A JIMMY OF ALL TRADES
OUR INTERVIEW WITH JIMMY G. FROM PA COLLECTIVE
We are particularly excited to share with you our interview with Jimmy G., who many of you may recognize as that funny guy from PA Collective who does all those medically-themed skits on both TikTok and Instagram. While Jimmy is a force on social media (to the tune of >126,500 followers on TikTok and >17,900 on Instagram!), he’s also a newer graduate PA-C that has recently started his career in an Emergency Department. Like us, he’s passionate about teaching and coaching fellow PAs, from Pre-PAs to our PA-C colleagues, and has also been inspired to become an NCCPA ambassador.
When we reached out to interview Jimmy, he was true to form, and was both happy and excited to let us pick his brain about various topics. Below you’ll find our pearl-packed interview with him, as well as some exciting resources that he has shared with us…please enjoy:
1). You’ve just started at your first PA job, working in an emergency department. How’s it going so far? How prepared did you feel to start on day #1? Any surprises?
“It’s going well. The ER group I work for has a mentorship program for new grad PAs. I work with
an experienced PA or Doctor. I assess and manage my own patients, put in orders, speak with
consultants and handle all EHR (Electronic Health Record) documentation. The mentor is there
for support, to answer any questions and keep me on track. It’s comforting to have as a new
grad.
Going into my first day I felt overwhelmed. The feeling anyone would have on their first day of
work – excited and nervous, but I also had a feeling of satisfaction and pride knowing that I
worked my tail off the last few years to get to this point.
I felt as prepared as I would ever be going into my first day. After passing the PANCE and
getting a job in the ER I waited 2-3 months for credentialing. To keep myself busy I did a lot of
PA Collective social media, and to stay mentally sharp I completed 2-3 ER patient simulation
cases every day on the Full Code app.
A surprise for me was the learning curve of the EHR. PA School doesn’t teach you how to use
all of the different EHR software. During clinical rotations, you get some exposure with the
EHR, but there’s no comparison to what you experience charting as the actual healthcare
provider.”
2). Emergency medicine is a highly-desired specialty, but one where it can be challenging to find a job as a new graduate. Any recommendations for landing a job in an ED fresh out of school?
“Connections. As the old saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” If you strongly
desire to work in the ER as a new grad, the best way to be competitive for a spot in the ER is to
have done your elective rotations in Emergency Medicine. Doing this helps you not only gain
more experience but also helps make connections with Docs and PAs in the group. I had a
friend who did all of their elective rotations in Emergency Medicine which put them at an
advantage to a new grad PA who only has 1 ER rotation under their belt.
I worked as an ER Tech for 2 ½ years before PA School, and in the ICU previously to that.
About halfway through my stint as an ER Tech, a new ER provider group took over the ER I
worked at. Over the next 18 months, I worked as an ER Tech alongside the PAs and Docs in the
group I work for now as a PA. They all got to know me personally and see my work ethic
firsthand.”
3). We speak to many PA programs about the career side of working as a PA, given that most of us don’t receive much training about this. Do you have any suggestions for new grads on how to best prepare for day #1 of their careers?
“The best way to prepare for day #1 as a PA-C is to know you’re not alone. You’re a part of a
healthcare team. You won’t know everything, and you never will. You’re a lifelong learner when
you work in Healthcare – you will always see something new!
Trust your training and education – you’ll surprise yourself how much you know. In PA School
you’re used to being busy and efficient. Once you start as a new PA you’ll be busy but not as
efficient. Make sure to show yourself some grace. Efficiency and productivity will come with time
and experience.”
4). You seemed to not have a linear path to get into and through PA school. Can you tell us about your path, and give some advice for those who may be experiencing some of the same struggles?
“From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in either Healthcare, Ministry or Business. My dream
going to college was to be an Orthopedic Surgeon in Sports Medicine. Things didn’t go as
planned, and I dug myself into a GPA hole in undergrad. After graduating college, I went to work
in the Hospital to get a better idea of what I’d like to do and I retook classes and took additional
classes to boost my GPA.
