Student Special Events

Putting on Your Oxygen Mask: The Importance of Taking Care of Your Mental Health to Succeed in PA School

Tuesday, May 25 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Presenter: Stephanie L. Neary, MPA, MMS, PA-C, Assistant Professor, Director of Didactic Education, Yale PA Online Program; Chris Roman, PA-C, Associate Professor, Butler University

Mental health affects everyone from PA students to practicing PAs. Join AAPA for a discussion on mental health, and what you can do now and as you prepare for your PA career.

Student Leadership Panel

Tuesday, May 25 | 6:15-7:30 p.m.

Moderator: Student Academy President Katie Ganser, MSs

Panelists: AAPA President and Frostburg State University Program Director Beth Smolko, DMSc, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA; Hina Mazharuddin, PA-C, Vice President of the Society of PAs in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine; and Ben Olmedo, PA-C, U.S. Public Health Service PA

Join our expert panelists as they share their personal journeys and experiences along their varied PA career paths. Panelists from a variety of backgrounds will share how they began their career, how they bring leadership to the table, and what the future holds for the PA profession.

How I Paid Off $150K in Less Than 5 Years: Extreme Budgeting for PA students and New Grads

Presenter: Sami Ngo, PA-C, @YourPAMentor

Listen in on this case study from a savvy PA who managed to pay off her student loans in five years. Sami Ngo will share tips on how to live frugally, pay down debt, and achieve financial independence.

Translational Medicine – How Your Clinical Skills Apply to Non-Clinical Jobs

Presenter: Christopher Moag, PA-C

In PA school you are learning how to be a clinician. Those skills can also make you a strong leader on your healthcare team and set you up for new opportunities throughout your career. Whether you are interested in ideas for consulting roles, side gigs, or a non-clinical role down the road, your experience and expertise as a PA make you a valuable contributor in a variety of settings. Chris Moag, an early career PA, used his clinical knowledge and experience working in emergency medicine to expand his career into the digital health and technology world. Hear his 3-year journey from new grad PA to medical team lead at GYANT and running the Translational Medicine newsletter.

Job Market for New Grads

Presenter: Tim McCall, PhD, Associate Director of Surveys & Analysis, AAPA

This presentation is vital for current PA students to know what to expect as they begin their practice. U.S. News and World Report declared the PA Profession the No. 1 Job in the US for 2021 – but what does that really mean for the new grad job market? Get our analysis of the trending PA specialties, geographies, and trends in PA salaries among PAs with 0-2 years of experience as informed by AAPA research.

Navigating the Job Search as a New Grad

Presenter: Kaci Hardsock, PA-C

Finding your first job as a PA is a challenge, but even more difficult during a pandemic. Get tips on how to conduct a job search, prepare for interviews and network—all in a virtual environment. Hear lessons learned from a new grad who landed her first PA job in 2020.

What Recruiters are Seeking in New PA Grads

Presenter: Abner Gonsalves, CAE, Partner Relationship Manager, HEALTHeCAREERS; Niki Ohmer, Recruiter for Carbon Health

In Partnership with HealthECareers

Contract & Salary Negotiation

Presenter: James R. Kilgore, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA, Provider, Community of Hope Health Clinic, Alabama

You’ve landed your first job—now it’s time to negotiate your salary and your contract and ask for the perks you want. Hear from PA educator James Kilgore as he shares tips and tricks for negotiating your salary and first PA job contract.

This presentation will cover the basics that every PA should know about negotiating a healthcare practitioner contract. Contract negotiation is a topic that few people have substantial experience and can be a very intimidating process. The presentation will help you be prepared to enter the process with a strong background in what you need to know to be successful in the process. We’ll cover the basics, essential components, and the do’s and don’ts of an employment contract. Plus we’ll discuss the differences between larger and smaller employers, as well as compensation, malpractice insurance, fringe benefits, and restrictive covenants.

The Crucial Role of Empathy in Healthcare Delivery

Presenter: Helen Riess, M.D., Founder & CEO Empathetics, Inc.

Dr. Riess will discuss the importance of empathy in the context of the patient, student, and clinician experience. Research has demonstrated that empathy skills can be taught and learned and must be modeled and emphasized during PA training to humanize medical and team practices. This session will discuss the causes of the widening compassion gap in US healthcare and the impact on health outcomes, quality, safety, and the patient, student, and provider experience and clinician burnout. She will present research that demonstrates the gap can be narrowed with organizational commitments to empathy and relational skills training.

Finding the On-Ramp to PA Advocacy

Presenters: Kristin Butterfield, Director of Grassroots Advocacy at AAPA; Cooper Couch, PA-C, Colorado Academy of PAs; Matt Mancini, PA-C, Early Career PA Special Interest Group; TBD from the African Heritage PA Caucus

How can PA students get involved in an AAPA Constituent Organization (CO) now, and as early career PAs? Kristin Butterfield will share insights on how to be a successful advocate for the PA profession. Plus, hear from CO leaders on how they bring PA students and early career PAs into the fold, and why it’s important for PA students to get involved in COs.

When Good Intentions Go Bad: Stories in Medical Ethics

Presenter: Janelle Bludorn, MS, PA-C, Clinical Assistant Professor, UNC PA Program

Ethical issues may arise with each patient encounter whether you’re a student or a clinician. In the majority of cases, the ethical choice or decision is clear. Unfortunately, there are situations that can become complicated despite best intentions. This session will provide an overview of medical ethics for PA students including case studies you may not have considered.