The Credentialing Limbo

Congratulations! You landed your first physician assistant job. I know you must be feeling a mix of relief and excitement because those feelings were all present for me. Something that is not always talked about while in Physician Assistant school or even among PAs is the lengthy credentialing process and what to expect. It took me a little over three months from signing my contract to my first day of work. THREE whole months. That is a long time especially when I had moved out and thought my graduation money would hold me over (yikes!). If I could do this process over again I would have gotten another part-time job to hold me over. The credentialing process took way longer than I was hoping and not having much spending money during the summer was not particularly enjoyable. Below are some job suggestions I would have considered . . .

Dog walking: I did do this for a few weeks and it was enjoyable over the summer. In my experience, wag did not pay the walkers too much so try to network within your community and friends and get paid directly from them.

Babysitting: This is great if you already have established connections from previous jobs! Cash is king and babysitting has got that system down. During undergraduate I was a nanny every summer and it was a great and fun way to spend the day.

Tutoring: You now have a master's degree..be proud of yourself! You made it through biology, chemistry, etc. and must have done fairly well to pass Physician Assistant school. Offer your knowledge as a service to others pursuing similar goals in science and/or medicine.

Be productive while you wait: Study up on topics you will likely see in your job. Of course, the learning curve will still be massive either way, but being as prepared as possible is a great way to start. If you do want to work make it flexible and fun. I loved walking the dogs and could pick my schedule. You want to be able to enjoy this season of transition as well.