u/LopsidedBrilliant977

New grad here,

Have had a 4-5 out of state invites for interviews. Only one employer (academic medical center) has paid for flights, hotel, and rental.

I’ve had to pay for the rest out of pocket. 1 doctor was willing to adjust dates for me for when flights would be cheaper but I’m waiting to hear back to see if one would be open to a virtual interview before we finalize an in person day.

My question is, is it okay to ask if the practice is willing to pay or reimburse for travel? Can I negotiate this - possibly be to be added in to my pay if they make an offer?

For context I graduate almost 3 months ago and have probably paid well over $1100-$1500 for travel already. I absolutely would not accept a job without going in person but is it unreasonable to expect virtual interviews before in person or some flexibility with scheduling at the very least? I’m a new grad looking for a job….of course I don’t have a lot of extra funds laying around lol

Does Schweiger offer jobs to new grads and train or do they require all new grads do fellowships?

I have an interview coming up but I didn’t apply or inquire about a fellowship.

Wondering if experiences/contracts differ for non fellowships jobs vs fellowships??

I’d especially appreciate hearing from dermatologists, supervising physicians, or practice owners who have trained new graduate PAs.

I know many dermatology practices prefer experienced PAs, and I completely understand why. My question is: **what makes you take a chance on a new graduate, and what can someone like me do to improve my chances?**

I recently graduated from PA school and have been pursuing dermatology because it’s the specialty I’ve wanted for a few years now. Before PA school, I worked in a Mohs surgery practice, which first sparked my interest in dermatology, and I later completed a dermatology rotation that confirmed it was where I wanted to build my career.
Outside of dermatology, I’ve worked in ophthalmology, outpatient vascular medicine, and pelvic pain/urogynecology. While those aren’t dermatology, I feel they’ve given me a strong procedural foundation, experience with outpatient medicine, and confidence building long-term patient relationships. I’m also completing the SDPA Didactic Fellowship because I genuinely enjoy learning and want to be as prepared as possible.

I’m not looking for someone to hand me a dermatology job—I’m looking for a physician who enjoys teaching and is willing to invest in a motivated new graduate. I know how much there is to learn, and I want to be the kind of PA who asks questions, studies outside of work, accepts feedback well, and grows into a valuable long-term member of the practice.

I’ve applied through LinkedIn, Indeed, the SDPA job board, and direct outreach to practices. I’ve had several interviews and one offer that ultimately wasn’t the right fit geographically. I’ve also had a few practices express interest until they realized I wasn’t local. I’m very willing to relocate for the right long-term opportunity, whether that’s to be closer to family or because I genuinely see myself building a life in that community, but getting past that initial screening has been challenging.

I’d really appreciate any honest advice from those who have hired or mentored new graduates.

**Some questions I’d love your perspective on:**

What qualities make you feel comfortable hiring a new graduate over someone with experience?

What are the biggest red flags you see from new grad applicants?

Is there anything I could be doing differently in my applications or networking?

Does reaching out directly to physicians actually help, or is it usually viewed negatively?

If you were hiring today, what would make a new graduate stand out enough to earn an interview?

Are there particular practice settings that tend to be more invested in training new graduates?

If you were in my position, would you continue pursuing dermatology now, or gain experience in another specialty first and pivot later?

Ultimately, I’m looking for a practice where mentorship is valued and where I can build a long-term career. My preference is a physician-led private practice or an academic environment where learning is part of the culture, but I’m open to hearing perspectives from anyone who’s been on the hiring side.

Thank you in advance for any advice—I genuinely appreciate it.

I’d especially appreciate hearing from dermatologists, supervising physicians, or practice owners who have trained new graduate PAs.

I know many dermatology practices prefer experienced PAs, and I completely understand why. My question is: **what makes you take a chance on a new graduate, and what can someone like me do to improve my chances?**

I recently graduated from PA school and have been pursuing dermatology because it’s the specialty I’ve wanted for a few years now. Before PA school, I worked in a Mohs surgery practice, which first sparked my interest in dermatology, and I later completed a dermatology rotation that confirmed it was where I wanted to build my career.
Outside of dermatology, I’ve worked in ophthalmology, outpatient vascular medicine, and pelvic pain/urogynecology. While those aren’t dermatology, I feel they’ve given me a strong procedural foundation, experience with outpatient medicine, and confidence building long-term patient relationships. I’m also completing the SDPA Didactic Fellowship because I genuinely enjoy learning and want to be as prepared as possible.

