In Practice: Reflections from NPs and PAs

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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June 15th, 2017

Educating Patients About HPV Vaccination Can Feel Like Peddling Snake Oil

Elizabeth Donahue, RN, MSN, NP-C

Messaging and medicine have always gone hand in hand. A Google search for wellness products of yesteryear produces a vibrant collection of ads for lotions and potions. Cod liver oil, hair tonics, and other extracts (including opium!) were promised to keep you feeling healthy and looking great. And using medical professionals to bolster product claims has long been popular in […]

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May 5th, 2017

Deep Brain Stimulation Targeting in Neurosurgery, Part III of III

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

This is the final part of a three-part series on deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting designed for providers who lack an intimate level of knowledge and/or experience with this subject matter. In Part I, I discussed the ventralis intermedius (Vim) target as well as an overview of DBS, equipment, and programming, and Part II covered the […]

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March 1st, 2017

Listening to Bowel Sounds: An Outdated Practice?

Alexandra Godfrey, BSc PT, MS PA-C

Medical programs teach us that listening to bowel sounds is an essential part of the physical examination of the abdomen, especially when the differential includes ileus, small bowel obstruction, diarrhea or constipation. Woe betide the student who fails to auscultate the abdomen of patients with these presentations. Yet firstly there’s little supporting evidence for this maneuver, […]

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November 2nd, 2016

Intracranial Aneurysms for the Non-Neurosurgical Provider: Primer Series (Part 2)

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

In Part 2 of this primer series on intracranial aneurysms for non-neurosurgical providers, I will discuss modifiable and non-modifiable patient risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) during intracranial aneurysm treatment. Modifiable Risks: Hypertension (HTN)[1] Patients with mild-moderate HTN (defined by systolic blood pressure of 130-169 mmHg) have a hazard risk (HR) of 2.3 for SAH compared with patients with […]

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October 12th, 2016

Intracranial Aneurysms for the Non-Neurosurgical Provider: Primer Series (Part 1)

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

Intracranial aneurysms are unnerving, but not all aneurysms are created equally. It’s no secret that nearly 50% of people with intracranial aneurysm ruptures die before they get to the hospital, and of the 50% who make it to the hospital, about 30% die despite our best efforts. Our office often gets urgent referrals from non-neurosurgical […]

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May 4th, 2016

The Fringe: Part 2 – Debt Management

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

Welcome to part 2 of my 4-part series titled “The Fringe” (see part 1). So many students come out of medical school, PA school, or nursing school with a significant amount of debt. Couple graduate loans with undergraduate loans and/or other loans that you may have taken on over the years (car, house, etc.) — and the […]

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March 16th, 2016

Drawing Meds: An Interview with Clinician-Artist Jorge Muniz, PA-C

Harrison Reed, PA-C

There’s nothing textbook about Jorge Muniz’s style. The physician assistant and emerging artist is as unique as his creation, Medcomic, a humorous cartoon collection that delivers medical education in a flurry of colorful punches. Muniz juggles full-time clinical practice with the skyrocketing popularity of Medcomic, but the balancing act is nothing new. After all, he started […]

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January 20th, 2016

4 Indirect Ways Outpatient PAs Can Contribute to Practice Growth

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-C

In many clinical practices PAs are integral members of the patient care team. We round. We order and interpret labs and imaging. We assist in the OR. We see patients in clinic. We contribute significantly day to day to make sure we provide the best care possible, and we formulate bonds with our patients and […]

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January 13th, 2016

Off to the Races — Maximizing the PA Role to Fill Healthcare Gaps

Charity Maniates, MSPA, MPH, PA-C

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we hear from childhood, innocent but underscored with pressure to have a life plan by the age of 18. Realistically, it’s a journey of many experiences, successes and failures that lead individuals to gratifying careers. My first career choice as a 10-year-old […]

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