The PA Is In | Tracy Bingaman | Physician Assistant/Physician Associate/PA-C/PA-S/PA Student

Stress is part of the job—but how we respond to it determines everything.

In this first episode of a two-part series on stress, host Tracy Bingaman, PA-C, breaks down the maladaptive ways healthcare professionals often try to cope with stress—and why they don’t actually work.

🎧 Inside this episode, you’ll hear:

• The difference between stress and stressors

• Why your stress cycle stays “incomplete” even after the chart is signed

• 5 common but ineffective coping patterns: 🚩 Doomscrolling 🚩 Overworking 🚩 Over-exercising 🚩 Emotional eating/drinking 🚩 Avoidance and numbing
  

• What each behavior feels like and why it’s so tempting to repeat
  

This episode isn’t about shame—it’s about awareness. Once you can name your coping style, you can start to build a better, more sustainable response.

📩 Subscribe now so you don’t miss Part 2, where Tracy shares the science-backed strategies to complete the stress cycle and actually feel better.

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WEBSITE⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com⁠

🎁 Bonus Freebie: Grab your free guide with 48 healthcare-specific side hustle ideas at 👉 tracybingaman.com/gig

Keywords: maladaptive stress response, stress coping habits, stress vs stressor, burnout in healthcare, PA podcast, doomscrolling stress, overworking clinicians, emotional eating stress, avoidance behavior, The PA Is In podcast, clinician mental health, incomplete stress cycle, stress management awareness, burnout prevention, stress regulation healthcare, Tracy Bingaman, PA career wellness, coping in medicine, stress response healthcare

For many healthcare clinicians, MSL sounds like a unicorn job. But how do you actually break into such a competitive industry? What’s the day to day life like as an MSL? What do you need to know to set you apart from other applicants?

Don’t you wish you had a step by step guide to walk you through the process and share insider tips for success? Well that’s exactly why my guest is on today’s podcast episode!

Dr. Samuel Dyer has 25 years of experience as an MSL and now works as the CEO of the Medical Science Liaison Society. Dr. Dyer explains exactly what an MSL is and why PAs and NPs have a decisive advantage over other applicants. Dr. Dyer also walks through what an MSL interview is really like and gives key tips on how to ace the interview process. 

If you’re struggling with burnout, but still want to use your clinical skills, MSL could be the answer. Tune in to learn the secrets of how to break into your first role. 

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Website: https://themsls.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldyer/

Dr. Dyer’s Book: The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break Into Your First Role

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Welcome to The PA Is In, the show created by PAs for PAs, where codependency with your Supervising Physician is a thing of the past, optimal team practice is the future and Physician Associate has taken the place of Physician Assistant as the professional title of choice. 

I’m Tracy Bingaman and I’m obsessed with redefining what success as a PA looks like AND what it feels like. 

Here you’ll find the mindset shifts, systems and processes I used to escape healthcare burnout & integrate my work with my life. Work-life balance is a myth and an integrated life where you thrive professionally, not a balancing act, is the goal here. 
My mission is to help you to grow into a Unicorn PA who loves their job, has abundant energy, time to spare and work-optional financial freedom. The PA Is In.

What happens when your heart is tired—but you still have to show up and care?

In this episode of The PA Is In, we’re diving into a topic that quietly erodes the joy and empathy we bring to our roles as clinicians: compassion fatigue.

Host Tracy Bingaman, PA-C and clinician career coach, defines what compassion fatigue is, how it differs from burnout, and why it's so prevalent in healthcare settings today. With deep empathy and personal insight, Tracy shares:

• The signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue

• The difference between burnout and emotional overload

• Real-life scenarios that contribute to compassion fatigue in medicine

• How to recognize it in yourself and your colleagues

• Actionable steps to restore empathy and protect your well-being
  

From setting boundaries to finding peer support and making sustainable career changes, this episode is both a reality check and a beacon of hope for healthcare providers who are struggling.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I feeling so numb?” or “Am I the only one who feels this way?”—this one’s for you.