I was a CNA in the Intensive Care unit, and at first, I was interested in becoming an ICU nurse
and going to CRNA school. I applied to a Nursing program and was accepted, but I chose not
to go. I gave it a few more months and I knew that I wanted to be a Healthcare provider
(MD/DO, PA, NP). I applied to an International Medical school and was accepted to a Medical
school in the Caribbean. Hurricane Irma happened in 2017 and crashed those plans right
before I was supposed to start. That postponed the start date by at least 6 months. It gave me
more time to think, and it just didn’t feel right going there. I decided against it.
Then, I had an injury and ended up in the ER and was taken care of by a wonderful PA. I researched the
profession and it fit with what I wanted to do and what type of life I wanted to live. I finished up
pre-reqs and applied for my first year and was waitlisted and then eventually denied. I improved
my application and increased my GPA even more and applied the next year receiving multiple
interviews and acceptance letters.
Keep your head up. The hardest thing about PA School is getting into PA School. If you want it,
you have to go all in. Do what you need to do to make your PA school application competitive.
You have to stand out! Do what no other applicant or re-applicant would do. That’s what will set
you apart from the large pool of applicants. I set myself apart by taking 20 science credits in just
2 months. After I was denied my first time applying, I knew I had to prove to PA Schools that I
was serious and could handle a heavy course load in PA School after being out of college for a
couple of years. I got As in those classes, and that was the “feather in my cap” when I
interviewed. I made sure to mention this accomplishment when I interviewed, and it left every
faculty member impressed.
Do what you need to do.”
5). You’ve built PA Collective and now have a massive audience on TikTok and Instagram. Tell us about your motivation for starting this. What has been your favorite part of being an entrepreneur? What is one thing that you don’t love about running a business? Where do you see the business further along in your own career?
“I’m passionate about education and being an advocate for the PA profession. I wanted to start a
social media platform once I became a PA-C, but given the circumstances all of us were in
April-May of 2020, I had more time on my hands in quarantine. So, I decided to launch PA
Collective in May 2020 mentoring first-year PA Students and Pre-PAs.
PA Collective is a page that has variety. PA Collective advocates for PAs, educates and encourages Pre-PAs and
provides medical education as well. I also do a lot of skits! I have a creative side, and I like to
produce and perform medical skits based off of my experience to show what life is like working
in the Healthcare Field. The types of skits I produce are emotional and wholesome, as well as
encouraging, and humorous. I’ve included different healthcare professions in my videos which is
also what makes PA Collective unique.
My favorite part about being an entrepreneur is making connections with people. I’ve been able
to connect with some awesome people around the world. A lot of friendships have been built,
and I’m looking forward to what’s in store.
One thing I don’t love about running a business is that it does take a significant amount of time.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I see it as an investment that will pay off. I have the time,
so might as well use it to be productive and build something.
PA Collective will continue to trailblaze for the PA profession on TikTok. Further in my career I
envision it will incorporate more and more medical education delivered in a way that no one has
ever done before. More to come on that soon!”
Jimmy G., PA-C
Milwaukee, WI
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin-Madison
PA School: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
We’d like to thank Jimmy G. for being such a great advocate for and contributor to the PA profession. We at The PA Blueprint hope that you enjoyed reading this interview as much as we enjoyed putting it together! Stay tuned for more blog posts coming up, but as promised, here are some great resources from PA Collective:
Here are Jimmy G’s social media links:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pacollective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pa.collective
Other Resources and Deals: https://linktr.ee/pacollective
Here is an exclusive discount offered by Jimmy G:
Medelita Scrubs 20% off using Discount Code JIMMYPAC20
https://www.medelita.com/?rfsn=6301178.c8da7b
Some of Jimmy G’s Favorite Causes:
Carson Wentz Audience of 1 Foundation found here https://www.ao1foundation.org/
Pacific Garden Mission Chicago found here https://www.pgm.org/
Tim Tebow Foundation found here https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/
DISCLAIMERS: 1) The views expressed here are our own and do not necessarily represent the views of our employers. 2) We don’t know what we don’t know, so feel free to message us if you don’t agree with something that you read. 3) We do have affiliate agreements with companies, so by clicking on our links and making any purchases, we may earn some money on those generated sales.
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