job or at a different practice and I've made that transition in the past year.

But I love what I do.

I think I picked a great job and a great career and I wouldn't change it.

I have a one year old and I also have a husband.

He is also in medicine.

He's a hospitalist and that might be about it.

I created the PA Platform as a blog that has really kind of been my little baby project over the past four years now and it's been really great and I've met so many great PAs through the PA platform and social media and this podcast and I have some awesome interviews coming up for y'.

All.

But today is going to be a solo episode.

Before we jump in, let's go ahead and talk about our sponsors of the podcast.

The first one is mypa Resource, which is a personal statement editing service specifically specifically for PA school applications.

It is time.

CASPA opens next month and so or for the next cycle.

So if you're working on your personal statement, if you need help, make sure you check out MyPA resource.

They have a free workshop, like a video workshop on their website.

You can use the Code Future PA for a discount on any of their services.

I do edit for them and it's all PAs who are editors over there.

And if you need more help with your personal statement, we also have a free email personal statement course at the PA platform.

Www.thepaplatform.com Personal statement and then once you're accepted to school, if you are interested in kind of getting ahead, you want to study something, you want to brush up on kind of the basics of anatomy, physiology and med terms, check out paschoolprep.com all of this is in the description.

But that's an online course specifically prepared to help you succeed better in your first couple of semesters of PA school when it's a little bit tough getting adjusted there.

All right, anything else you need to know about?

There will be another AAPA webinar coming up at the end of March.

I don't have a sign up for that yet, but I should have it soon.

It will be limited again to 500 people, so make sure you're following on social media.

So as soon as we have that, we'll post it there and you can sign up.

So that will be myself and Brian Palm from my PA resource talking about application tips, kind of how to navigate the whole application process a little bit more specifically.

Okay, so for today's episode, this I guess technically wouldn't fall under pre package, but would be more after you're in PA school and towards the end of PA school.

But one of the most common questions I get through email and social media has to do with not just what I do as a dermatology pa, but how I got my job and how to find jobs as a pa. Is it difficult?

What's the best way to do it?

When should I look for jobs?

So this may be an episode you want to download and save for later.

But I wanted to talk a little bit about both my experience and some colleagues experiences and other ways that you can look for positions following PA school when it's time to move into the real world and get a job as a pa.

So first and foremost, let's talk about the saturation of the PA profession, because that's something a lot of people seem to be concerned with is with all these PA programs popping up, is it becoming too saturated and too difficult to find a job?

You know, some of that will depend on where you want to work and what field.

And you may have to make some sacrifices at the beginning to essentially end up where you want to be.

But what I have found personally and watching people in my class get jobs, people if you're willing to work in a rural or suburban area, you're more likely to get your desired position versus if you're trying to get a job in a big city.

That's where you may run into some issues in a more saturated market because there may be more PAs who have experience, so they may take those jobs that would rather get someone they don't have to train versus a new graduation.

So that's something to take into consideration as far as when to look for jobs.

That is a very personal Decision for me.

I knew that my husband at the time was in medical school.

We were not able, based on his schedule and our lack of money, to go on like a big vacation or really afford to take a huge break because once I was done with school, I didn't have any more loan money.

And yeah, we were basically in the negative.

So I decided that I wanted to work right away, if possible.

You know, that's a little bit, I'm going to say risky, but not really.

I got a job before I had passed boards, before I had gotten licensed by the state.

I graduated in August, and I started looking for positions around January.

Appointment applying in February.

I did some, I guess what I'll call interviews, but really it was more like going to shadow and meeting the physicians.

And kind of usually I went and spent like half a day with them.

And so I did that kind of February, March.

The positions that I looked into were a spine surgery position, a neurosurgery position, and then the dermatology position that I ended up taking.

And then there was lots of stuff involved.

My one tip with your job search is don't discuss it with your colleagues or your good friends if you're looking in the same area.

That caused some tension in my class and in my friend group.

So just y' all make a pact ahead of time that you're going to kind of do your own thing and not take.

I don't know, it just can get a little messy.

So that would be my.

That would be my advice.

Not going to go into that too much more.

But everything worked out for everyone and we're all happy and still friends anyway.

So, yeah, so I got my job in April, which meant that I was able to set up my last two elective rotations in June and July at my school.

Soon to be job.

So they got free training.

I was ready to go a little bit quicker.

