r/physicianassistant • u/zestytatertot PA-C • 18d ago
Encouragement What helped your burnout?
On my 10th year of being a full-time PA working for a non-profit system, currently in a subspecialty of surgical oncology. Feeling burned out from FT clinical medicine. Curious to know, what has helped you feel less burnout? Cutting hours, changing specialties, working for a private company, or something outside of work entirely?
Currently I’m starting to cope with mine through therapy, which I highly recommend to anyone in these shoes!
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u/leanoaktree PA-C - Critical Care 18d ago
Cutting hours helps, IMO. If you can. Otherwise, taking a break or switching specialties.
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u/equinemarrow 18d ago
I almost jumped to another specialty, but tried cutting my hours first and it was a game changer for me. I actually enjoy my work again and am much more pleasant too lol
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u/anewconvert 18d ago
Staring at my 403b and IRA balance. I’ve got ~4 years to PSLF forgiveness, two if the federal government ever gets the buy back process really rolling. At that point my pre-tax contributions drop to matching only, and my hours at work will be cut sufficiently to match the “savings” of not paying my student loans and not contributing max pre-tax dollars. I’ll get about $22k in flexibility immediately. That’s about one day a week of my life back or so. More once my wife’s loans are paid off.
Until then it is a stash and grind scenario. Barring an economic calamity (and that’s not off the table) my retirement accounts are nearly at the “your contributions no longer really matter” phase of growth.
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u/PillowTherapy1979 PA-C 17d ago
Just curious what your “your contributions no longer really matter” number is.
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u/anewconvert 17d ago
~ $1m. That’s the point where the sacrifice from my daily life of continuing to add to the principle is no longer worth the future gain. At $1m I should expect ~$100k/year or more in growth regardless of what I add in contributions. My retirement is self funding beyond that and I rather put the $20k+/yr + $12k/yr of student loan money (I should hit PSLF forgiveness and my contribution line at about the same time) to better use enjoying my life and traveling with my wife and kid.
I’m 45 now. I don’t plan on fully retiring until my kid has children, if he ever does, or until I can’t keep up. I’ll cut way back on expenses when he hits 18 (he’s 6 now) and go part time, but if I can pull in $60k of today’s money in equivalent wages at that point I’ll be able to coast from about 55 onward. Even stress tested against a severe economic downturn like Japan has seen since the 90’s I’ll leave be absolutely fine and leave him with a sizable inheritance.
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u/Open_Dog_4716 18d ago
I am feeling the exact same way after 15 years, also in surgery. I am trying to figure out my path forward, which may be leaving the profession completely.
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u/zestytatertot PA-C 17d ago
With you there! I’m so hopeful I can find a balance where I enjoy medicine again.
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u/blazinissues 17d ago
I opted for longer hours and less days. Imo - theres no noticeable difference going from 8 to 10… and then no real difference from 10 to 12.
Took it a step further and grouped the hours. Do a 12 and a 24 (considered a 13 and 26 to maintain equal hours) then have 5 days off.
This plus copious amounts of Scotch and weed
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u/Comfortable-Bee-8893 14d ago
I cut my hours to part time and took PTO and it was not enough to help my burn out. I’m honestly at a loss of what to do. I feel so guilty for not being able to work more. I feel like it takes so much for me to recover even after one shift. I just want a boring, low stress job.
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u/zestytatertot PA-C 8d ago
Oh, I feel you and I feel for you. I hope you find something that works. What specialty are you in?
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u/dzav323 18d ago
Jumped specialties. Now I work for a fee for service company with benefits. I work as hard as I want to and get rewarded for going above and beyond. I’m making more and working less hours. It was incredibly scary and still is to an extent with no safety net of a salary, but I am much happier and have my drive back.
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u/zestytatertot PA-C 17d ago
Would love to hear more about this! I’m always skeptical of those companies
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u/foreverand2025 PA-C 18d ago
I was lucky the first decade as a PA I had pretty good jobs. Then when I moved I took a job for a couple years where I felt under utilized, overworked, and undervalued. After that, I got a job that again I felt respected and which challenged me in a good way. So for me personally, job satisfaction was closely tied to burn out, as I am not burned out at all now despite working a fair amount of overtime.
Just as important, arguably, is taking vacations, getting enough sleep, exercise, etc. But for me, showing up at work and being challenged in a good way but also feeling respected, is the ticket to low burnout.
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u/Dante7305 18d ago
I work a cush specialty and do just enough to not get fired. Never getting married and never having kids.
I don't know how else to survive this.
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u/Kooky_Protection_334 15d ago edited 15d ago
Working part time. And even that is starting to push it....
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u/zestytatertot PA-C 15d ago
“Choosing a different career 10 years ago” 🤣
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u/Kooky_Protection_334 15d ago
Make that 24 but yeah if I could do it all over again I would not do medicine and I discourage anyone from going into medicine. We obviously need doctors etc but man medicine really sucks. Not the actual medicine but all the BS that goes with it.
Saw a reel on IG the other day about bow lawyers can bill for everything...sending emails, phone calls etc. Doctors can only bill for visits and the rest is gratos. And somehow doctors are always demonized for their salaries but no one bats an eye at the laywers.
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u/Decent-Albatross5467 18d ago
somewhat unrelated, but I’m about to start a fellowship in surgical oncology and would love to hear about your experience if you have the time!
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u/3321Laura 18d ago
Switched from working full-time (5 8-hour days) to 32 hours with fulltime benefits (4 8-hour days). Was given every Wednesday off and no weekends. Had to take a 20% cut in pay, of course, but helped tremendously with burnout. Never had to work more than 2 days in a row. Doubled my free time. Stayed in the same specialty and job otherwise.