💬 DM Tracy on LinkedIn or email [email protected] to share your experience or let her know what episodes you'd like to hear next.

🎧 Tune in now and take one small step toward caring for yourself as much as you care for your patients.

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COACHING 🎓

THE PART-TIME PATHWAY

⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com/pathway⁠

⁠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/negotiate⁠⁠

CONNECT 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/gig

compassion fatigue, healthcare burnout, emotional exhaustion, PA podcast, The PA Is In, signs of compassion fatigue, burnout vs compassion fatigue, mental health for clinicians, emotional strain medicine, empathy fatigue, healthcare provider wellness, self-care for PAs, boundaries in medicine, physician associate support, clinician career coaching, Tracy Bingaman podcast, trauma-informed care, emotional resilience, women in medicine, provider mental health, PA wellness tips

 Keywords:
compassion fatigue, healthcare burnout, emotional exhaustion, PA podcast, The PA Is In, signs of compassion fatigue, burnout vs compassion fatigue, mental health for clinicians, emotional strain medicine, empathy fatigue, healthcare provider wellness, self-care for PAs, boundaries in medicine, physician associate support, clinician career coaching, Tracy Bingaman podcast, trauma-informed care, emotional resilience, women in medicine, provider mental health, PA wellness tips

Prostate cancer screening isn’t just clinical—it’s personal. Especially when headlines make it political.

In this episode Tracy breaks down the buzz around President Joe Biden’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis—and uses the moment to teach, clarify, and contextualize what it really means to screen for prostate cancer in 2025.

As a former Urology PA, Tracy brings her clinical experience and clear communication to an often-misunderstood topic. She walks through:

• What the prostate does and how PSA testing works

• What elevates PSA levels (that isn’t cancer)

• Why BPH complicates the picture

• What Gleason scores tell us about cancer aggressiveness

• Current USPSTF and AUA guidelines for prostate cancer screening

• How shared decision-making, not headlines, should guide patient care

This episode is a reminder to return to nuance and individualize care—especially when the world is watching.

🔍 Whether you're brushing up on guidelines, supporting aging male patients, or just curious about the clinical story behind the headlines—this one’s for you.

🎧 Tune in and let Tracy know: do you want more clinically-relevant episodes like this one? DM her on LinkedIn or drop her a line at [email protected].

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COACHING 🎓

THE PART-TIME PATHWAY

⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com/pathway⁠

⁠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/negotiate⁠⁠

CONNECT 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/gig

Keywords: prostate cancer, PSA screening, Joe Biden prostate cancer, Gleason score, prostate cancer guidelines, USPSTF prostate screening, AUA PSA recommendations, prostate-specific antigen, prostate cancer diagnosis, advanced prostate cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, BPH vs prostate cancer, prostate anatomy, male reproductive system, PSA levels, cancer screening podcast, clinician education, urology PA, shared decision making, prostate cancer risk, men's health podcast

I adore any conversation where we passionately discuss what truly matters and how to create a life that integrates what we truly value. That’s what this episode is all about!

My guest, Jono Lippman, and I discuss how we can create jobs we love as PAs and healthcare providers, including how to ensure proper boundaries are in place so that your life outside of work is full of meaning and value. Jono shares actionable tips you can start today to build respectful boundaries so that you can create better life-work integration. 

Jono is also the creator of PA Guide, a board review notebook and course that teaches not only medical content, but also how to effectively take notes and study. The course also includes practice quizzes and an AI chat bot that presents clinical scenarios. PA Guide is a pathway to learn how to organize medical topics and systems so that students can truly understand the diagnostic reasoning process.  

Press play for a heartfelt episode on why work-life balance is a myth and what you can do to create integration and peace into your own life.