I took two weeks off after I graduated to study for boards.

Took my boards at the soonest date possible, and then went straight back to my job kind of provisionally.

It took about a month to get my scores back and get licensed.

And so I kind of kept shadowing there and then was able to just kind of roll right in.

So it was.

It was good.

It was very smooth.

It was a little.

I mean, it made me nervous to not have a passing board score yet.

That's a little scary.

But it all worked out.

I actually got the email with my pants scores while I was at work.

And so I excused myself and I actually went outside to my car to check the email with the thought in my head that if I didn't pass, I would just leave and never come back and send them an email that I couldn't work there or something.

Which was a little dramatic and crazy.

But, you know, it was scary to have a job without that guarantee.

But yeah.

So as far as finding jobs, some of my classmates waited until after school is over to look for jobs and after they pass boards, which is perfectly fine.

Like I said, it's a very personal decision.

Lots to weigh there with all of that, but let's talk about different ways and places to look for jobs.

So kind of, and kind of where I found mine, I guess I'll add some of that.

Number one, use the Internet and it may not get you as far as you want, but at least gives you some idea of the availability and what's out there.

I also fully believe that you are.

I mean, it's fine to apply to jobs that ask for experience, even if you're a new grad, because the worst thing that's going to happen with any of this is that people say no or don't say anything, that you get no response.

And.

And so even if a job asks for experience, you could be a perfect fit for that job.

And so go for it.

Like send your resume, send your application and just see what happens.

So there's indeed.com, a lot of different job search websites.

If you're looking for a hospital job, usually they have kind of their own internal job listings.

And so you can search through that and see if there are any jobs for PAs.

You can also look for NP jobs and consider applying to those.

Every state is a little bit different as far as their preference.

And yes, I have heard of PAs who get emails back that, no, we're only hiring NPs for whatever this or that reason.

But I've also heard of PAs who apply to NP jobs and get hired.

And so I wouldn't let that be a reason you don't apply to a job.

Again, the worst that happens is they say no.

So using Google, using job search sites, using hospital job boards, all of that is very helpful if your state or a certain society that you're interested in working in a specialty.

So there's Society of Derm, pas, there's surgical pas, see if they have a job board because that may be another option to kind of see what's available as far as jobs or at least make some connections.

So that's just kind of a quick, like, get a feel for what's out there type thing, but the same thing that goes for shadowing and experience and all of that.

If you have connections to someone or an area, it can help you tremendously.

So this is where you can use your school, your program, asking your faculty, your director, lecturers who come in classes above you who have already graduated, really use your resources there to see if they have connections to a job that you're interested in and can put in a good word for you or if they know of any positions.

So this is actually how I ended up getting my dermatology job.

The neurosurgery and spine surgery positions I applied for.

Those were posted in our PA program Facebook group for the area because I was staying where I went to school.

But as far as my derm job, I had a surgery preceptor who was amazing.

I actually tried to get him to hire me, but he loves his patients too much and couldn't give up any time with them.

But he had gotten another student a job at a dermatology office in town.

And it just so happened that around the time I was with him, I found out that she was leaving to move to a different area of the state.

And so he, he encouraged me to pursue that job.

And I did.

I, even though it wasn't posted anywhere, it was strictly kind of a hearsay type thing.

Like, I had a friend who had a friend who knew her who found out they were leaving.

And so I sent in my resume and he actually made a call to the dermatologist to put in kind of a good word for me because he knew her personally and felt like we would be a really great fit.

So I really appreciated that.

But I had other experiences with preceptors.

I had some offer me jobs.

I got offered a job on my endocrine chronology rotation.

And you'll hear sometimes that people like, oh, you'll get so many job offers on rotations.

That's true, and it's not.

Most of my rotations were with people who always have students, and so they're not looking to hire.

And so those I didn't get any job offers.

But the one like the endocrinology one and my emergency medicine one that I kind of got those job opportunities.

Those are rotations that not all every student went to to those offices.

And so they were kind of looking and scouting out people to come join their team.

I had a friend who did all of her rotations in a different city where she was with people who either had never had a PA student or didn't have them often.

And she got tons of job offers, even though she was planning on moving away anyway.

But she got so many job offers just because they were able to see how helpful it was to have her around.

So, yeah, so definitely use your preceptors, use your program, and don't be afraid to really tell them what you want to do.

