The PA Is In | Tracy Bingaman | Physician Assistant/Physician Associate/PA-C/PA-S/PA Student

How can I successfully negotiate? What if the job I want is with a group who “never negotiates?” How can I get my application into the right hands to begin with?

Have you ever asked yourself these questions? Have you wanted to negotiate at your current job but didn’t know where to start? Does the thought of negotiating at a new job interview make you diaphoretic and tachycardic? What’s the secret to a successful negotiation where you are paid what you’re worth?

Thankfully I have PA Lauren Spain on the podcast today to answer all these questions! Lauren details her career journey and how she crafted her unicorn PA job using the powers of networking and negotiating. Listen in to hear how you, too, can create your unicorn job and ensure that you’re paid what you’re worth. Because you, my friend, are worth a heck of a lot!

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How many of you have discussed your own end of life wishes with your loved ones, completed your living will, and designated your healthcare proxy? How often do you ask your patients about their own healthcare proxies or end of life wishes? How comfortable do you feel having these conversations?

If you’re anything like me, talking about death and dying can be awkward, uncomfortable, and even scary. I often feel tongue-tied when I need to ask a patient their code status and don’t know the best phrases to use. 

Thankfully, I have Tracey Piparo as my guest on the show today! Tracey found her dream Unicorn Job as a Palliative Care PA, and she’s here to teach us how to talk about death with not only our patients, but also our own families. Tracey shares many pearls that every healthcare provider, regardless of specialty, can use in their practice to normalize the conversation around death. 

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Today, we embark on the first week of a transformative journey designed to guide you towards pinpointing the career of your dreams. With the wise words of Zig Ziglar in mind — "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time" — this session is all about setting your sights high and aiming with precision. 

We introduce the "6 Key Decisions," six key steps designed to streamline your path through this significant transition and secure a position that not only meets but exceeds your aspirations.

This tool is the first step in gaining the clarity necessary to envision a successful career transition, focusing on critical areas such as setting, location, schedule, transformation, compensation, and deadline. These decisions are crucial as they lay the groundwork for the finer details that will propel your career forward.

As we dive into the six key decisions, we challenge you to deeply consider what truly excites you about your work, where you see yourself thriving, and how you envision your ideal work-life balance. From determining the exact role that sparks joy and excitement to selecting an ideal location and defining your preferred work schedule, each decision is aimed at aligning your career with your personal life and goals. 

We also delve into envisioning the transformation you seek in your life post-transition, setting realistic compensation expectations, and establishing a timeline for making your dream job a reality. This episode is not just about finding a new job; it's about crafting a career that brings fulfillment, balance, and joy into your life. By making these key decisions upfront, you're not only setting the direction for your job search but also for the life you want to lead.

Pulling back the curtain and telling you what has kept me at my current employer (and what kept me moving in the past).

When you graduated PA school and started working your first job as a PA-C, were you surprised by the significant role insurance companies played in dictating how you can treat your patients? Do you feel frustrated by our current healthcare system and how it focuses more on sick patients than on keeping patients healthy? Do you spend most of your time as a Primary Care PA completing insurance prior authorizations and fighting what seems like a never-ending battle to actually care for your patients?

Well look no further. My guest today is PA Julia Harris, who is here to explain all about the Direct Primary Care model of healthcare. Now that she works in Direct Primary Care, Julia doesn’t need to worry about insurance companies dictating how much time she can spend with her patients or what visits and treatments will be reimbursed. Julia can focus on what really matters in medicine and why she became a PA in the first place - helping patients become the healthiest versions of themselves. Julia can focus on wellness and creating real connections with her patients. 

Listen in to learn more about Direct Primary Care and how it could be the new face of healthcare.

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Today we're peeling back the layers on the financial vital signs that every healthcare provider should be tracking. I’m here to guide you through assessing your financial health with the same precision, care and attention to detail you provide your patients. 

Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or just starting your journey in healthcare, today's insights will arm you with the tools to ensure your financial health is thriving. Money isn’t the end game – getting control of your money creates margin in your life! 