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Website: https://www.pa-guide.com

X (formerly Twitter): @jonothePA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jono.pa

TikTok: paguide.jono

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⁠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/negotiate

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CONNECT WITH TRACY 🤝

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⁠INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/mrstracybingaman/⁠

WEBSITE⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com

Keywords:  PA Guide, PA school success, emergency medicine PA, rural medicine, work-life boundaries in healthcare, physician associate burnout, clinical reasoning, PA board review, alternative to firehose learning, Tracy Bingaman podcast

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Back from the AAPA 2025 National Conference, I’m sharing what no agenda or brochure could capture—the very real reasons I left feeling energized, encouraged, and deeply hopeful for the future of the PA profession.

I’m walking you through my six biggest takeaways from AAPA 2025. From late-night hotel conversations and panels on entrepreneurship, to passionate PA students and powerful hallway discussions, this episode is packed with reflections on how our profession is shifting—in the best way.

This recap will remind you that change is happening, and you’re not alone in wanting more from medicine.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why the best moments didn’t happen in the lecture halls

• The next generation of PAs and how they’re rewriting the script

• The entrepreneurial spirit taking root in medicine

• How clinicians are becoming the change-makers in healthcare

• My favorite tools and tech from the Expo Hall (yes, including squishy stress balls)

• Why it’s okay to rest and re-enter slowly

This isn’t just a recap. It’s a reminder that hope isn’t naive—it’s fuel. And if you’ve been feeling like the fire is fading, this one’s for you.

💡 Want to explore a side hustle as a PA? Grab my free Side Gig Guide with 48+ ideas tailored to healthcare providers at tracybingaman.com/gig

📩 I want to hear from you! What gave you hope at AAPA? Or what’s keeping your fire lit in medicine right now? DM me, reply to this email ([email protected]), or tag me on Instagram @mrstracybingaman

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COACHING 🎓

THE PART-TIME PATHWAY

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⁠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/negotiate⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH TRACY 🤝

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⁠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/gig

Brief BTS episode drop! In this heartfelt, off-the-cuff moment, Tracy reads and reflects on two memos: the one we were silently handed when we entered medicine—and the one we’re rewriting together.

The original memo told us to sacrifice ourselves, ignore our needs, and equate burnout with devotion. But what if we could write a new one?

This isn’t just about rewriting words. It’s about rewriting the expectations, boundaries, and identity of what it means to be a provider and a whole human.

📌 If you’ve ever felt like medicine asked too much and gave too little… this one’s for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The “Original Memo” most clinicians were handed
  

• The powerful, updated “New Memo” centered on humanity and sustainability
  

• A call to rewrite your own story in medicine—with boundaries, joy, and peace
  

✨ You are not a machine. You are a person first. Provider second.

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COACHING 🎓

THE PART-TIME PATHWAY

⁠⁠https://www.tracybingaman.com/pathway⁠

⁠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/negotiate⁠⁠

CONNECT 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/gig

Keywords: burnout in medicine, healthcare burnout recovery, clinician work-life balance, PA mental health, rewriting your narrative in healthcare, provider identity, compassionate healthcare, sustainable medicine, provider boundaries, medicine and motherhood, physician assistant podcast, healthcare wellness podcast, overcoming burnout

Do you find lipids fascinating? Exciting? Full of whimsy? My guest today does and after listening to this episode, I think you will, too (at least a little bit)!

Josh Wageman is a prior physical therapist turned physician associate. He works as a Clinical Lipid Specialist and formerly practiced in Endocrinology prior to transitioning to a Medical Science Liaison. His PhD work focused on cholesterol disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease. Josh translated his PhD studies and clinical work into his book, The Home Security System and the Lipid Neighborhood: Un-Complicating Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease. 

Josh’s goal is to help people not have heart attacks, strokes, and dementia by explaining complicated biochemical concepts in a relatable way. He’s even been known to write rap songs and pop parodies about lipids. 

Tune in to learn the top things you can start TODAY to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and dementia. You might even laugh along the way.

BUY JOSH’S BOOK: 

The Home Security System and the Lipid Neighborhood: Un-Complicating Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease

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X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JoshJwageman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-wageman-48893445

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.wageman.5

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⁠

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SUPPORT THIS PODCAST 👍

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Lipid fun