PAs, as well as ARNPs, are expected to know as much as the Physicians, however are treated like we are the bottom of the totem pole. So we are good enough to do the seeing of their patients, assess, diagnose, treat, etc etc, but then when it comes to doing all the scut work, that is also our job. We are not treated with the appropriate amount of respect when it comes to anything, other than being trusted to (depended on to) do all of the patient care. But then when a patient needs to be called for a simple message (secretary or MA task), your patients vitals need to be taken (an MA task), something needs to be faxed (secretary task), a form needs to be entered in the computer (MA, CNA, or secretary task): the PA or NP is also supposed to do also do all of that. So basically, mayo sees all "APP's" (as they like to call us) as first year residents who the Physicians can unload all of their work on to, as well as can be used for clerical and any other task that needs doing. If you are a PA or an ARNP and are thinking of joining Mayo, keep in mind you will have no ancillary staff to help you, as is the case in the rest of the non-Mayo world. You are the ancillary staff, in addition to being expected to keep a full calendar of patients. Get ready for zero respect from the physicians. If you happen to go in to a surgical subspecialty, you will be delighted to see that between getting to the hospital at 6 am to "pre-round" on all of the surgeons patients before he/she gets there (read: pretty much do everything for the surgeon while he/she is either sleeping or in the "consultants only" lounge, rounding, getting to the OR before the surgeon, doing the assisting in the case, helping at the end of the case, prepping for the next case (it is now 2:00pm), you are not allowed in the surgeons lounge. The surgeon, and whatever other consultant who may chose to also accompany him or her, is free to grab whatever free snack and water or juice and watch some TV while you hold your pee and prep for the next case. Eating? Resting? Going to the bathroom? You haven't earned those privileges as an APP at Mayo. Oh, and by the way, you can create all the revenue you'd like with your full schedule, charging almost the same as the physician does and getting paid a quarter of that, but you are also not allowed to park in the garage. So you, Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner, can park out in Timbuktoo in the middle of whatever weather elements there may be and walk about a quarter of a mile a day to get to work while the physicians park in their designated spots in the garage, and get there after you do and you've seen their first patient.
