Career Progression
As a permanent member of the team, you are perfectly placed to drive change in your department. This could be implementation of a change in practice, audits or delivering a new service.
PAs are also in a good position to author publications and to present cases at morbidity and mortality seminars, departmental meetings and grand rounds. As well as other professional activities, you may want to explore further education once you have finished your training. There may be an area that you want to develop more in-depth knowledge around or to acquire a new skill.
As the profession is still in its early stages, the prospects are endless. You might have to be a bit creative and think laterally but you can carve out a long and satisfying career if you have the drive to make it happen.
There are many exciting opportunities for PAs available out there.
These include other professional activities such as:
- Educational roles at higher education institutions e.g. lecturer
- Examining both at the national exam and universities
- Managerial and leadership roles such as Lead PA for a department, trust or GP
- Working in simulation centres
- Being a lead, champion or link clinician for a project or work-stream in your place of work such as dementia champion or COPD lead
- Research
- Training in the workplace e.g. providing sessions on how to insert chest drains
- Becoming a representative at organisations such as Society of Acute Medicine
- Quality improvement e.g. implementing changes within your organisation
- Involvement with the FPA e.g. board position or member of a sub-committee
- PA Ambassador roles, helping to promote the role as part of the workforce solution
- GP partnership