In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

November 9th, 2017

Time Off for Good Behavior: Vacation Cultures in the U.K. vs. U.S.

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

When I met my doctor in the hall for rounds this morning, it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen her for a good month. We had each been alternately away — me camping in Iceland and my doc on her own holiday in sunny Spain. As she gave me a warm hello and asked […]

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August 24th, 2017

How to Land Your Dream PA or NP Job While You’re Still in School

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

I have the pleasure of working with multiple PA students, both as a clinical preceptor and through teaching at the university. I’ve found myself fielding the “how do I find a job?” question a lot recently, so I thought I would address it here. I think the best way to find a job as a PA […]

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July 12th, 2017

You Might Be an American Physician Assistant in the U.K. if …

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

Somewhere between figuring out what foods classify as puddings* and learning how to make the physician assistant (PA) role work within the National Health Service, my colleagues and I find that we have arrived at our 1-year anniversary of working in the U.K. As I reflect on both the successes and struggles of adapting to […]

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May 18th, 2017

Changing Health Care — Reflections from Across the Pond

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

I’m an American physician assistant living and working for the government-funded National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. I also write for this blog about the differences between the U.S. and U.K. health systems. I have thus far been moderately successful at avoiding political discussions in the public sphere. But the recent passage of the […]

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March 23rd, 2017

When Medicine Is Hard

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

My posts are usually lighthearted and (hopefully) informative observations on the differences between my experiences in medicine here in the U.K. versus the U.S. But today I am writing about something that’s both personal and cross-cultural —  something that has at times been a struggle for me and likely has been a struggle for health […]

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February 8th, 2017

Want to Work Abroad?

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

Have you ever thought about working abroad? Maybe like me you’ve always daydreamed about living and working in another country, maybe you’re hungry for a new experience, or perhaps recent political news in the U.S. has you googling the feasibility of moving to Canada. Regardless of your motivations, for those individuals motivated and willing to […]

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December 14th, 2016

Welcome to the Theatre … the Operating Theatre

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

The OR here in the U.K. is called the theatre, or operating theatre. If you say OR, you’ll likely get a bemused expression, meaning you’re speaking like an actor from Grey’s Anatomy again. One of my supervising physicians here relayed a story to me from a British mentor of his who had practiced in the […]

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November 14th, 2016

Fall Changes in the U.K.

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

Autumn is in full swing here in the U.K., and having lived in beautiful but season-less south Florida for the past several years, I am mildly obsessed. Even in the city, the fall colors are breathtaking. Personally, I have been really enjoying boots, hot tea, and weekend hikes in the countryside (and in the U.K. […]

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September 21st, 2016

An American in Yorkshire: Initial Impressions of the NHS

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

Faster than you can say “cheers,” summer is turning into fall, and I find myself having passed the 2-month mark as a physician assistant working for the National Health Service (NHS) in Yorkshire, England, as part of the National Physician Associate Expansion Program (NPAEP). There have been learning experiences, celebrations, crossed wires, and countless cups […]

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August 12th, 2016

Taking a Leap … Across the Pond

Megan Tetlow, PA-C

“Couch” not exam table, “theatre” not operating room, “obs” not vital signs: my first 2 weeks as a physician assistant practicing in England as part of the National Physician Associate Expansion Programme (NPAEP) have been exhilarating, enlightening, and more than a little disorienting. While I haven’t been in the UK long enough to speak with […]

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