How to help a physician associate in difficulty

The Physician Associate Podcast

In this episode, James Catton talks to PA Ria Agarwal about her research into supporting physician associates in difficulty.

There are a number of different factors that can cause a PA to face difficulty in their career; money worries, relationships, complicated home lives and caring commitments to name just a few. There are a few tell-tale signs of how to spot this in a PA, and Ria shares her advice on how to help.

James and Ria also talk about the differences between doctors in difficulty and PAs, and talk about some of these key publications. 1- Belonging is discussed by Nat Jones in regards ARRS: http://primarycaresheffield.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ARRS-Report-PCS-Final-Version-September-2022-PDF.pdf… as well as the Kings Fund: https://kingsfund.org.uk/publications/courage-compassion-supporting-nurses-midwives… 2- Previous literature on a cohort of PA students identified they had more caring responsibilities and may be at higher risk of mental health needs compared to MBBS students: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/physician-associates-need-support-establish-place-within-healthcare-workforce… 3- FPA census 2021 https://fparcp.co.uk/file/image/media/6343f3dc8cef2_MEMB_FPA_Census_Report_21_FINAL.pdf… 4- Guidance is available on our faculty's website regards PAs in difficulty https://pafacultysyb.co.uk/primary-care-pa-guidance… as well as our mentorship offer: https://pafacultysyb.co.uk/paa-resources 5- Prof Paice's piece on doctors in difficulty- https://magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/hosp.2004.65.4.12739

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