Let’s face it - PA school didn’t prepare us for in-depth, detailed discussions about nutrition with our patients. Formal nutrition training is profoundly lacking in medical school and PA school. We’re told to recommend lifestyle modifications to our patients, but then move on to the next lesson. How do we cross this divide so that we can provide our patients with the support, education, and resources that they need? That’s where today’s guest comes in!

Colleen Sloan is a PA and Registered Dietician. She explains the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist and when it’s beneficial to refer patients to a registered dietician. Colleen goes into detail on how PAs can address weight and nutrition in an office visit, including questions to ask both your adult and pediatric patients. Listen in to hear the dos and don’ts of how to respectfully cover a very sensitive topic. As a bonus, Colleen also gives us actionable tips on how we as busy clinicians can improve our own nutrition. 

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Tackle the critical and often overlooked topic of career sustainability versus burnout in the healthcare sector. How healthcare professionals can shift from the brink of burnout to a path of long-term career fulfillment and sustainability. 

With the alarming rates of professional exhaustion affecting 60-90% of healthcare providers, it's time to spotlight the brighter side of the coin: career sustainability. It’s not just about survival; it's about thriving in your healthcare career by fostering resilience, balance, and satisfaction.

Burnout is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, disillusionment, and overwhelm, but career sustainability offers a lifeline. It's about creating a career that is resilient, rewarding, and aligned with your values, interests, and strengths. 

To guide you on this journey, we introduce the Clinician Career Sustainability Quiz [https://www.tracybingaman.com/sustainability], a tool designed to help you assess your current career trajectory and identify steps towards sustainability.

We cover ten critical questions that delve into aspects of job enjoyment, schedule flexibility, growth opportunities, health, pay, workplace culture, and more. This episode provides actionable insights and strategies to help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities for growth, ensuring your career not only sustains you but allows you to flourish.

Today on the podcast I get to welcome back PA Kristin Burton to share her financial expertise on all things student loans. Kristin is the founder of Strive Coaching, where she teaches medical professionals how to achieve financial independence and money literacy. 

Kristin and I take a deep dive into the various options that exist on repaying student loans, including what to consider in the short term and the long term. We discuss the best methods for repayment as well as how to prioritize paying off your student loans with your other money goals, like retirement, travel, and kids’ college savings. 

Listen in to learn what you need to think about when choosing a student loan repayment option as well as to hear some actionable tips on how to set and achieve your own financial goals.

What is an emergency fund? Who needs funds set aside for job loss, injury, or emergencies? How much money do I need in my emergency fund? Where is the best place to keep emergency funds? A money market? A high yield savings account? And do I really need an emergency fund? Yes, you definitely should have emergency savings as both a priority in your financial life and a short-term money goal. Aim to have at least 3 months of expenses saved in the next 2-6 months.

On today’s podcast, I have the honor of speaking with former president of AAPA and current CMO and VP of Clinical Affairs of AAPA, Jennifer Orozco. We discuss advocacy, making an impact, and how to get a seat at the table. 

Jenn stresses the importance of removing barriers to PA practice because healthcare can’t afford to keep these barriers. PAs are experts in their fields and need to share their knowledge, experience and expertise with policy makers and those in leadership making decisions. Every PA has a powerful voice, and Jenn outlines ways in which we can start taking action today. 

We don’t need to ask for permission to share our ideas or opinions. We need to think bigger than just our own clinic and our own hospital system. We need to be bold in sharing our expertise so that we can make positive changes in healthcare. 

Press play to hear inspiration and a call to action so that we can keep moving the PA profession and the American healthcare system forward in a positive direction. 

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As a busy parent, provider, aesthetics physician associate, I am constantly tempted to compare my life to other people's lives. Knowing what I value has changed everything for me.

Your inbasket (or your email inbox)... whether you love it, hate it, or love to hate it, it’s a part of practicing medicine in the 21st century. Listen, we know that technology can make taking care of patients easier, but it also can mean that we are constantly feeling distracted by all the pings and dings of our devices.

