PA the FI Way

Healthcare providers and patients often feel frustrated, burned out, and powerless... but what if they're not actually fighting each other? In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Jordan Grumet, MD, hospice physician, author, and host of the Earn & Invest podcast, to discuss his new book, The Healthcare Heist . Jordan argues that many of the challenges facing healthcare today aren't c...

Burnout often feels worse when you believe you have no options. In this episode, we’re talking about career optionality — the ability to create more flexibility, freedom, and choice in your PA career and life. From finances and scheduling to skills, identity, and burnout, we’ll explore why feeling trapped can intensify burnout and how small intentional steps can help you build more breathing room,...

In this episode, I review how better communication and deeper conversations can improve your relationships, patient care, emotional wellness, and overall quality of life. Inspired by concepts from The 5 Types of Wealth , we explore practical tools to help you become a better listener, ask better questions, and create more meaningful connection in everyday interactions. We cover conversation “doork...

If your finances feel overwhelming, this episode is your reset button. You don’t need hours of time, a complicated spreadsheet, or a complete life overhaul to start making progress. In today’s episode, I’m walking you through 10 simple financial moves you can do in 10 minutes or less,  designed specifically for busy PAs and healthcare providers who are already stretched thin. These are quick,...

Not all six-figure physician associate / physician assistant salaries are created equal. In this episode, we’re breaking down the difference between income and purchasing power, and why cost of living plays a critical role in your financial trajectory as a PA. You’ll learn how to properly evaluate your compensation, avoid common mistakes like chasing the highest salary, and understand how factors...

Are you underpaid as a physician associate / physician assistant… or have you just never reviewed the full picture? Most PAs don’t actually know where they fall on the salary spectrum. And even more assume they’ve already hit their income ceiling—when in reality, they’re only seeing a small slice of what’s possible. In this episode, we’re breaking down how to actually evaluate your compensation—an...

You worked incredibly hard to build your career in healthcare as a physician associate / physician assistant.  Years of school, long hours of training, and often six-figure student loan debt. So when the bigger paychecks finally arrive, it’s natural to want to upgrade your life. But many healthcare providers fall into a trap that quietly keeps them stuck: status spending. In this episode, we’...

In this episode, I sit down with Josh Wageman, PhD, DPT, MPAS, CLS, CSCS — Clinical Lipid Specialist, PA who formerly practiced in Endocrinology, and Medical Science Liaison — to explore the intersection of protecting your healthspan while building wealth and expanding career flexibility as a physician associate. Josh’s PhD research focused on cholesterol disturbances in Alzheimer’s disease,...

Traditional networking has always felt uncomfortable for many clinicians, and for those already experiencing burnout, it can feel downright exhausting. Forced small talk, performative professionalism, and transactional relationships only add to the emotional load healthcare providers are already carrying. In this episode, we cover an “anti-networking” approach inspired by Sahil Bloom and...

Malpractice insurance is something most PAs and other clinicians assume they understand... until something goes wrong. In this episode, Kat sits down with Christopher Cannell, DMSc, MPAS, MPLC, PA-C, DFAAPA, founder of The APC Consultant , for a clear, practical deep dive into malpractice insurance 101 and the medical-legal realities no one teaches us in PA school or on the job. We break down...

  As healthcare providers, we’re constantly evaluated at work, but rarely taught how to step back and evaluate our own  lives. In this episode, I walk you through your Wellness & Wealth Annual Review, which is a reflective, intentional process to help you take stock of your finances, energy, health, time, and overall alignment after another year. This is not about budgets,...

In this episode, I sit down with seasoned realtor and real estate investor Joel Anderson of Counselor Realty to break down everything busy healthcare providers need to know about buying, selling, renovating, and investing with confidence. We cover how to choose the right realtor for you, how to know if you’re ready to buy versus rent, and how much house you should actually purchase based on your f...

In this episode, I break down one of the simplest but most transformative concepts in personal development: The Power of Yet . Inspired by Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset, “yet” is the tiny word that shifts you from feeling stuck to seeing possibility. Whether you’re struggling with money, burnout, confidence, career direction, or new skills, adding “yet” rewires your brain to be...

