Happy Veterans Day from Melnic Consulting Group

Today, we honor and give thanks to the very special men and women who have served our nation and defended its freedom in our Armed Forces. To those who have served and those who are still serving, we thank you and your families for your tremendous bravery, sacrifice and courage.  Happy Veterans Day!




Learn more about training and hiring Veterans to be Physician Assistants.

To inquire about these jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact: Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com

Walking Off the War

An initiative that supports our wounded veterans was begun by Marine Corps captains Mark Silvers and Sean Gobin in 2011 while they were deployed in Afghanistan.  They saw the need to support wounded veterans, many of whom were multiple amputees, as they transitioned from military service to civilian life, and they founded the nonprofit organization, Warrior Hike.

Following separation from military service, Mark and Sean embarked upon a 2,185 mile hike of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, a long time dream of Sean’s.  Along the way, they organized fundraisers resulting in donations of $50,000 which was used for adapted vehicles for seriously wounded Afghanistan veterans.  During their six month hike, they became aware of the benefits of the experience - physical, psychological and spiritual - and began the “Walk Off the War” program in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Today, the “Walk Off the War” program offers wounded veterans the opportunity to participate in hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Some of these veterans have done several tours of duty and many are multiple amputees.  In addition to learning to live with their disabilities, they are experiencing issues common to all returning vets – difficulty finding meaningful employment, relationships that have changed while they were away and a lack of understanding of what they’ve experienced and “where I am” by those around them.  The “Walk Off the War” exercise-based therapy program offers them ways to reflect, forget and “get better” while enjoying America’s vast natural beauty and rediscovering our country’s amazing landscapes, rivers, lakes, mountains and natural forests.

Click Here for more information about the “Walk Off the War” program and to learn how to participate or become a sponsor.

For more information about helping veterans become physician assistants, click here. 


To inquire about jobs for pediatric advanced practice providers visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact: Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com

Training Veterans to be Physician Assistants

There are many current initiatives in place that support our veterans as they leave military service, transition to civilian life and search for employment.  Veterans who have health care training and experience are perfect candidates for careers as Physician Assistants.  Educational opportunities for these veterans to pursue PA training and education are being enhanced by government programs from the Health and Human Services Department by awarding grants to colleges and universities that have Physician Assistant training programs and recognize the medical training and experience of their applicants.  The goal is to increase the number of Physician Assistants in the United States to help meet our country’s healthcare provider shortage, particularly in primary care, while supporting those veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

The first Physician Assistants were four U.S. Navy corpsmen that graduated from the Duke University’s PA program that was started in 1965.  Today, PAs provide routine diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative care -  taking histories, conducting physical exams, ordering/interpreting lab tests and x-rays, making diagnoses, prescribing, developing plans of care and treating minor injuries that require suturing, splinting or casting.  Essentially, they provide about 75% of the same services provided by a physician, but they are required to have physician supervision.
For more information on opportunities for transitioning veterans to become Physician Assistants, click on the following articles:

Physician Assistant Program Home
HHS grants to help veterans get jobs as physician assistants

Looking for a Pediatric Physician Assistant Job Opportunity? 

20 Top Pediatric Physician Assistant Job Opportunities

To inquire about these jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact: Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com