As we launch into a new year, it’s important to see how our boundaries are doing. Are these boundaries effective to keep work at work and let us focus on and live our lives outside the bounds of working? 

In this episode I’ll share what I’ve realized and share 4 practical strategies to leave work (yes, even charting and inbasket messages) at work so that YOU can create a healthy, clear and enforceable boundary. Press play to get started. 

Do you feel fulfilled as a PA? Do you feel lost or like you’re not in the right place? Did you previously love your job as a PA, but now it feels mundane? Are you looking for more than just your clinical work? You’re in the right place! Tune into my conversation with PA Mike Asbach to hear about how you can find fulfillment both inside and outside your clinical role as a PA. 

Mike discusses how he branched out into industry consulting to diversify not only his streams of income but also his cognitive load. He also discusses the value he’s found from obtaining his DMSc degree. Mike dives into the core components of wellness and how we can apply them to not only caring better for our patients, but also caring better for ourselves as medical providers. 

If you love medicine, but want something more than seeing patients in 15 minute time slots, or if you feel lost and are looking for a sense of purpose and fulfillment, press play to hear step by step recommendations on how you can find meaning again in your work and career. 

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Do you need a little refresher on ortho? Are you a primary care, urgent care, or ER provider who sees a lot of orthopedic conditions in your practice but can never quite remember if you’re supposed to splint or not splint, use lidocaine with epinephrine or not, or how many X-ray films you’re supposed to order? You’re in the right place!

Join me today as I chat with Vanessa Smith, an orthopedic PA who specializes in hand surgery. Vanessa shares several clinical pearls that she’s learned in her 14 year career. She also dives into exactly what the non-orthopedic provider needs to know when treating orthopedic injuries and conditions. We discuss tips and tricks for non-surgical interventions as well as how to appropriately refer to ortho. 

Vanessa also introduces OrthoRefresh.com, a website dedicated to giving PCPs and non-ortho providers a refresher on how to treat common orthopedic injuries. OrthoRefresh contains several resources, including short videos by prominent ortho specialists to educate and equip PCPs to effectively treat orthopedic complaints. 

Press play for a fantastic overview of treating common orthopedic injuries and conditions. Vanessa makes everything very approachable and easy to understand. Let’s get started!

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To grab a spot in the upcoming AI dictation cohort:

1) Head to https://www.tracybingaman.com/ai

2) Complete the form

3) The dictation company and team will contact you to set up your account.

We all know what it’s like to be the provider, but how does it feel to be the patient? Have you ever stepped out of your PA-C labcoat and into the gown of being a patient, instead?

What if I told you that I did this recently and, after having urgent/emergent surgery, I was blessed with a shiny new perspective. What if, in fact, the key to taking better care of our patients comes from being able to take a walk in their socks?

Today I’m going to share my fresh perspective gained from being the one on the OR table instead of the surgery physician assistant performing the procedure. And I’m going to share with you what I learned as a part of this experience.

Are you ready to challenge the notion that you know what it feels like to be the patient? If you are, then let’s dive into this eye-opening exploration of gaining a new perspective, even if I came by it the hard way. 

From obtaining leadership roles as a PA to becoming more efficient at EMR charting to prioritizing your mental well-being, we have it all covered in this episode of The PA Is In!

Join me as I dive deep into conversation with Don Martinez, PA-C on a wide variety of important and meaningful topics. Don is a primary care PA who now works in academia. On today’s episode, he discusses how he was able to break into leadership and administrative roles in his healthcare organization and then paved the way for future PAs and NPs to follow in his footsteps. We also talk about tips and tricks to maximize efficiency and save time charting using EMR. In the last half of our conversation, Don shares his own experience with mental health struggles and how he has now shifted his mindset and created boundaries to help protect his mental wellbeing. Don also talks about his struggles with obesity and how they have affected him as a medical provider. I appreciate his vulnerability in sharing his personal story and how his struggles have allowed him to make better connections with his patients.