At the beginning of my rotations, I felt like I had to always say that I wanted to do whatever my preceptor did.

So, you know, on my, like, family medicine, I said, I want to do family medicine.

On my OB gyn, I said I wanted to do obgyn, even if those things weren't necessarily true.

Like, I would have been happy doing those things, but I really wanted to do either surgery or dermatology.

So about halfway through, I started being more honest about that, and that's when my name started getting out there a little bit too, because these preceptors talk, and they know people and they know PAs.

So while I was on my general surgery rotation, because I'd been kind of putting it out there, I ran into a surgical PA and she was like, oh, you're so savannah.

I saw your resume, which I was like, oh, I didn't send one to you.

And it turns out I'd sent it to another office, and they weren't hiring, but they heard this office was, and so they passed it along, which was really, really cool.

And then after I got my derm job, I was contacted by another dermatologist who had heard I wanted to do derm and was looking for a PA And I was contacted by a urology office who.

Who was looking for a pa and so especially I'm in a suburban area.

I'm not in a big city.

But word gets out, and if you make an effort on rotations and your preceptors relatively like you, that can work in your favor.

The neurosurgery and spine surgery positions, I didn't necessarily know anyone for those, but they were fine.

I think I would have been happy doing those as well.

But dermatology really was where I wanted to end up.

So definitely ask your preceptors.

Don't be afraid to ask.

Ask really anyone.

Use all of your resources and then cold calling.

So you can just randomly send your resume to offices, even if they're not looking for a PA because they may be looking in the future.

And I did start to do that a little bit with a few different general surgery practices that I had either run into somebody who worked there or heard it was a good practice.

I just would send in a cover letter in my resume and just say, hey, this is who I am.

I am a soon to be new grad physician assistant looking for a job in this field.

And that's really how my resume and information got out there a little bit more.

Some other options that are a little bit less conventional.

So the first one is social media.

You know, social media is such a huge thing now.

Between Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and I get messages all the time asking if I know of positions in certain areas, which usually I don't.

But that's a good, good way to kind of connect with people and see if you can, can find a position or at least ask someone about a position.

Or if you're looking at a certain job and you can see that someone left that job, kind of ask them about it.

That's one thing I did in the neurosurgery position.

I knew the PA who had worked there previously, and so I was able to kind of reach out to her and get some insight on what it was like to work there and what I could expect.

And so that's a good, a good tool.

I mean, being in the PA world, it is kind of a small community in a small world.

So you, you don't want to be annoying.

And so if someone says no or doesn't respond, kind of let it go.

But I mean, most people are very supportive and willing to help out other PAs and PA students.

So if you can really kind of put yourself out there again, you may not get a response or it may be no, that can help you.

And then use those rotations.

If you do have the opportunity to do rotations in the area you want to work in, that's very valuable.

I know that's not always an option, but the more time you can spend even shadowing or just kind of getting your face and name out there, that can also help you.

All right, so this is actually my favorite tip.

I saved it.

So as far as dermatology jobs go, let's talk about derm jobs.

They are out there.

They are not hiding or never to be found out of my class.

So I went into Dermot.

One of my best friends in my class went into Derm.

One of my other best friends in my class went into Derm in Texas.

And then I think there are a couple others who have, like dabbled in it, but I don't think they're in it now.

But we had plenty of people out of 44 of us who ended up working in dermatology, which, it is a great job.

It is a great field.

I do have an awesome schedule.

I do get to do procedures.

I enjoy it.

I wouldn't say that dermatology is for everyone.

It's very fast paced.

You got to be able to make decisions really quickly.

But I like it.

So I, I do think that if you want to work in dermatology, you may have to be patient.

The second PA that we hired at my last practice, she actually worked in urgent care for a couple of years before, before she was able to get into Durham.

And she wanted to work in Durham from the time that she graduated.

It just the timing didn't line up or, and I think this is very important, she turned down jobs that weren't a great fit.

So when she went on those days where she shadowed and kind of got a feel for the job or when she got the contract, she actually turned it down because it wasn't what she was looking for and wasn't a great fit.

And that is important.

You don't have to take a job just because it seems like you should or it's in a field you want.

I mean, you also have to use some judgment.

People know that PAs want to work in dermatology and sometimes they'll try to take advantage of that with either, you know, paying a medical assistant salary for a year to train, air quotes or who knows what else.