I’m not looking for someone to hand me a dermatology job—I’m looking for a physician who enjoys teaching and is willing to invest in a motivated new graduate. I know how much there is to learn, and I want to be the kind of PA who asks questions, studies outside of work, accepts feedback well, and grows into a valuable long-term member of the practice.

I’ve applied through LinkedIn, Indeed, the SDPA job board, and direct outreach to practices. I’ve had several interviews and one offer that ultimately wasn’t the right fit geographically. I’ve also had a few practices express interest until they realized I wasn’t local. I’m very willing to relocate for the right long-term opportunity, whether that’s to be closer to family or because I genuinely see myself building a life in that community, but getting past that initial screening has been challenging.

I’d really appreciate any honest advice from those who have hired or mentored new graduates.

**Some questions I’d love your perspective on:**

What qualities make you feel comfortable hiring a new graduate over someone with experience?

What are the biggest red flags you see from new grad applicants?

Is there anything I could be doing differently in my applications or networking?

Does reaching out directly to physicians actually help, or is it usually viewed negatively?

If you were hiring today, what would make a new graduate stand out enough to earn an interview?

Are there particular practice settings that tend to be more invested in training new graduates?

If you were in my position, would you continue pursuing dermatology now, or gain experience in another specialty first and pivot later?

Ultimately, I’m looking for a practice where mentorship is valued and where I can build a long-term career. My preference is a physician-led private practice or an academic environment where learning is part of the culture, but I’m open to hearing perspectives from anyone who’s been on the hiring side.

Thank you in advance for any advice—I genuinely appreciate it.

Anyone know anything about the Goodman dermatology and or Pen state APP dermatology fellowship?

Anyone know anything about Goodman dermatology APP fellowship in Georgia?

Anyone have any experiences or know anything about this fellowship?

Anyone know anything about Goodman dermatology APP fellowship in Georgia?

Offer Review

So I countered at
-120k base - Median 0-1 year salary from 2025 AAPA salary report
- 20% after 75,000 quarterly
- 5 more days of PTO

- I asked what 10% collections look like and I couldn’t get an answer because the practice is newer and the current PA does not earn collections. The current PA was very nice on the phone but said she also felt like when she got the offer 2 years ago that it was low.

- current PA says she sees anywhere between 20-25 patients a day now has been there almost 2 years. Trained for about 6 weeks, felt like the doctor was a good teacher but wishes the didactic learning was more structured and recommends I do Boswell or SDPA fellowship

-I was told that the pay I’ve been offered with the collections is on the high end of the LCOL area and that what I’ve been offered is good for the opportunity. Not willing to go up on base or collections.

- Not willing to go up on PTO - which is so sad given I’m moving pretty far to for this.

- only willing to up my relocation by 2k so a total of 3k

IDK what to do. I’m giving up so much already by moving to the less desirable location - this is pretty upsetting. I think my only ask is that we document exactly when I’m done training for clawback purposes.

I genuinely feel like the are just new and the doctor doesn’t really know what she’s doing just yet but also the PTO thing feels a bit insane

————- see below for original offer:

New Grad PA and received an offer from a private dermatology practice that is willing to train a new grad. I do have another offer the pay and benefits run circles around this one, BUT it is not in dermatology but i do think it could help me get into derm later on.

