5 Reasons Why PAs Should Be Expanding Their Skill Sets

While in physician assistant (PA) school we are constantly learning. Day in and day out, our sole job as future PAs is to gather knowledge, soak it in, and retain it. Not just to get good grades but for the sake of our future patients and our future patients’ families. It is, to be quite frank, mentally exhausting yet we push on for the entirety of our program.

It is not until we have passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) that we finally have permission to take a break and stop learning, but it is only for a moment.

As medical providers, we are then expected to continue learning with Continuing Medical Education (CME) throughout our years practicing medicine. While those 100 hours every 2 years may be enough to maintain our status as certified PAs it should not be ALL that we do.

In my opinion, continuing to learn regularly and pushing ourselves to learn new skill sets is vital to our careers. In this post, I will discuss 5 reasons why you should constantly be seeking out new learning opportunities and pushing yourself to master new technology.

1. You will provide better medical care

The most obvious reason why PAs should consistently be expanding their skill-based knowledge is because they can improve the quality of patient care. Whether it is through different treatment methods or learning new technology, it is important to be able to offer the latest and best for patients. Patients will appreciate being able to go to a provider that can run through their options and let them know what new treatment has better efficacy and safety data.

Companies are constantly coming up with new medical technologies with these goals in mind, improving patient outcomes and decreasing adverse side effects. If you are continuing to learn as these technologies and machines are developed then it not only allows you to give patients more options but also can improve patient safety.

2. Maintain PA licensure and certification

As noted previously, CME is required for PAs to maintain medical licensure and certifications. If you fail to meet the basic requirements you risk fees and loss of license or certifications. This not only disrupts patient care but also disrupts your own life and ability to generate an income.

Imagine all of a sudden losing your ability to work as a PA after all of the years it took to finally get to that position. You need to stay organized and at the absolute very least hit the minimum amount of hours required every year to stay in good standing with the NCCPA and your state licensing requirements.

3. It makes you marketable

If it is between you and another candidate for a new job, who do you think they will choose? The person who is adapting to changes in healthcare policies and regulations by acquiring new skill sets or the one who has been doing the same thing for the past 5-10 years. The person who is consistently learning and building their talent stack will also be the person who can communicate more effectively with patients and colleagues, they will be the one to get the job or advancement.

Also, if you are the one going to skills training, conferences, and participating in workshops then you are the one networking and making connections with other providers. Networking has been instrumental to me being hired at both places of employment since graduating from PA school.

4. You are less likely to experience burnout

Staying stagnant in any career field is not good for mental health. You want to be someone who is constantly learning and evolving. You will find more passion for your work this way which will lessen the risk of professional burnout and hopefully increase your job satisfaction. We all know we spend the majority of our hours per week at our jobs. If we can be happy with our situation at work, then we will also likely experience increased happiness outside our job as well.

If you are someone who thinks they are on their way to experiencing burnout as a PA or if you know of other PAs in that position then please take a moment to read or forward this post: Self-Care Practices I Do To Prevent Burnout As a Medical Provider

5. You can grow and evolve as a human being

If you are constantly learning new skills it can vastly increase your self-confidence and keep your mind sharp. Continuing to learn and grow helps with critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This is essential in the healthcare field where we constantly have to think critically and solve complex medical problems.

Not only that, but you may find something particularly exciting that you can delve into more and turn into a specialization of sorts. If you don’t try new things you won’t ever know if there is something else out there that ignites a passion in you. Here is your permission slip to experiment and learn and consider what makes you happy.

Are you a PA who feels stuck in their current job? Maybe learning a new skill set is just what you need to get out of the monotony of your day-to-day job. Or maybe you are thinking of switching specialties in which case taking those workshops is a smart decision and will make it easier to sell yourself at your next interview. Let me know in the comments below if you have been keeping up with acquiring new skill sets, and if so how has it helped you in your career?