I mean, there's all kinds of stuff, kind of low balling because they know people want to get into derm and get experience.

None of that is okay.

But because people accept those offers, they're still out there.

Another thing that sometimes happens in dermatology is getting put into a clinic where there's not adequate supervision to start with.

I know everyone hates the word supervision, but to be honest, I got two weeks of dermatology in PA school.

I needed supervision.

I needed someone to guide me and really work with me at the beginning and teach me.

And I had that, which was awesome.

I had a great teacher who was willing to answer any question, no matter how dumb it was, step in and help me as much as I needed it and help me also to figure out when I didn't need help.

She was also very good at kind of pushing me to maybe do things or kind of get out of my box or really get into my confidence essentially.

And now in my second role, I also have a great, great physician I work with who is also a great teacher.

And I really just appreciate those relationships.

All that to say, if you're with Someone who does not appreciate you, you might be miserable and it may not be worth being in Durham if, if you're just not happy.

So yeah, the jobs are out there, job boards, all that asking around.

I get probably messages from local people once a week asking if I know of any dermatology positions.

And again, I'm in a very small town, there are not that many derm practices.

But every once in a while there will be a position that opens up the secret.

The people that I think know about the jobs the most are the drug reps.

So pharmaceutical reps always know.

They know who's hiring, they know who you do want to work for, who you don't want to work for.

They kind of have the T. I think that's a term that looks like a hip term or something, but they really do.

And so, you know, that's important.

I mean, even if you're on a family medicine rotation or emergency medicine or urgent care, if you have the opportunity to interact with some specifically dermatology drug reps, that can be super helpful in finding out if there are practices in the area that are hiring.

Even if you can make connections with some of those, if you can go to a conference in the area and talk to the drug reps in the region, they, they can really, really, really, really help you out.

And so when I was looking to switch jobs at that point, I had experience, which is very helpful and important, but I did have experience as a derm pa.

So I actually reached out to pas, a couple pas who had worked in the area in Durham at other practices.

And they were able to kind of ask their physician about whether or not they'd be interested in hiring.

Because I was trying to go part time.

I loved my old practice, it was great, but they just didn't have a part time role for me.

And that's what I really wanted to do.

I felt like I needed to be home more with my, with my babe, but my baby and my husband, but really my baby.

And so I also reached out to the drug reps and I had a few that, I mean, I'm close with them, I trust them.

We have a great, I mean, I would say they're my friends almost.

You know, we're very friendly when they come in.

And so they were able to say, yes, that would be a great fit for you.

Like, we know your personality, we know her personality, y' all would get along awesome.

Or you probably want to steer clear of that office right now.

And so those are the people who can really fill you in and give you some insights.

But yeah, but if derm is your ultimate goal as a pa, I would say don't give up on that goal.

But it should not be the only reason that you go into PA school because it may or may not happen and you really need to be flexible in that and understand that you may have to work in a different area first to get some experience before that job presents itself.

And that's not a bad thing.

You know, part of me maybe wishes not maybe, but I wish I had that primary care experience to kind of solidify the knowledge that I learned in PA school because I lost a lot of that.

I lost a lot of that general knowledge going straight into a specialty and that might come back to kind of bite me in a couple years when I have to recertify.

I hope not.

But it's just something that you have to take into consideration if you are considering going into a specialty.

And just know we are trained as generalists without much dermatology or any other specialty.

And so you've got to be a very self sufficient learner and willing to kind of take on that extra learning if you are going to go into a specialty.

But yeah, so that is my tips on where to look for jobs, how to find jobs, how to look for Durham jobs.

And that may not be helpful to you now, but I hope one day it is.

All right, thanks for listening.

Next week.

Let's see, is it next week?

I'm really excited about some of our interviews.

So I'm interviewing a PA and then I'm going to interview someone who went nursing to PA route.

So I'm going to find out why they went the PA route instead of going the NP route with their nursing background, which I think should be really interesting.

If there's ever something you want to hear on the podcast, please let me know.

If you enjoy the podcast.

I would love if you can leave us a review on itunes.

Share with your friends, share with your prepa club, your real life one and also I don't know if you know this but in the description you can leave a voicemail for the podcast.

So if you have a burning question that you would like us to answer on the podcast, please leave it.

We will definitely get to that and share it with everybody.

So yeah, thanks so much for listening and I'll see you guys next week or just talk to you but all right, bye.