About Your PA Mentor - From Physician Assistant Student to PA-C
Welcome to Your PA Mentor podcast. I am Sami Ngo, your host and fellow Physician Assistant, and I am here to help you navigate your way to fulfilling PA career. At 26 years old, I landed my dream job as a brand new graduate right out of PA school without even realizing it. All because I had an incredible mentor who guided me through my first few years as a clinician.My mentor completely changed my life and how I practice medicine. He didn’t just teach me clinical medicine. He taught me how to love the art of medicine, how to develop work/ life balance, how to avoid burnout, and most importantly. how to truly love and continue to love my profession. Because of him, I became the confident Physician Assistant that I am today. And that is why I have made it my mission to help PA students and new graduates navigate their way through the Physician Assistant profession with advice, strategy and tools to a fulfilling career as a PA.
What to Expect During the Onboarding Process of Your New Job
Onboarding process is the training process of a new job.
Most new grads don’t ask about the onboarding process during their interview and EKKKKK! They find themselves drowning when they are thrown into a full schedule without proper training or supervision.
#thestruggleisreal
Typically, the onboarding process can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the job.
Your training period in OB/GYN will be completely different from your training period in family medicine.
In this weeks podcast episode, Erin and I will answer all your burning questions:
✔️ What should I expect during my onboarding process?
✔️ Should I accept a lower hourly rate during this training process?
✔️ How long should I be “in training” until I can see a full patient schedule?
Listen to this episode NOW!
3 May 2021
Dos and Don'ts of Cover Letters
Don’t fall into the trap of writing a boring, generic cover letter.
No work experience? No problem.
In this weeks podcast episode, Sam and Erin explain how your cover letter can give you a leg up on the competition.
Listen in while we teach you how to market yourself and stand out to your future employer!
26 Mar 2021
What You Should Be Doing Before You Apply to PA School
CASPA opens up in less than 1 month. You’re anxious. You want to know how do I know if I’m picking the right school? What should I be doing as a Pre-PA?
This episode is all you Pre-PA and PA students.
If you’re just starting out on your Pre-PA path or ready to start applying to Physician Assistants programs, we’ve got you covered. Erin and I give you the scoop about what to do before you even start thinking about Physician Assistant school.
We’ve also got tips to make you a competitive Physician Assistant applicant and smooth your transition from PA student to Physician Assistant, Certified.
Listen in as Sam and Erin discuss:
➕The importance of prior work experience
➕What Physician Assistant life looks like
➕How to pick the best Physician Assistant program for you
➕ How we really need about our program
Fair warning- we drop off major F bombs in this episode. We are not holding back!
15 Mar 2021
What to Expect in the First Five Years of Practice as a New Grad Physician Assistant (Part 2)
In the second half of our 2-part series on what to expect during your first 5 years as a Physician Assistant, join Erin and I to hear about their experiences during years 3-5.
Not everyone’s experiences are the same but there’s universal truths that all Physician Assistants can relate to in their careers.
Join Your PA Mentor for an in-depth conversation where they discuss:
➕ How to manage and improve your work/life balance
➕Develop a broader leadership role in your clinic
➕Expand your practice to advance the Physician Assistant profession as a whole
Listen NOW
8 Mar 2021
What to Expect in the First Five Years of Practice as a New Grad Physician Assistant (Part 1)
Are you graduating or about to graduate from your Physician Assistant program? Ready to start your career as a new grad PA?
In this episode, Your PA Mentor podcast, Erin and I bring you the first episode in a 2-part series about what to expect during your first 5 years as a Physician Assistant.
Erin and I have been in practice for 8 years each, both with wildly different experiences and they’re ready to spill the tea!
Listen in as we chat about our first 2 years as Physician Assistants and discuss:
➕ How to avoid early burnout
➕ Improve your work efficiency and productivity
➕ Manage patient expectations vs reality
11 Feb 2021
PA Resume Rights and Wrongs
Your PA Mentor is back with Season 2 and we’re so excited to be talking to you again!
We know that finding a Physician Assistant job right now is tough with a lot of competition.
So for all our Physician Assistant friends out there, listen up while Sam and Erin drop some knowledge about how to make your resume work for you.
Quick tip: if it’s more than 2 pages you’re doing it wrong! Let us help you.
Sam and Erin are going to break down resume rights and wrongs for new graduate Physician Assistants including:
➕The optimal length and format
➕What experiences to include - especially when it comes to clinical rotations
➕ How to make your resume stand out in the crowd
If you’re ready to listen in, press play NOW!
2 Sept 2020
How to Avoid Lawsuits & Stop Practicing Defensive Medicine
Only bad providers get sued. #fakenews
Did you know that >50% of providers will be sued at least once in their career? There is a myth in the medical field that only bad providers get sued. But it can happen to any of us at any time.
On the last episode of the season on Your PA Mentor podcast we talk about how to avoid getting sued and how to be prepared for it.
In this episode, we cover:
➕malpractice insurance coverage
➕best documentation practices
➕easy ways to minimize risk
You can’t afford to miss this episode so tune in this week and take a listen. And don’t forget to subscribe to Your PA Mentor podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Rate it and leave a comment too! We read them all!
26 Aug 2020
How to Read a Contract Before You Sign
You can write a prescription but can you read a contract?
Signing an employment contract is one of the most important financial decisions a PA can make.
Don’t get stuck in a bad job because you didn’t understand what you signed up for.
In the latest episode of our podcast, Your PA Mentor, we make sure you know about:
➕ bonus pitfalls
➕ vesting and retirement
➕ non-compete clauses
➕ malpractice insurance
And more.
