Physician AssistantWhat type of job are you looking for? Physician Assistant Europe, Asia, SW Asia etc... What nationality are you? USA, White What languages do you speak (and at what level)? English 2 BS degrees What country or area are you looking to work in and why? Iraq or Afganistan or similiar. Just retired Army Guard/Reserves as a Capt. I would like to support the war effort. My son just died last week (long illness) and my daughter is leaving for college in one month. What countries have you worked in? A few weeks in Central America and western Europe. What field do you currently work in? Physician Assistant...Internal medicine/Psych Hospital. Initially trained in 1980 as a 18D. What fields have you worked in before? Hospitalist x 10 years (critical care and all medicine sub-specialties), Urgent Care x 5 years, ER x 1 year. What qualifications do you hold? Current PA-C, BLS. Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? Skills. They are more practical and once honed you can compete well with the very educated sector. Formal education is a plus. It gives you all the basics that you need to succeed... reading, writing, critical thinking etc... Describe the benefits of working with others Working with others allows you to imprtove your skills. It also gives you instant feedback on how your skillset adapts to what enviroment your in. Describe the benefits of working alone You get to put 100% + of your skills to the ultimate test. You only have youself to blame if there is a bad outcome. It test's your METL. What was your worst working experience? Working with physician' that are uncomfortable/unfamiliar with physician assistant's. They tend to micro-manage. Or in a situation where you have more experience than the physician and they feel intimidated working with you. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? Always listen to the patient and be open-minded. If you ask the right questions and really listen to the patient, you will usually get the initial diagnosis correct. What unique skills do you have? I am well rounded in hospital medicine, and urgent care. I can take care of 95% of the problems that walk through the door. I refer out patient's only when necessary. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? Working independently with a cohesive support team. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? I love the patient's. I enjoy doing minor surgical procedures. I enjoy the everyday challenge...something new every day. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? Oncology/hematology/genetics/bariatric medicine. Why do you want to leave your family for an extended period of time. I tend to be a loner. I am looking for a little excitement and adventure. I want to be challenged. My wife and I are not that close. | 