Offer details:

-Training period (\~3 months): $75,000 salary
-After training/independent schedule: $105,000 salary
-Productivity bonus: 10% of quarterly collections above a specified threshold (<$100,000)
-Schedule: 36-40 hours a week
\-Relocation bonus: $1,000
\-CME: $2,000/year
\-PTO: 15 days total (vacation, sick, personal, and CME all come from the same bank)
\-Malpractice covered
\-State license covered
\-Board exam reimbursement
\-SIMPLE IRA with 3% match
\-Health insurance stipend
\-Contract includes a provision requiring repayment of training-period wages if employment ends before 24 months

Pros:
\-Private practice
\-Physician seems genuinely interested in mentoring a new grad
\-Opportunity to get directly into dermatology without doing another specialty first
\-Productivity bonus structure

Cons/Questions:

\-Training salary seems low
\-Post-training salary seems lower than many of the dermatology PA salaries I’ve seen discussed
\-PTO feels limited when CME & sick is included in the same bank
\-Relocation assistance is minimal and it would be out of state & I don’t love it and housing options seem minimal.
\-Unsure how common the repayment provision is

For dermatology PAs:

Is this fairly standard for a new grad derm offer in 2026?

What would you negotiate first?

Would you focus on salary, PTO/CME, removal of the repayment provision, or something else? I like to travel but also want to go to conferences to network and learn.

Is $105k after training reasonable for a new grad entering dermatology today?

During the process the doctor mentioned their current PA not doing cosmetics but Could I asked to be trained in Botox and Laser to help increase my earnings?

Can I ask for things like a didactic education outside of clinic be paid for? Extra money for conferences or dermatoscope etc?

Appreciate any thoughts from those already practicing in derm.

New Grad PA and received an offer from a private dermatology practice that is willing to train a new grad. I do have another offer the pay and benefits run circles around this one, BUT it is not in dermatology but i do think it could help me get into derm later on.

Offer details:

-Training period (~3 months): $75,000 salary
-After training/independent schedule: $105,000 salary
-Productivity bonus: 10% of quarterly collections above a specified threshold (<$100,000)
-Schedule: 36-40 hours a week
-Relocation bonus: $1,000
-CME: $2,000/year
-PTO: 15 days total (vacation, sick, personal, and CME all come from the same bank)
-Malpractice covered
-State license covered
-Board exam reimbursement
-SIMPLE IRA with 3% match
-Health insurance stipend
-Contract includes a provision requiring repayment of training-period wages if employment ends before 24 months

Pros:

-Private practice
-Physician seems genuinely interested in mentoring a new grad
-Opportunity to get directly into dermatology without doing another specialty first
-Productivity bonus structure

Cons/Questions:

-Training salary seems low
-Post-training salary seems lower than many of the dermatology PA salaries I’ve seen discussed
-PTO feels limited when CME & sick is included in the same bank
-Relocation assistance is minimal and it would be out of state & I don’t love it and housing options seem minimal.
-Unsure how common the repayment provision is

For dermatology PAs:

Is this fairly standard for a new grad derm offer in 2026?

What would you negotiate first?

Would you focus on salary, PTO/CME, removal of the repayment provision, or something else? I like to travel but also want to go to conferences to network and learn.

Is $105k after training reasonable for a new grad entering dermatology today?

During the process the doctor mentioned their current PA not doing cosmetics but Could I asked to be trained in Botox and Laser to help increase my earnings?

Can I ask for things like a didactic education outside of clinic be paid for? Extra money for conferences or dermatoscope etc?

Appreciate any thoughts from those already practicing in derm.

Anyone else had their PANCE canceled prior to 24 hours before their test?

Pretty frustrating I may have to travel and pay for a hotel to take in another city to take in the next few days. Anyone have this happen or know what’s up? Email from NCCPA just said they were made aware by Pearson but nothing else. Pearson call center was not helpful. For a board exam that is several hundred dollars that people prepare for, for a long time this is crazy.

Any idea how the Katy Conner exams correlate to topic areas on the actual PANCE?

Did a little lower on the 2nd one compared to the first but not by a lot (~4%). Should I focus on the consistent areas of weakness on these two exams or more on uworld patterns? PANCE is soon trying to figure out what to spend most of my time on now.

Hi,

I have a potential offer coming from a small physician owned dermatology practice in mid West. The doctor seems really great, has experience training PAs and I feel like it would be a good environment to learn. I would have to relocate and it’s not exactly where I was hoping to land but I also know how hard it can be for new grads to get into derm. I am not sure how much the pay will be but I imagine it will be on the lower end (100,000-115,000) because it’s in a LCOL area. About 1-2 hours away from a bigger city.