Press PLAY to tune in now!
19 Aug 2020
How I Paid Off $150,000 of Student Loan Debt in Less Than 5 Years
I paid off $150,000 of student loan debt in less than 5 years. If I was smarter, I could have done it in 2-3 years.
Except I wasn’t all that smart at 26 years old.
I didn’t know anything about high interest rates or refinancing.
I have always been told that student loan debt is part of the college culture. It's woven into society, and it is accepted as a normal part of life.
But you know what nobody tells you about student loans?
They are a motherf%*^#* burden!
A burden that is keeping many new professionals from moving forward in their lives. A burden that keeps them stuck in financial fear.
In this episode, Erin and I talk about:
➕ The definition of financial freedom and what it means to be debt free
➕Why you should pay off your student loans ASAP
➕ The exact method I used to pay off $150,000 of student loan debt
➕ How Erin is paying down her debt on a single income
➕ Other loan repayment options
If you’re ready to tackle your loans, press PLAY now!
And as always, don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast and rate/review! Thank you, FAM!
10 Aug 2020
How to Explain Bad Grades in Your PA School Interview
So you got that dreaded C in your organic chemistry? Or was it biochemistry? Or philosophy?
Or was it multiple bad grades? Feeling bummed and discouraged about applying to PA school with less than a 4.0 GPA?
Well, guess what?
Erin and I have been there and done that.
We are here to tell you that your GPA is NOT a reflection of who you are. And it definitely won’t kill your chances of getting into PA school.
You should not let a lower than average GPA stop you from finding a path to PA school if this is truly your passion.
Check out today's episode and let us help you explain bad grades on your PA interview!
3 Aug 2020
All Your Pre-PA Questions Answered
It’s here! It’s here! Finally! This podcast episode is for all you Pre-PAs! I know you have been patiently waiting for the Pre-PA content! The episode is now LIVE!
In this episode, Erin and I do a quick rapid fire Q&A session! We are answering all the questions you guys asked us a few weeks ago!
We discuss:
➕ How to get shadowing experiences
➕ What were the hardest classes in PA school
➕ How to have a social life in school
➕ Best undergraduate courses to take to prepare for PA schools
➕ Active steps for take to prepare for PA school
➕ The difference between CNA vs EMT clinical experience
➕ The direct entry program from undergrad to PA school
And so much more!
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the podcast now! And don’t forget to rate and review the episode! ❤️
27 Jul 2020
The Effects of Covid-19 on Physician Assistant Job Market
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you this important message!
In this episode, Erin and I address how COVID-19 has truly impacted the PA profession.
During this unprecedented time, experienced PAs are being furloughed and new grads are having a difficult time securing a job with decent pay and benefits.
➕ We talk about the kinds of jobs and contracts that are being offered to PAs during this pandemic.
➕ We review what you should be looking for in your contract before you accept a job offer.
➕We discuss the impact of taking a below market value job with limited benefits on the PA community.
➕We discuss burnout and what it means to us and how it affects our job performance.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast!
20 Jul 2020
How to Negotiate Salary & Benefits
How I negotiated $15,000 above my starting my offer as a new PA graduate
In this episode, I walk you through the art of salary negotiation.
✖️I go through the step by step process of negotiation and how long it should take.
✖️I talk about my personal experience negotiating salary/benefits as a new graduate with full transparency.
✖️Erin talks about her biggest fears when it comes down to negotiation.
✖️ We give you a detailed list of all the things you should be negotiating in your contract.
✖️ We explain all the reasons WHY you should be negotiating and WHY you shouldn’t feel bad about it.
All the tips provided in this episode aren’t limited to the PA profession. It can be applied to ANY job.
And again, let me know if you have any topics you want to hear more about in the upcoming episodes!
If you are ready to stop settling for average pay and benefits, click the link in my bio to start listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast! We worked really hard on these episodes for you guys and we would love to hear some feedback.
Press PLAY now, friends!
13 Jul 2020
Tips & Tricks to Land Your Ideal Job
In this episode, Erin and I will give you job interview tips to help you pass a job interview and get the job you want! We will be discussing:
➕ How to prepare for your interview –everything to do BEFORE your interview
➕How we would answer the 3 most commonly asked interview questions
➕How to approach the difficult CLINICAL questions
➕ What questions you should be asking during your interview
And we will also be discussing how our experiences as an interviewee and an interviewer has changed the way we interview for jobs!
If you need some interviewing tips, just press PLAY now and start listening to this episode!
And as always, don’t forget to give a review and comment- let us know what topics you want us to cover on the next episode.
6 Jul 2020
The Job Search
It can be overwhelming trying to find a Physician Assistant job in the current job market. Two experienced PAs discuss why it’s still important to choose a job wisely and how to stand out.
Listen to Sam and Erin talk about their experiences with their own job search, what questions to ask potential employers and how to make sure your new job is a good fit.
29 Jun 2020
Meet Your PA Mentors
Meet Sam. Meet Erin. Two Physician Assistants with 7 years experience working in primary care, urgent care, emergency and corrections medicine.
In today’s episode, we talk a little bit about our experiences as first year PAs. Sit down, relax, and grab a drink and listen in on all our Dos and Don’ts as newbies in the profession. We may or may not drop some F bombs a few times. 🤷🏻♀️ #nofilter
Tell us how we did on our very first podcast! Comment on any topics you would like us to cover in the next coming episodes!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
164 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
26 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 5 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
0
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
27
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