  In this episode, I’m sharing what I’ve been learning firsthand as I declutter and prepare for the upcoming sale of our house, and how this process has completely reshaped the way I think about freedom, finances, and fulfillment. I’ve realized how much the things we own can quietly drain our time, energy, and even money. I’ll cover some helpful decluttering principles that my husba...

You work way too hard for your money to waste it. Between charting after hours, missing family dinners, and grinding through long shifts, every dollar you earn should be buying back your freedom, not fueling burnout. In this episode of PA the FI Way , Kat breaks down the Top 10 Things NOT to Spend Your Money On as a Healthcare Provider,  the sneaky traps that drain your wallet, energy, and jo...

We often talk about money as currency, but what about energy? Every meeting, obligation, and habit in your day is either giving you energy or draining it. If you have ever ended the day feeling depleted, even when your calendar did not look that full, you have probably been spending your energy without realizing it. In this episode, we walk through how to perform your own energy audit so you...

On today’s episode, Kat sits down with Mercedes and Jessica, psychiatry PAs and hosts of PA Mindset Matters podcast, to talk about holistic wellness and burnout healing for PAs and medical providers. From lifestyle habits to mindset shifts to money stress, this conversation is full of practical tools providers can start using right away to feel more balanced and resilient.   Connect with Merc...

Burnout is all too common in healthcare, but what if the solution isn’t pushing through... it’s pressing pause? In this episode, we sit down with Leigha Barbieri, PA-C, to talk about the transformative power of taking a sabbatical. Leigha shares her own story of moving from exhaustion to renewal, including how prioritizing her mental health, traveling around the world, and resting intent...

In this episode, I sit down with Caleb Pepperday, CFP®, ChFC®, fee-only fiduciary financial planner and founder of Advanced Practice Planning, to discuss financial planning for physician associates and other healthcare professionals. Caleb shares what drew him to work with PAs and other APPs, and how his dual designations as a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Financial Consultant giv...

Whether you’re a brand-new grad just stepping into the world of medicine, a mid-career clinician who still loves the work but feels the wear and tear, or someone laser-focused on retiring early to reclaim your time—this episode is for you. No matter your path, one thing is true: medicine is demanding. And if you want to make it sustainable—whether for 5 more years or 45 more years—you need a strat...

What if the most important steps on your financial journey aren’t the big flashy ones—but the small, quiet wins you hardly notice? In this episode, we’re shining a light on the under-celebrated financial milestones that deserve just as much recognition as paying off your student loan debt or hitting six figures in your retirement account. From paying off your first credit card to setting up a...

Why work for 40 years and only retire once? What if you could step away more than once—not to quit, but to live more fully and intentionally? In this episode, author and host of Retire Often podcast, Jillian Johnsrud, joins me to share insights from her new book, Retire Often , which is now available for pre-order . She introduces the powerful concept of mini retirements—intentional pauses from wo...

Wanting to make changes, but feeling too overwhelmed and exhausted to start? You’re not alone—and you don’t need a complete life overhaul to start feeling better. In this episode, I'm diving into the science and simplicity of microhabits: tiny, 2-minute actions that help you regain control of your time, energy, and mental clarity—without adding to your to-do list. Drawing from insights in Ato...

In this episode, the concept of rhythmic renewal is explored, which is the practice of building intentional, restorative pauses into your day to protect your energy and prevent burnout. You’ll learn how to implement a timing model that works well for your schedule, create your own personalized renewal menu, and discover simple ways to reset—even in the busiest clinical or hospital settings. These...

Feeling stretched too thin? Saying “yes” when you want to say “no” is one of the fastest tracks to burnout—especially in healthcare. In this episode, I dive into The Yes Trap and unpack why learning to say “no” isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a power skill that protects your time, energy, and sanity. You’ll also learn 11 practical types of “no" that you can start implementing today, real-world bou...