361: [WORK] 13 Years In – What Medicine Has Taught Me (The Honest Version)

After 13 years of practicing medicine, I’m not here to pretend I have it all figured out. I am here to share what experience has quietly, steadily taught me.In this episode, I’m reflecting on 13 lessons I’ve learned in my 13 years as a PA—from why people and schedules matter more than specialty, to how burnout isn’t something you beat but something you learn to monitor, to why there is absolutely no award for doing it the hard way.This isn’t a how-to episode or a deep clinical dive. It’s an honest, human reflection on what it takes to build a career in medicine that actually lasts. Consider this an invitation to pause, reflect, and ask yourself: what have I learned in my own years of practice?Inside this episode, we talk about:Why culture, autonomy, and respect matter more than we’re taughtHow your real legacy lives outside the hospital or clinicWhy medicine is an Ironman, not a sprintBurnout as a chronic condition—not a personal failureThe power of mentorship, sponsorship, and turning around to help othersNegotiation as a skill we were never taught—but desperately needWhy part-time practice still countsAnd the truth about martyrdom (spoiler: there’s no prize)Reflection isn’t indulgent. It’s how we make this work sustainable—for ourselves and for the clinicians coming behind us.SPONSORS:ADVANCED PRACTICE PLANNING, LLC: advancedpracticeplanning.com/fiSERMO https://app.sermo.com:443/?sermoref=39d97a2c-f699-4f8b-b2f9-1eb131e18c75&utm_campaign=tell-a-friend CONNECT ⁠FREE 30-MINUTE COACHING CONSULT⁠ ⁠⁠https://calendly.com/the-pa-is-in/gen-call⁠ ⁠ ⁠1-ON-1 NEGOTIATION CONSULT ⁠https://calendly.com/the-pa-is-in/negotiate⁠⁠CONNECT WITH TRACY 🤝⁠LINKEDIN ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracybingaman/⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mrstracybingaman/⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com⁠🎁 Bonus Freebie: Grab your free guide with 48 healthcare-specific side hustle ideas at 👉 tracybingaman.com/gigKeywords: PA career longevity, lessons from practicing medicine, healthcare burnout recovery, physician associate career advice, sustainable medical careers, clinician burnout prevention, work life balance for PAs, part time medicine, negotiation in healthcare, PA mentorship, healthcare boundaries, career reflection medicine, avoiding burnout in healthcare, clinician identity, long term medical careers, PA professional development