We need to advocate for ourselves, both as PAs in the larger healthcare organization system and also as people who have experienced burnout and trauma while caring for our patients. Our mental and physical health and wellbeing should not come second to our patients. We can make changes both in our own lives and in our healthcare systems to create positive work-life integration.

This is an episode with so many takeaways that you’ll want to listen to again. Thanks, Don, for joining me and sharing so much wisdom! Let’s dive in!

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If you aren’t tracking these data points in your personal finances, you cannot know if you are winning or losing money-wise. If you want to achieve your own money goals, you need to be doing these four things.

Face it: if you’re actually aiming for a specific money goal, you’re only going to hit it if you’re following a specific, time-bound, strategic PLAN for your personal finances. 

In this episode I’m going to break down what we measure in our personal money journey, why, and how you can start tracking your own fiscal results. Ready? Tap play and we’ll get started!

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What are some of your dreams? Do you dream of working in a certain speciality? Do you dream of living in a specific state? Do you dream of having incredible work-life integration? Listen to today’s episode to hear how Rachael Anstine, PA-C made her dreams a reality.

Rachael is a PA working in colorectal surgery in rural Montana. Rachael had always dreamed of living in Montana, but didn’t know if it would ever truly happen. Rachael shares how she and her husband went from dreaming of theoretically living in Montana to the logistics of actually making it a reality. She talks about everything from PA licensing in a new state to making new friends. 

We also talk about how to improve your charting to be more efficient so that you can leave work at work instead of bringing it home. I loved chatting with Rachael about how she created an ideal work-life integration. Tune in to hear this Unicorn PA’s story and how you, too, can make your dreams a reality. 

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A reminder of how good will, positive vibes, appreciation and feedback can make a difference in the world. Curious on how you can earn an extra $25k this year? Press play to learn how to learn a new negotiation strategy. 

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Do you ever feel like it’s the end of a year but nothing has changed? Often as a PA, we’re trucking along, seeing patients, living our lives and pursuing our careers without taking time to be intentional and to make changes. 

But sometimes, the most effective strategy to set yourself up for success is to build more and more of what you love into your calendar and minimizing the things that you dread.

As we head into the new year, we’re taking a good look at our calendar and re-evaluating how we are spending our most valuable and limited resource: our time. 

So, buckle up and get ready to join us on the journey to a calendar audit that is such a great end-of-year activity to do professionally and personally. 

COACHING

Do you ever wonder if you should have a social media presence? Which platform should you join? Can social media harm or grow your career? What types of things can and should you post? Look no further than today’s episode!

Martha Williams, PA-C joins me today to discuss why every PA needs to have a LinkedIn account. Martha discusses the benefits of LinkedIn and how you can leverage it to gain employment and grow your network, even if you’re not currently looking for a new job. 

Listen in to hear how to set up your profile, common mistakes to avoid, and how to connect with your potential future employer.

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You’ve made it through PA school and are thriving as a badass PA taking care of complex patients with intricate medical needs. But when it comes to finances and financial planning, you feel overwhelmed and lost. You want to make sure you and your family are financially stable. You want to retire one day (maybe sooner rather than later). You want to achieve a myriad of goals that all require money. But how can you make that happen? How do you know if you’re on the right track?

Caleb Pepperday is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) who specializes in helping PAs and NPs achieve their financial goals. Tune into today’s episode to hear Caleb tackle all of your money questions, from the difference between saving and investing to the FIRE movement to how a financial advisor can help you. 

Caleb breaks down complex financial topics so you can understand them. His financial planning firm, Advanced Practice Planning, LLC, is designed to specifically help PAs and NPs. Press play so you can feel more confident on the next steps in your personal finance journey.

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NEWS FLASH: Wisconsin becomes the 3rd state to join the PA Licensure Compact. Other approved states include Utah and New Jersey. (December 2023)

Press play to learn about the PA Licensure Compact, what it is, who is in support of it, and how many more states need to pass legislation in order to complete the compact.

In 2019 the AAPA, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the NCCPA and the Council of State Governments began working on enacting the PA Licensure Compact. 

