Career Resources

PA Administrators

PAs in administration utilize leadership and management competencies above and beyond their clinical skill set to positively affect patient care; they are aspiring or current experts in the business of medicine, revenue cycle management, quality improvement, health information technology, and compliance. AAPA supports PA administrators by offering opportunities to acquire skills and knowledge.

Beyond Your Day Job: Career Advancement via Side Gigs

Join PA Shayne Foley, co-founder of The PA Blueprint, LLC, in this interactive webinar that explores side gigs for PAs. Attendees can earn 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit.

Putting on Your Oxygen Mask: The Importance of Taking Care of Your Mental Health to Succeed in PA School

Mental health affects everyone from PA students to practicing PAs. Join AAPA for this webinar featuring a discussion on mental health. Learn what you can do now to and as you prepare for your PA career to take care of yourself!

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Study Less, Remember More

By focusing on the finish line from the very start, developing strong personalized study skills, and maintaining a willingness to adapt, students will learn how to feel confident on test day through both didactic and clinical years.

Q&A with PA Leader Clair Kuriakose

Clair Kuriakose, MBA, PA-C, is a high achiever. She sets goals for herself, achieves them, and then strategically lays out her next steps. She finished PA school, got her MBA and Lean Six Sigma certification, and now leads advanced practice providers at Stanford Health Care.

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Drinking From a Fire Hydrant: How to Study Effectively in PA School

By focusing on the finish line from the very start, developing strong personalized study skills, and maintaining a willingness to adapt, students will learn how to feel confident on test day through both didactic and clinical years.

Nicole S. Cournoyer reviewing a chart

A Day in the Life of PA Faculty and Clinician

Nicole S. Cournoyer, PA-C, faculty member at Thomas Jefferson University, started her career in a community-based oncology office. Teaching patients and family members about disease processes, medications and interventions led to lecturing then teaching full-time at her alma mater.

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3 Ways PAs Can Advance Their Careers Through Leadership

For PAs looking to grow in their careers, there are also many opportunities to become a true leader in your field — either directly or through thought leadership. Here are three ways to advance in your career and become a leader.

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Looking for a Non-Clinical Role? Consider Medical or Clinical Science Liaison

PAs who serve as medical and clinical science liaisons play a unique role in pharmaceutical and other medical organizations. They use their clinical skills to interpret clinical trials, medications’ chemical composition, safety matters, and help to educate clinicians.

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PA, Leadership Consultant, Career Expert: Meet Andrea Lowe

Andrea Lowe, MHA, PA-C, has a lot of ideas about raising PA public awareness and increasing career opportunities for PAs. Lowe practiced as a PA in emergency medicine and then transitioned to increasingly visible leadership roles.

Katherine Wilkens, Kasey Drapeau D’Amato, and Stephen D’Amato posing outside

PA Entrepreneur Develops Popular Skincare Line

Kasey Drapeau D’Amato, a PA in dermatology, used her clinical skills to build a skincare business. Read how D’Amato became an entrepreneur and started Airelle Skincare. She also shares her skincare secrets and advice for PAs who want to start a business.

Three Steps to Making a Non-Clinical Career Move

The PA profession offers unique latitude and flexible employment opportunities across the medical spectrum. For those PAs interested in non-clinical career options, Jennifer Hohman, founder of PA Career Coach, offers tips and ideas for your next steps.

Surviving Your Didactic Phase

Most PAs recall their PA education as being the most rigorous and challenging of their academic careers. The hard work will be worth it as you learn how to become an outstanding clinician.

5 Tips for PA School’s Didactic Phase

The didactic phase is the first exposure many future PAs have to the rigors, challenges, and rewards of their chosen career. 

PA Executive: Javier Esquivel-Acosta

Physicians have traditionally filled the roles of medical directors. However, with the right background and determination, many PAs have shown they, too, have what it takes to be successful in those positions. One prime example is PA Javier Esquivel-Acosta, who for several years served as associate medical director at the Foothill Community Health Center (FCHC) in San Jose, Calif. The center oversees a number of local health clinics throughout the area.