A special rant against Physician Assistants

Ok, so this is my first rant against different people/positions that work in the hospital. There are definite classes of people... as I'll explain and define in further posts.

First, I'm going to rant against PA's... Physician Assistants. Let me first say this.. This is not a case of sour grapes as I did not apply to go to PA school, nor did I ever want to be a PA. I did think that it was a 4-year post-bachelor's program, but it is not.

Let me tell you my experiences with PA's before I started working with them at the hospital. First, I got a gynecological exam from a PA at an urgent care center. I had gotten one before by an OB/GYN, so I knew what to expect.. but the one by the PA was extremely painful and comfortable. Let's just say I was not impressed.

Then, us nutrition students at OHSU had to take a graduate physiology course with the PA students there. I then found out that the PA degree is only a master's level degree... the same level degree I was getting. The PA students for some reason thought they were so much smarter than us nutrition students and treated us like we were idiots. They definitely made me dislike and mistrust PA's.

So that brings me to work... One nurse manager was talking to a doctor, and the doctor was introducing the new PA on their staff. The nurse manager then turned to the PA, "Oh yes my son wants to go to PA school." The doctor said about the PA.. "Yes, she just graduated from George Washington University." The PA then says smugly to the nurse manager, "Yeah, it's a Top 3 school."

Oh yeah? How nice.

Lastly, there's another PA on the medical staff that I've found that I also dislike. She's not a fresh graduate like the other one, but just as smug and annoying. So, we still have written medical charts at our hospital, which is really annoying because I often have to play "musical charts" trying to find the charts. One day last week, I spent probably 15-30 minutes searching for a chart for this one lady. Finally at the end of the day, I saw the PA with the chart. She had some hospital discharge papers out, and was just starting to dial the phone. Since she was just dialing the phone, I whisper to her, "Is so-and-so discharging?"

15 seconds later... No response.

15 seconds later.. She dials the discharge summary dictation phone line.

So, I'm like, ok this patient is leaving, so I'm done with work. I start gathering all of my papers in my binder, right near the PA because that's where I always leave my stuff.

Then the PA says to me, "Can you just leave me be and we can talk about this later?"

Wtf lady? I wasn't waiting to talk to you.. I was leaving and I don't give a (four-lettered word) what you have to say to me. All you had to say was "yes".. How hard is that?

Anyways, PA's... you are NOT doctors. Don't act like you are. Don't act like you're above everyone else. Many other people in the hospital are just as educated as you... including me. Oh, and don't try to do my job and assess people's nutritional status. Thanks.

I'm not saying PA's aren't helpful, and it's not a job I'd want to have (too much responsibility), but show some respect for other people.