The PA Licensure Compact makes it easier for PAs to practice in multiple states without having to obtain multiple state licenses. This has far-reaching implications when it comes to telemedicine practices and improving PA portability and patient access to care.

Have you ever wanted to start your own practice as a PA? Do you love being a PA but want a more non-traditional career? Do you dream of the flexibility and ability to treat patients in the best way you know how? Tune in to learn how Marlie Schmidt left a very inflexible, controlling job to start her own telemedicine practice. 

Marlie started a medical weight loss practice to help patients access weight loss prescription medications that their insurance companies won’t cover. Marlie was able to take control of her career by starting her own business so that she can make a positive difference in her patients’ lives while also decreasing burnout in her own life. 

Press play if you want to learn more about GLP-1 medications or if you want to learn how you can open your own telemedicine business as a PA. Listen in as Marlie describes the pros and cons of being a PA business owner. Learn how you, too, can take control of your career so that you can have more time, flexibility, and income to create a work-life integration that you love. 

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Thanksgiving is upon us and with the holiday that comes with celebrating and sharing gratitude comes an episode all about cultivating gratitude in our lives.

Working in healthcare is stressful and can feel all consuming. It can also be incredibly hard to work within a system that wasn’t designed for ease of use for patients or to promote the health and wellness of those of us providing care to those patients. 

Today on The PA Is In I’m sharing 7 strategies for cultivating gratitude in your everyday life. Here’s how to integrate a gratitude practice in your life and as a part of your medical practice. 

COACHING

What is it like to treat patients with Botox and Filler? How do PAs fit in the aesthetics industry? What does it feel like to be a surgery PA turned aesthetic injector?

I’m 3 years into my specialty working in Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics and today on The PA Is In I’m sharing my 3 favorite things about working as an aesthetic injector. It’s an honor to be trusted with my patients’ safety and confidence. 

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to work as a physician associate in aesthetics, this episode is for you.

How do I negotiate for an upcoming maternity leave? What is FMLA? My job pulled a bait and switch, now what do I do? Should I warn PAs that interview here about the toxicity in my workplace?

Should I send a thank you note after my interview for a PA position? What do I need to know about the non-compete clause in my contract? Should I take a great job that advances my PA career but requires a move to another state?

What can I ask for as a part of my next contract negotiation? All of your PA career questions, answered. Press play to hear more!

How do you extinguish the fire of your burnout? When you are evaluating your degree of stress and burnout, take a look at the three elements of your burnout fire triangle and identify areas that are within your control.

These are the modifiable risk factors of your burnout. You cannot tear down and build up the entire healthcare system on your own but you can change some things about your current situation! 

I’m about to say the 5 little words that we rarely ever ask, but we all want to know… “How much do you make?”

It’s no secret that certain PA specialties earn more money than others. Certain specialties (dermatology, cardiothoracic surgery and others) are often the ones that top those top paying PA specialty lists. But before you rush to check out those top pay lists, it’s crucial to first ask yourself IF pay is what matters most to you.

In this episode we are exploring 10 things (other than salary) to consider before choosing a job and a specialty. 

Whether you’re a seasoned clinician with years of experience under your belt or a new graduate at the beginning of your career, this episode is packed with valuable insights about non-salary benefits of working as a PA. You’ll walk away with renewed hope in the compensation you’re already getting and a framework to determine which of those things matter most to you.  

Have you struggled to find your fit in medicine as a PA? Have you jumped between medical specialties or practices trying to find the right fit for you and how you want to practice medicine? Have you thought about leaving clinical practice all together?

Join us today to hear from Michele Cambron, a PA and host of her own YouTube channel, The Medicine Couch. Michele struggled to find the right job for her after she graduated PA school, changing jobs three times in her first 2 years as a practicing PA. This led her to start The Medicine Couch, where she interviews other PAs and NPs in a variety of specialties, as well as in medicine-adjacent non-clinical careers. 

