Joint Effort PAs
We're two orthopedic surgery physician assistants discussing PA school, life as a PA, cases and topics related to orthopedics, and much more!
Episodes
61 episodes
Exam Pearls for the Ortho PA : Knee
This week on Joint Effort PAs, Hannah and Beth are breaking down the knee exam with practical tips, clinical pearls, and a few tricks to help you work smarter, not harder. From ligament testing and meniscal maneuvers to recognizing subtle findi...
Who Calls the Shots? Barriers to Healthcare Equity in Orthopedics
Having health insurance doesn't always mean having equal access to healthcare. This week, Hannah and Beth dive into the disparities in orthopedic care, exploring how insurance barriers can impact everything from surgical timeliness to postopera...
Off The Beaten Career PAth - Side Hustles and Starting a Practice as a PA
This week, we’re joined by our friend and fellow PA, Kristina, to talk about building a career that doesn’t fit neatly into one box. From working full-time in psychiatry and picking up PRN shifts in orthopedic urgent care to navigating side hus...
Same Work, Less Pay
This week, we’re breaking down the proposed changes surrounding Modifier 25 and what they could mean for PAs, physicians, and practices that routinely provide an E/M service and a procedure on the same day. We talk about what Modifier 25 actual...
100% Real PAs
What makes someone a “real” PA? 👀 After a recent story about someone allegedly creating a fake PA-student social media presence caught our attention, we started thinking about a much more uncomfortable question: what happens when someone has...
Sink or Swim: Ortho PA Edition
Are you a great problem solver… or have you accidentally trained everyone around you to let you solve everything?This week, we’re talking about the fine line between being helpful and becoming the person who catches every dropped ...
The Surgical Discussion
In this episode of Joint Effort PAs, we're having The Surgical Discussion: how we talk with patients about whether surgery is—or isn't—the right next step. We break down how we explain indications, risks vs. benefits, expected o...
Are You in the Right Specialty? Part 2
We’re back for Part 2 of “Am I in the Right Specialty?” — because apparently choosing a career based on vibes, caffeine tolerance, and how personally offended you get by a clinic running 45 minutes behind is completely reasonable....
Are You in the Right Specialty? Part 1
Ever wonder if you picked the right corner of medicine—or if you’ve just been in too deep for too long? Is your soul longing for an unmatched specialty? We think there should be a quiz a la pre teen magazine that matches you to your...
1 Year of Joint Effort PAs
One year. Fifty-plus episodes. Countless laughs, hot takes, clinical pearls, and a community we never imagined we'd build.In this special anniversary episode, we're taking a step back to celebrate one year of Joint Effort PAs
Can You Just Take a Look? Curbside Consults
From evaluating mysterious rashes at family cookouts to examining swollen fingers at weddings, removing fishhooks on vacation, or answering texts that begin with "I know you're off, but...", the curbside consult is practically a rite of passage...
Steroid Injections- The Ortho PA Playbook
Steroid injections are one of the most common procedures in orthopedic practice—but they're also surrounded by myths, misconceptions, and a lot of patient questions.In this episode, we're breaking down all of it. We tackle the questions ...
Debates of the Orthopedic PA
Every week as orthopedic PAs, we're faced with decisions that don't have a perfect answer. Some are serious, some are fun, all are things we've encountered.From ethical dilemmas and clinic management challenges to difficult patient inter...
A Practical Guide to Elbow Pathology
We get it, the elbow can be intimidating.Lateral pain isn't always tennis elbow. Medial pain isn't always golfer's elbow. Numb fingers, snapping tendons, unstable ligaments, arthritis, stiffness, loose bodies, nerve compression—the diffe...
A Scarlet Letter: Can a Great PA Have a Messy Past
In this episode, we're diving into the "scarlet letters" that can follow healthcare professionals. A youthful social media post. A misdemeanor from years ago. A board investigation. A license suspension that's since been reinstated. A terminati...
Respected, Not Feared: A Female PAs Guide to Leadership and Difficult Conversations
Why does it sometimes feel like nobody listens when you're calm—but suddenly everyone pays attention once you're angry, overwhelmed, or at your breaking point?For many women in medicine, authority can feel like an impossible balancing ac...
Lessons from Hamilton for the Ortho PA
In this special episode, we're taking a trip to the room where it happens and exploring what one Broadway phenomenon can teach us about life in medicine. From My Shot and early-career ambition to Wait For It and learning that ...
Patellofemoral Pain Explained
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: the diagnosis everyone has heard of, but nobody can seem to explain in less than 30 seconds.This week, we're tackling one of the most frustrating conditions in orthopedics. Why does PFPS seem to affect every...
Wednesday Musings of the Ortho PA
Welcome back to Joint Effort PAs, where this week we ask the important questionIs the grass actually greener somewhere else... or are we just looking at it from a distance and ignoring the weeds?In this episode, we're servi...
The Ortho PA Archetypes
Are you the golden retriever PA? The procedure goblin? The apex predator? Or the one one minor inconvenience away from overload? 👀This week we’re spinning the wheel of PA archetypes and calling out every ortho personality type we’ve work...
Orthopedics in the Age of AI
What happens when artificial intelligence enters the ortho world? In this episode of Joint Effort PAs, we dive into the rapidly growing role of AI in orthopedics and medicine — from clinic documentation, imaging interpretation, and patient educ...
Out of Office, Still Logged On
In this episode of Joint Effort PAs, we’re diving into the complicated relationship healthcare providers have with time off, productivity, and the constant pressure to “do more.” Why does taking PTO somehow feel more stressful than just going t...
Can't Miss Ortho Injuries
Some injuries you can watch, rehab, and recheck… and then there are the ones you absolutely cannot afford to miss.This week on Joint Effort PAs, we’re breaking down the big tendon injuries that should immediately be on...
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