Physician's Assistants in B Teams?

[0351nurse]

Hi everybody. This is my first post. I'm a former Marine grunt who EASed(got out) this past winter. I'm still considering my options for the future, but am deadset on something medical and currently in school. I always enjoyed being deployed and working with the ANA and IA when I was deployed to OEF and OIF. Because of that a couple of the paths I'm looking into are going back in and becoming a medic and trying for SF, or getting a reserve commission as a nurse or physician's assistant once I graduate.

At my current job I got to talking to a customer who saw the book I was reading and turns out he was SF and an airborne officer and said since I was in college I might want to look at becoming a physician's assistant in one of the SF company staffs or B teams(not sure which they're called).
Is this a for real billet? And if it is is it the sort of thing that would entail being in garrison until a major deployment, or would I actually get to deploy?

[The Reaper]

Hi everybody. This is my first post. I'm a former Marine grunt who EASed(got out) this past winter. I'm still considering my options for the future, but am deadset on something medical and currently in school. I always enjoyed being deployed and working with the ANA and IA when I was deployed to OEF and OIF. Because of that a couple of the paths I'm looking into are going back in and becoming a medic and trying for SF, or getting a reserve commission as a nurse or physician's assistant once I graduate.

At my current job I got to talking to a customer who saw the book I was reading and turns out he was SF and an airborne officer and said since I was in college I might want to look at becoming a physician's assistant in one of the SF company staffs or B teams(not sure which they're called).
Is this a for real billet? And if it is is it the sort of thing that would entail being in garrison until a major deployment, or would I actually get to deploy?

Marine, can you read and follow simple instructions?

TR

[0351nurse]

what do you mean? I havent seen this posted, I introduced myself with my first post, and this didnt seem to violate any OPSEC secrets of yours or SFs

[The Reaper]

And if this has already been addressed then I couldn't find it, so please just redirect me to the right posts links instead of wasting your time by re-typing something you've already typed 3 or 4 times.

You need to follow the instructions you received with your registration, as you were directed to before posting.

Learn to use the Search button, no one here is assigned to be your research assistant.

Remove the profanity from your sig line ASAP.

And check the attitude.

TR

[The Reaper]

There are no PAs in SF below Battalion level and no nurses, unless the TO&E has recently changed to plus up the B Team tremendously in the past year or two.

Since all SF officers should know that, I suspect that the individual who gave you the advice may not have been SF after all.

Welcome aboard.

TR

[abc_123]

TR,

No PAs at the Btm level by MTOE. But...

On the NG side with Companies separated from their Grp/Bn HQ's there may be PAs that drill with a particular company on a more or less constant basis due to geographic proximity rather than hoofing it all the way the the Bn head shed every month. Also, depending on the individual state and their relationship with the particular SF Company and the user-friendliness of the BN/Group a PA may also be filling a particular slot within the state, but for all intents and purposes 'belong' to the SF company... i.e. drill with it and deploy with it. This happens because in this particular example the SF company was the draw that brought the PA into the ARNG and the state NG leadership is playing fair and letting the unit 'keep' whoever they can bring to the party so to speak. For this to work for the benefit of the unit, the PA needs to also have a working relationship with the Group/Bn medical staff.
Once deployed, the dealing continues and depending on the relationship of the Company and the individual PA with the BN and (naturally) the mission, the PA will end up where he is needed most (as with all of us) but again, if possible will work closely with the company that brought him.

Natually, a lot of this is "handshake" deals.

The advantage of having more med staff during a deployment is obvious, but in garrison the PA makes HUGE money for a separate company by being able to conduct physicals for schools, pre-deployment physicals etc. rather than having unit members going to a MEPS station or what have you....makes things much easier and faster. Since he is also likely doing PA stuff as his full-time job, that gives the company local contacts on the civ medical side... not saying that the Army doesn't provide everything that one needs, but it pays to use all available assets to get what you need in a timely manner.

Might be too much information... however the NG is a slightly different beast than AD.


0351Nurse -- PM inbound. I have first hand knowledge of an individual on the NG side that faced your same dilemma. He went PA and is his chain of command are in the middle of shaking all the hands needed to pull off the deal that I just described above. Reply to me if you want to talk.

HTH,

[The Reaper]

A lot of drug deals can be worked.

That does not mean that there is a PA billet on the B Team, or that the Bn PA who may be permitted to drill with the Company will deploy with the Company.

An elephant has been killed with a .22 Short, but I would not bet my life on doing it.

HTH.

TR

[abc_123]

Absolutely, TR. Didn't mean to suggest otherwise.

IF one wants to be 100% guaranteed to do medical stuff at Btm and below the only way to do that is to become an 18D.

[Eagle5US]

TR,
The advantage of having more med staff during a deployment is obvious, but in garrison the PA makes HUGE money for a separate company by being able to conduct and sign off on physicals for schools, pre-deployment physicals etc. rather than having unit members going to a MEPS station or what have you....makes things much easier and faster.
HTH,
FYI:
Physician Assistants, not Physician's Assistants are not authorized to "sign off" on any physical in the Army. All physicals must be reviewed and countersigned by a physician prior to being considered valid. So, if your PA's are utilizing signature authority on physicals...they are wrong.

I am not a big fan of a whole lot of "handshake deals". They tend to turn into political minefields and "good ole' boy backscratching" that deny doing the right thing, going through proprietary channels, from their own opportunities. If folks aren't willing to play "the game" with "whoever they have to play it with to get what they want / need" then they get pushed aside and the next guy willing to give up, do, promise, or whatever else gets the grapes.

Add to that, "handshake deals" early in a career generate an expectation later on for that same sort of special treatment, and in turn breeds the same style of leadership.

Utilizing personal contacts? Sure. Positional rewards and schools based on performance, need, and merit? You bet. Handshakes and under the tables drug deals? TROUBLE.

My .02 only.

PA

[abc_123]

Eagle,

Poor choice of words when talking about a very specific, technical subject. "Conduct" would be more appropriate. Thank you for the clarification and/or word of warning. Nothing improper going on with physicals or with any medical care for that matter...that would be stupid for everybody involved.

I've not been associated with any medical professional in my Army career (definately not in SF) that I've known to be other than professional, compliant with regulations (medically speaking that is), and act int the best interest of the patient.

previous post edited.