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Meet Nikoletta Antczak, PA-C, a primary care provider at our Eatontown, NJ clinic. Nikoletta is a board-certified physician assistant (PA-C) who earned her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Saint Elizabeth University.
Coming up on a year with Carbon Health, she brings experience caring for patients across the lifespan. In this post, she’ll share a look into her day as a PCP and what makes the local team tick.
My day always starts with my pups! Every morning before work, I take them for a walk, which gives me a little time outside to clear my mind before the workday begins.
After our walk, breakfast is a must. I’m a big believer in starting the day with a healthy, fuel-filled breakfast. My go-to is usually avocado, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, and Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast. I originally chose Ezekiel bread because of its lower glycemic index, but I also genuinely love the taste. And I absolutely cannot start my day without my green tea with lemon and honey!
Before heading into the office, I’ll usually take a quick peek at my schedule so I have an idea of what the day will look like.
Once I arrive, I review the schedule again with my medical assistant, Stephanie. We go over what each patient is coming in for, who may need blood work, and anything else we should anticipate. Our mornings can get pretty busy as my patients often try to get in before heading to work, so Steph, Dr. Chein (the second PCP at the office), and I try to identify any potential hiccups, like double bookings, early and come up with a game plan to keep the day running smoothly.
At lunchtime, Steph and I usually spend the first 30 minutes catching up on administrative work. Our EHR CarbyOS has an AI scribe that helps me with my visit documentation so I can worry less about charting and use my admin time to check up on patient care plans. That might include calling patients with results, coordinating care with specialists, responding to patient messages, finishing notes, or completing paperwork.
Then we actually take a break! Lately, we’ve been splitting a Mediterranean-style salad from a local pizzeria, sometimes with a slice of pizza on the side. Every once in a while, we’ll also grab a specialty coffee from a nearby coffee shop when we need an afternoon pick-me-up.
Then it's back to seeing patients for the afternoon. What I love most about primary care is getting to know my patients over time and helping them make healthy, lasting changes, not just treating whatever brought them in that day. That's why, no matter how busy the day gets, one of the most important things to me is making sure my patients feel heard, have their questions answered, and understand their treatment plan before they leave.
There’s also a lot of collaboration throughout the day, and I’ll sometimes touch base with Dr. Chien on a more medically complex case to get another perspective. We each bring different experiences and strengths when working together. I also really appreciate working alongside our Urgent Care team every day. We share the same space and the same patients, so we're constantly problem-solving together, and when they see someone who doesn't have a primary care provider, they can connect that patient with me for ongoing care. It means someone who came in for a sinus infection or a sprained ankle can leave with a PCP who will follow them long term.
Toward the end of my shift, I wrap up my charts, make any remaining phone calls, review anything that needs follow-up, and take a quick look at the next day’s schedule so I already have an idea of what tomorrow will bring.
Then comes one of my favorite parts of the day—going home to see my family and puppies! Depending on the evening, I might throw around a Frisbee with Athena and Maui, watch Dancing with the Stars with my mom, try a new place for dinner with my boyfriend or attend a heated mat Pilates/Sculpt class with my favorite instructor.
And that’s a little glimpse into a typical day in my life!
