Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return as a Physician Assistant
Transcript
- Lucas: Sarah Chen spent eight years away from clinical medicine. She was a physician assistant in emergency medicine before stepping away to raise her two kids. And when she decided to come back, she wasn't just battling a resume gap — she was facing a whole system designed to keep her out. Luna: And I imagine that system includes licensing boards, credentialing committees, employers who worry about outdated skills. It's not like a corporate job where you can spin a gap as 'transferable skills.' Lucas: Exactly. And this is a problem a lot of parents in regulated professions face — nursing, pharmacy, even teaching. But Sarah's path back is really instructive. She didn't just apply cold. She found a formal re-entry program at a large hospital system — one of those programs that's designed specifically for clinicians returning after a break. Luna: And if we've helped you think through a career move or decision — maybe something like Sarah's story — just know that a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these conversations going. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Small amounts, real difference. Lucas: Yeah, no pressure at all. But listener support is what keeps this show ad-free and focused on practical stories like Sarah's. So, back to her — the program she found was through a major academic medical center on the East Coast. It was a twelve-week paid refresher that combined classroom time with supervised clinical hours. Luna: And that's huge because one of the biggest hurdles for returning PAs is just getting back into the rhythm of patient care. Procedures change, electronic health records get upgraded, protocols shift. Lucas: Right. Sarah told me that when she left, they were still using paper charts in some places. When she came back, it was all Epic — the electronic health record system. She'd never even logged into it. So the program gave her dedicated time to learn the software in a low-stakes environment. Luna: That makes a huge difference. I've heard stories of returning clinicians being thrown into a full patient load on day one and just drowning. Lucas: And that's exactly what these re-entry programs try to prevent. The one Sarah did was part of a larger initiative called the 'PA Re-entry Pathway' — I think it was piloted by the American Academy of PAs. It's not widespread yet, but it's growing. Luna: And what about the licensing piece? Because I know PAs have to maintain certification through the NCCPA, and if you let it lapse, you have to retake the PANCE — that's the big exam. Lucas: Yeah, she had let her certification lapse after about five years. So she had to study for and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam again. She said that was the most stressful part — not the clinical skills, but the test. She used a prep course, studied for about three months while the kids were at school. Luna: So there's a real financial and time investment upfront. Not everyone can afford to do that. Lucas: True. And that's a barrier. But she was lucky — her spouse's income covered the gap, and the program itself was paid, though at a reduced rate. She made about thirty dollars an hour during the refresher, compared to the sixty-plus she'd make as a full PA. Luna: Worth it to get back in, though. What was the actual job search like after the program? Lucas: The program had a guaranteed interview with the hospital system at the end. That's built in. So she didn't have to cold-apply. She interviewed for a position in family medicine — not the emergency room she'd left, but she wanted something with more predictable hours anyway. Luna: And she got it? Lucas: She did. She's been working there for about a year now. She says the first three months were still tough — second-guessing herself, looking up things she used to know cold. But she had a supportive supervising physician who understood her situation. Luna: That's the thing — a lot of the success comes down to finding the right environment. A manager who sees the gap as a liability versus one who sees a seasoned professional refreshing their skills. Lucas: Exactly. And Sarah made that easier by being transparent. In her interview, she didn't downplay the gap. She framed it as a deliberate choice and laid out exactly what she'd done to prepare — the refresher, the exam prep, the hours of Epic training she'd done on her own. Luna: So she turned what could be a negative into a story of intentionality and commitment. Lucas: Right. And I think that's a lesson that applies beyond medicine. Whether you're returning to nursing, or to accounting, or to software engineering — if you can show that you didn't just sit still, that you invested in your own readiness, a lot of employers will meet you halfway. Luna: What about the emotional side? Eight years is a long time to be away from high-stakes decision-making. Did she talk about imposter syndrome? Lucas: She did. She said for the first few months, every time she walked into an exam room she felt like a student again. But she also said that feeling faded faster than she expected — maybe six to eight weeks. By month three, she felt like herself. Luna: So there's a real hump period. And you just have to push through it. Lucas: Exactly. And she had a strategy for that too — she kept a 'wins' journal. After each shift, she'd write down one thing she did well. It sounds cheesy, but she said it helped her see her own progress when her brain was telling her she didn't belong. Luna: That's smart. Concrete evidence against the negative self-talk. Lucas: I think the takeaway here is that a career gap in a regulated, high-stakes field is hard — but it's not impossible. The infrastructure is slowly building to support returners. And if you're a parent considering this, Sarah's advice is: start early. Look into re-entry programs at least a year before you want to go back. Luna: And don't be afraid to ask for a structured re-entry. Some employers are more open to it than you might think. Lucas: Right. She also mentioned that the hospital system she joined has since expanded its re-entry program to include nurses and respiratory therapists. So her experience helped build a case for others. Luna: I love that — one person's return paves the way for more. Lucas: Exactly. And if you're a PA or a nurse or anyone in a licensed profession thinking about coming back, I'd say look up the 'PA Re-entry Pathway' or similar programs in your field. They're not everywhere, but they're growing. And if one doesn't exist, maybe you can be the reason your local hospital starts one. Luna: That's a great note to end on. For The Comeback Career Podcast, I'm Luna. Lucas: And I'm Lucas. See you next time.