What happens when a PA decides to add an MBA to their career?

In this episode, I’m joined by Matthew (Matt) Wetherhold, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA who shares why he decided to pursue an MBA at this stage of his career and how he’s using it to explore new opportunities, grow as a leader, and think differently about what the next 10 to 15 years of his career could look like.

We also talk about how his perspective on financial independence (FI) has evolved over the years. After initially discovering the FIRE movement and thinking early retirement was the goal, he realized that he actually enjoys the work he does. Today, he sees financial independence less as a path to quitting work and more as a way to create greater flexibility and make career decisions based on what interests and challenges him.

As PAs, we have unique opportunities to continue learning, take on new challenges, move into leadership, and change directions throughout our careers. This conversation explores what it can look like to intentionally build a career around growth, opportunity, and the options you want for your future.

• Why he decided to pursue an MBA as a physician associate / physician assistant
• What made this the right time in his career to go back to school
• How an MBA can support career growth and leadership development
• His interest in taking on more leadership roles
• How he sees his PA career evolving over the next 10 to 15 years
• Why a PA career doesn't have to follow one linear path
• How financial independence changed his approach to work and career decisions
• Why he no longer sees early retirement as the ultimate goal
• How financial flexibility can create more opportunities to pursue work that interests and challenges you
• The value of making career decisions based on more than just the paycheck

Whether you're considering going back to school, interested in leadership, or simply thinking about what you want the next chapter of your PA career to look like, this episode will encourage you to think more broadly about the possibilities, options, and freedom available to you through the journey along the way to financial independence as a physician associate / physician assistant.

Resources Mentioned:

Simple Path to Wealth book (Amazon Affiliate)

Ready to start taking control of your money by seeing where it's going every month? Get your free copy of the The PA Freedom Money Planner

Would like more support along your journey to financial independence as a PA? Join the waitlist for The PA FREEDOM Method

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn

Connect with Matt on Instagram

Connect with Kat with PA the FI Way:

Follow PA the FI Way: Instagram → @pathefiway

LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-‘kat-astrup-mspas-pa-c-175848255

YouTube → www.youtube.com/@pathefiway

Website → pathefiway.com

What if your PA career could give you more freedom, not less? This week, I'm chatting with Alexis, an ICU PA-C who is using locum tenens, business ownership, and real estate investing to create more flexibility in her career and financial life.

We talk about getting started with locums, working as a 1099 PA, setting up an LLC/S-corp, tracking business expenses, and the lessons Alexis and her husband have learned from house flipping and short-term rentals.

We also dig into PA burnout and how financial freedom can give you more options in your career, including the ability to work differently rather than simply working more. If you've ever wondered whether locums, real estate, or multiple income streams could help you create more freedom as a PA, this episode is for you.

For many physician associates / physician assistants, financial independence can mean having enough flexibility and resources to work fewer hours, take time off, change jobs, pursue another opportunity, or simply have more control over your career. That's what PA the FI Way is all about: helping PAs use their money and career strategically so they can create more freedom and options in their lives.

Connect with Alexis on Instagram: @ThatLocumsPA

Want to start taking control of your own finances?

Grab the FREE PA Freedom Money Planner → https://www.pathefiway.com/moneyplanner

Ready to take it step further to actually create freedom in your life + PA career?

Join the waitlist for The PA FREEDOM Method: https://www.pathefiway.com/waitlist

Follow PA the FI Way: Instagram → @pathefiway

LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-‘kat-astrup-mspas-pa-c-175848255

Website → pathefiway.com

Healthcare providers and patients often feel frustrated, burned out, and powerless... but what if they're not actually fighting each other?

In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Jordan Grumet, MD, hospice physician, author, and host of the Earn & Invest podcast, to discuss his new book, The Healthcare Heist. Jordan argues that many of the challenges facing healthcare today aren't caused by clinicians or patients, but by third-party entities whose incentives often conflict with both.

We discuss the "culpability myth" that has led clinicians to become scapegoats for systemic problems, the rise of insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, private equity, and electronic medical records, and how these forces have contributed to what Jordan calls the "intimacy gap" between providers and patients as well as rising healthcare costs.

Most importantly, we explore how clinicians and patients can work together to rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and advocate for meaningful change.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• What the culpability myth is and how it impacts healthcare providers
• How third-party interests influence patient care
• Why healthcare costs continue to rise
• The unintended consequences of electronic medical records
• What the intimacy gap is and why it matters
• How shared storytelling can help clinicians and patients become allies again
• Why financial independence and career optionality may give clinicians more freedom to advocate for change

Whether you're a physician associate, physician, nurse practitioner, nurse, therapist, other healthcare team member, or patient, this conversation will challenge the way you think about healthcare and who is really responsible for the problems facing the system today.

Connect with Jordan and learn more about The Healthcare Heist: jordangrumet.com

Order your copy of The Healthcare Heist on Amazon (associate link)

If you're early in your financial independence journey, make sure to download your free copy of the PA the FI Way Beginner’s Workbook.

Inside you’ll learn how to:

✔ Define your “why” for financial independence
✔ Track your spending and build awareness
✔ Start aligning your money with what matters most

Download it here: https://www.pathefiway.com/download-the-free-pa-the-fi-way-beginner-s-workbook

Website / Blog: pathefiway.com

Follow PA the FI Way on Instagram: @pathefiway https://www.instagram.com/pathefiway/

Connect with Kat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-kat-astrup-mspas-pa-c-175848255/

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pathefiway

Join the private Facebook group created for current and future PAs on their journey to financial independence: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pathefiway

Like the Facebook page to follow along for updates: https://www.facebook.com/pathefiway