Michele discusses how she was able to change her mindset when she started feeling like a failure so soon after graduation and how she channeled her desire to learn about the wide world of medicine into starting her YouTube channel. Listen in to learn how you can find your right fit as a practicing PA. 

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Sarah Miller is a critical care PA and mom of two young boys. Listen in to hear why Sarah continued to work at her hospital even after moving to a different state, how she transitioned from full time to part time work, and why she chose to work night shifts. Never say never! As PAs, we have lots of flexibility in our careers, which gives us the ability to make transitions that allow our work to fit whatever stage of life we’re in. 

Sarah also has her own business working as a virtual assistant. She shares how she became a VA and how she can coordinate working as a PA, VA, and mom. 

If you’ve wondered how to adjust your career after becoming a parent or how you can start a side hustle while already working a full-time job, tune in to today’s episode!

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Sarah Sagorsky is a medical oncology PA and a mom of two young children. She currently practices as the Lead Physician Assistant within the Upper Aerodigestive Medical Oncology Department at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Bayview. 

Join us today to hear about how Sarah navigates the ever-changing logistics in coordinating the complex care of cancer patients. Sarah also shares how she handles the mental load of working in oncology with practical tips on combating burnout in order to thrive as a PA and a mom. 

If you’ve ever asked yourself how you can achieve work-life balance, especially after COVID-19 has changed the healthcare landscape, press play for a real discussion on creating a life without burnout. We share real-life tips you can implement today to thrive at home and at work. 

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It’s time. Heading out on clinical rotations is a pivotal moment in the career of a PA Student. You are stepping out of the classroom and into the hospital or office to apply those clinical skills you’ve been learning.

I’m sharing my top 10 tips on how to rock clinical rotations in PA School. Learn how to navigate the culture and dynamics of the second half of your education. 

Click play NOW to learn how to have those rotations in the bag! 

How do I find work-life balance as a primary care PA? How can I get out of my 2-year contract before the time is up? How do I get a job in Dermatology without experience? 

How can I break into the Aesthetics Industry as a PA? How can I compare two offers and choose which is best for my career? How can I leverage a competing offer to earn more money?

Answering recent and common questions about all things PA life, work-life balance, boundaries, charting efficiency, and how to land the job of your dreams.

This ONE skill will help you to earn more money, work less hours, and have more compliant patients?! It sounds too good to be true, right? But I’ve seen (and used) this skill for myself.

Negotiation is NOT something that we learn in clinical or didactic learning in PA school. In fact, it’s often skipped over completely in our PA education!

Basically, the skills you need to be able to increase your paycheck are the same skills that your patients are waiting for you to learn in order to get them to take their meds and go see that specialist. 

On The PA Is In today we are learning how and when to use negotiation as a part of your career, how to use negotiating to make strategic moves so that you can spend your energy making those moves. 

It is seriously a crucial skill to add to your toolbox and I cannot wait to share it with you. 

Feeling trapped in a negative mindset? Trying to overcome a mistake you’ve made in the past as a provider? 

For your life and your career, finding tools to help you shake out of that negative mindset spiral and see things objectively promises to increase resilience, flexibility and the opportunity to grow out of hard situations. Plus, you start to fill your toolbox with tools you can use again and again during your career in healthcare. 

In today’s episode, I’m sharing the realities of dealing with your humanity and making mistakes as a PA. Building resilience is necessary to survive and learn to thrive in healthcare. 

Someday someone is going to ask you to prove your value as a clinician. Knowing your objective value as a healthcare provider will help you to negotiate, pitch a new workflow, increase the care your patients are receiving and help your administrators to understand just what you do. 

Tracking your numbers is information that is incredibly valuable. Knowing your revenue helps you to strategically apply yourself and take the opportunity to share that value with others.

When I burned out “rest” simply wasn’t a part of my vocabulary. As a busy clinician, an inpatient provider, working in a high acuity specialty, I wasn’t resting at all.

Sometimes we teach the things we need to learn the most. Rest is one of those things. Press play to learn everything I needed to know about rest in the depths of my burnout.