Read your offer like a chart.
Max Mello is a practicing physician assistant who recruits physicians and APPs for a living. He coaches PAs, NPs and CRNAs through offers, contracts, negotiations and specialty moves, so you sign knowing exactly what you agreed to.
Physician assistant in spine surgery, electrophysiology,
emergency medicine and post-acute care.
Offer of employment
Sample, terms illustrative
- Position
- Physician Assistant, Orthopedic Surgery
- Base salary
- $128,000
- Productivity bonus
- Per practice policy
- Call
- As assigned
- Non-compete
- 2 years, 30 miles from any practice location
- CME
- $1,500 and 3 days
- Malpractice
- Claims-made policy provided
Texas PA median is $134,550. Ask what this base is anchored to.
Get the formula in writing: wRVUs or collections, and the threshold.
"Any location" can cover the whole metro. Ask to tie it to where you work.
Who pays for tail coverage when you leave?
What Max helps with
Pick one, or start with a free call and decide after.
Offer and contract review
You have an offer or a contract in hand and want to know what you are agreeing to before you sign.
- A line-by-line read of compensation, productivity terms, call, non-compete, termination and malpractice coverage
- Where the offer sits against BLS pay data for your state and metro
- A short list of what to ask for, in priority order
- $450 flat fee
Negotiation coaching
You know what you want changed and need a plan for asking without losing the offer.
- A negotiation plan built around the two or three terms that matter most to you
- Wording for the email or call, and a practice run
- Help reading the employer's counter
- $900, includes the offer review
Job search strategy
New grads, PAs and NPs switching specialties, and anyone relocating to a new state.
- Which roles, settings and markets fit what you want, and which to skip
- Licensing and credentialing timeline for your target state
- How to approach practices directly and how to use recruiters well
- $1,200
Resume, CV and interview prep
You are applying now and want your materials and interviews to land.
- A CV edit that leads with the procedures and settings employers screen for
- Mock interview with the questions practices and hospitals actually ask
- The questions you should ask them about volume, support and pay
- $400
A PA who has sat on both sides of the offer
Generic career coaching rarely gets into productivity formulas, call pay or malpractice tail. Max has worked as a PA in spine surgery, electrophysiology, emergency medicine and post-acute care, and now sees how practices and hospitals build offers from the recruiting side at Voll Recruiting. Coaching puts both views on your side of the table.
More about Max2016
Graduates PA school
Radford University. Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant.
2018
Orthopedic spine surgery PA
Austin Spine Surgery. June 2018 to November 2020.
2020
Electrophysiology PA
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia. November 2020 to October 2023.
2022
Emergency medicine PA
TeamHealth, contract. January 2022 to September 2024.
2023
Post-acute care PA
Curana Health, contract. March 2023 to present: Max still practices.
2023
Starts recruiting physicians and APPs
Voll Recruiting. October 2023 to present: Director of Physician and APP Recruitment, working with candidates nationwide.
Know the number before they say it
Median pay for PAs, NPs and CRNAs in every state, from federal wage data. Select a state for percentiles and metro areas.
Hover or tab to a state to see its median. Select it for the full breakdown.
- $129K or less
- $129K to $133K
- $133K to $135K
- $135K to $141K
- Over $141K
What clinicians say about working with Max
From LinkedIn recommendations by candidates Max worked with as a recruiter.
“Maxwell is an outstanding recruiter and the best I've had the pleasure of working with! He is transparent, professional, and has a deep understanding of the roles and responsibilities of healthcare providers. Having a recruiter who is also a practitioner makes a huge difference.”
“Maxwell was an excellent recruiter to work with and played a significant role in helping me secure my first PA position while I was still in school. As someone going through my first PA recruitment process, I really appreciated his guidance, insight into the role, and willingness to advocate for me throughout the process.”
“He shared great insights about the opportunity and effectively discussed the nuances of the role at a high level. His background in medicine also adds a lot of credibility, and I highly recommend working with him for career advancement opportunities.”
“Maxwell was key to helping me get a great position. Very kind and informative. Always checked in on my progress.”
Guides
All guides- How to negotiate a PA or NP job offerPA and NP salary negotiation, step by step: what is negotiable, how to anchor with BLS percentile data, word-for-word scripts, and what to get in writing.
- PA and NP employment contract checklist, clause by clauseA clause-by-clause PA and NP contract review checklist: pay formula, wRVUs, non-competes (including Texas law), termination, malpractice tail and call.
- PA vs NP: training, scope and pay comparedPA vs NP from a practicing PA: medical vs nursing model training, PANCE vs NP boards, recertification, practice authority by state, and BLS salary data.
- New grad PA and NP jobs: a month-by-month search planA month-by-month plan for new grad NP and PA jobs: when to apply, how certification, licensing and DEA steps stack up, using rotations, and judging an offer.
- How to switch PA specialties (and what is different for NPs)How to switch PA specialties: why generalist training allows it, what CAQs are for, framing transferable skills, pay, the learning curve, and how NPs differ.
- Surgical first assist PA jobs: what they are and how to get oneWhat PA and NP surgical first assist jobs involve, how they differ from the RNFA, the skills that get you hired, employment models and Medicare billing.
Looking for a new role instead?
Max also recruits for PA, NP, CRNA and physician roles at Voll Recruiting. That costs you nothing: employers pay recruiting fees. Tell him what you want on a free call, and he will say which route fits.