I just graduated PA school a few weeks ago and have received another offer in vascular surgery outpatient at a prestigious medical institution in a very different part of the country - also not big city. The culture there seems great too, just different . The offer js solid one - 4 days of work, good salary ( 20-30k higher than potential Derm offer) , generous relocation assistance, opportunity to become an instructor, opportunity to do research and a small amount tuition assistance. Not to mention a well known name on my resume.

I’ve always wanted to work in derm but the job offer I have gotten in vascular seems really great. The only real thing that I’m hung up on is the fact that it’s in a more rural location. Would I be absolutely crazy to give up Dermatology right now and circle back in 2 years?

I know I ultimately want to end up in Derm but feel crazy for giving up such a great offer in a specialty that is my close second. If I were to take this vascular job: Would I be able to easily make the transition after? Would it allow me to have a little better negotiating power or land in a more desirable location? Or would working in vascular now and then pursuing Derm hurt me?

Hi,

I have a potentially great job opportunity in Hanover/Lebanon area. I’m aware it is very rural - I would be moving from a larger city in the Southeast and I am a young person of color.

I’m aware this would be a HUGE HUGE lifestyle change and I am a bit Nervous. I definitely like having things to do. Ohh and definitely not used to those winters 😅😅

I did visit for about 2 days and it seemed okay, definitely small with less do but the job opportunity is good and I am trying to keep an open mind. I would only be there for 2 years.

Can Anyone from there provide any areas or neighborhoods to check out or look into that could be better for young professionals to live? I am definitely wanting something newer and nicer to live in - open to a home to apt. Would prefer my commute to not be longer than 30ish mins. I am a young professional and I know housing can be a bit expensive- i would not be able to afford anything over ~4000k a month.

If you moved there from a bigger place and could provide some context on how your experience has been it would be greatly appreciated. Or if you are a POC your perspective would be greatly appreciated too!

Hi,

I’m going to be visiting the St. Joseph area and would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on where to look for potential places to live. I’d like to be a little closer to Chicago if possible may 30-40 mins max from the St. Joseph area.

For context I am a married young professional who likes having easy access to restaurants and things to do. I would also like a newer/nicer more updated place to live open to an apartment, town home to single family home rent or buy. If anyone has any suggestions they would be appreciated!

Receiving offers before taking PANCE but not feeling like either is a great option.

-Desired speciality and company culture seems to be great
-Pay is fine/ good benefits
- the location would be a major cultural and regional change and would likely take a toll on my mental health.

-Desired speciality & location but company culture appears to be unhealthy.
-HCOL/Long hours/ Okay pay
-No current or prior PAs employees.

Important to mention that this is a speciality of interest but not my number 1. My number one is hard to get into.

I gained solid experience prior to PA school which has allowed me the opportunities mentioned above.

Feeling guilty, feel like I should be grateful for the opportunity but very concerned for my mental health in both scenarios. Do I risk it and decline both & keep looking? Am I likely to get more responses after my pance? Should I just suck it up and try to power through for a year or two?

New- Grad job interview coming up in a procedure heavy speciality (private practice). I feel base pay is a little lower (<150k) than what I’d hoped given the HCOL. I’m hoping that if I get an offer we can adjust base pay once I’ve completed my training and am more independent. They’ve also stated I will start earning a percentage on top of base pay after the 1st year but idk what that number is yet.

So what would be fair pay right now in SoCal for a new grad? Is it okay to ask for a bump in base pay after the first 6-8 months?

I would also be relocating for this position across the country so is there anything else I should ask for?

Soon to be new grad very much interested in derm. Getting offers in other procedure heavy specialties - Maybe even able to gain some cosmetic experience that could be marketable to a Derm (not Botox or filler etc)

Have interviewed at a very prestigious institution that seems like it would be a great/supportive learning environment(not in Derm). My only real hesitation is location.

If I get an offer, should I take or try to wait it out for a potential derm job?

What are my chances in 1-2 years without derm experience?