PA the FI Way

Many physician associates / physician assistants believe several of these common myths about investing. If you believe these myths, you may feel overwhelmed, and may think that investing in the stock market is scary, hard, or complicated. These thoughts could make you feel paralyzed, which may delay you getting started with investing even more. Take a listen to learn more about investing so you fe...

Research studies done several years ago by a psychologist named Martin Seligman on dogs revealed a concept called learned helplessness. This idea can explain why some physician assistants / physician associates act in ways that others don't understand, such as why they are staying in a toxic role that is contributing to their burnout symptoms. Interested in starting your journey to financial indep...

In order to live an intentional life as a current or future PA, you need to incorporate lifestyle design into your life. Lifestyle design is the process of designing the life that you want to live that aligns with your values and purpose.   Recently, my family and I took a rented RV on a roadtrip from MN to CO to visit the mountains and some beautiful national parks. It was certainly an adven...

Do you feel as though you'd like to try to dip your toes into other roles outside of clinical medicine as a physician associate? This interview with Brittany will show how you could try many different things as a PA, even while still practicing clinically if you want to. In addition to working in primary care, she is also a faculty member of a new PA program, participates in research, has bee...

Have you ever heard your parents give you a financial recommendation that seemed as though it was a bit "old school"? You may have thought, "Hmm... that may have worked for you, but that doesn't seem as though it would help me in these times." Some financial tenets hold true over time, but often, financial guidelines and recommendations can change from generation to generation. Enjoy the show? You...

Wedding season can be expensive if you have many weddings and wedding festivities to attend! The costs can all add up quickly, especially if you're also in the wedding as part of the wedding party. Here are some suggested tips to help you enjoy the celebrations of friends and family while not breaking the bank.   Enjoy the show? You can now support the PA the FI Way podcast through Buy Me a C...

It is wedding season, and many PAs tend to get married right after PA school. A few other PAs will even get married in the midst of PA school! Weddings can be magical and memorable, as well as unfortunately very expensive. However, the overall cost is actually in your control to decide how much you and your (future) spouse would like to spend. As with many budgeting and financial areas of life, co...

Logan and Makenzie Driscoll are a married couple who met in PA school, and have been practicing as surgical specialty PAs for one year. They share how they are trying to pursue financial independence together as a team while balancing their double PA student loan debt with their double PA salaries. They have been trying to make mindful decisions of spending their hard-earned income on things that...

You have likely recently heard that the stock market value has dropped and has entered into a bear market, and this information may be causing some worry and confusion. In this episode, an overview is provided about what bear markets are, why you should likely not sell your investments at this time, and why staying invested in the market can actually be a good thing for your future.    R...

Have you ever thought that traveling and going on adventures would have to stop either when you have kids or when you are saving money to pursue financial independence as a physician associate / physician assistant? Heidi will share how those beliefs are misconceptions!    Heidi Dusek is the founder and host of Ordinary Sherpa podcast and brand designed to inspire families to connect thr...

Unfortunately, many physician associates / physician assistants have experienced or will experience burnout. Meg Leddy, PA-C, went from experiencing burnout to teaching other PAs and other healthcare professionals about burnout and wellbeing. In this episode, Meg shares her burnout story, and also discusses why sleep and other elements of self-care are so important for helping with burnout. We als...

Did you make it to the AAPA Conference 2022 this week in Indianapolis, or are you planning on attending next year in Nashville? In this episode, I share some of the highlights of this years' conference as well as what you can expect when you attend an AAPA conference as a physician associate / physician assistant.   During the conference this year, it was so interesting to hear Simone Biles a...

If you're fortunate enough to learn about financial independence and starting to become financially literate before PA school, what can you do ahead of time to prepare and set yourself up for success? Rebecca is a brand new PA student (she just started last week!), and her husband, Skyler, is the FI part of the couple as he loves spreadsheets and optimizing their finances. They also share how they...

Mira, who goes by The Neurodivergent Pre-PA, has received the exciting news that she was accepted into two PA programs and is also on the wait list of others. She plans to start PA school in the fall of 2022. During our discussion, Mira shares what her school and work experiences have been like as a neurodivergent individual. Her life experiences have prompted her to be an advocate for those with...

Jeff, who refers to himself as a "retired chiropractor" turned PA-C, shares his incredibly unique story of how he has pursued many career paths prior to recently becoming a PA. He has also tried various hobbies over the years, enjoyed various roadtrips and sabbaticals, and has embraced the minimalism lifestyle. He also discusses how minimalistic concepts correlate well with several financial indep...

Have you ever considered moving to another country, and then wondered if you could still practice medicine as a physician associate or a physician assistant while living there? There are now several countries where you could work as a PA, and the amount of countries that recognize the PA profession keeps expanding. Megan, aka The Expat PA, joins the show to share her experience having transitioned...

Some women and moms find that learning about finances can seem challenging. Jen Narciso, host of the Investor Mama podcast, started her show to help with some of these challenges and prove that investing while pursuing financial independence is for everyone. We dive into a variety of topics in this episode including motherhood, relationships with significant others, real estate investing, house ha...

Karen Calcaño, PA-C, is our lovely guest on today's episode, which is Part 2 of a two part series. Karen shares her amazing and moving story of resilience as she became a first gen PA, then struggled with burnout in our broken healthcare system, and now is focused on building both wealth and a life she loves. She also dives into some tips on how to be more productive in this episode. The best part...

Karen Calcaño, PA-C, is our lovely guest on today's episode, which is Part 1 of a two part series. Karen shares her amazing and moving story of resilience as she became a first gen PA, then struggled with burnout in our broken healthcare system, and now is focused on building both wealth and a life she loves. The best part is that she has incredible resources to help you on her blog, www.scalpelan...

If you're a practicing physician assistant / physician associate or a PA student, consider joining both the national PA society (AAPA) as well as your state PA society. These organizations have many benefits for both you as an individual as well as for the PA profession as a whole. Some of the benefits include the following: advocacy for legislative changes, promotion of the profession, access to...

Depending on how much income you or you and your spouse earn, you may end up being required to pay a large amount of taxes. The amount of federal and state taxes that you pay will also very likely increase over the years as your income grows as a practicing physician assistant / physician associate. But did you know that there are various ways that you can actually reduce your tax burden, and some...

Have you ever considered finding a locum tenens assignment either in your own state or throughout the country as a travel PA? Many physician assistants / physician associates who work locums gigs are 1099 independence contractors instead of W2 employees. As a 1099, you're both the "business" and the "employee". But what does all of this mean? Take a listen to hear Caroline continue to discuss thes...

Have you ever considered finding a locum tenens assignment either in your own state or throughout the country as a travel PA? Many physician assistants / physician associates who work locums gigs are 1099 independence contractors instead of W2 employees. As a 1099, you're both the "business" and the "employee". But what does all of this mean? Caroline dives into these topics in detail over a two p...

If you're trying to learn more about personal finance, Dave Ramsey and his 7 baby steps have likely come up in your research. Dave's personal finance suggestions have helped countless individuals and couples get out of debt. But how many of his 7 baby steps and  other teachings and recommendations are sound advice through the lens of those pursuing financial independence?    Enjoy t...

Are you a current or future physician assistant / physician associate and have wondered how to get a better handle on your finances to become more financially literate? Have you wondered how in the world are you going to pay off your astronomically high student loan debt? Or have you ever experienced burnout and have asked yourself, “Do I really need to work until the traditional retirement age of...