Physician Assistant
What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants are medical practitioners whose training and duties lie somewhere between that of a doctor and that of a medical assistant. Educational training typically lasts through the Master's Degree level, with considerable time spent doing clinicals and working directly with patients.
As medical professionals, physician assistants are more responsible for direct patient care than medical assistants, but although many physician assistants are able to work without the direct supervision of a doctor, they are not qualified to practice medicine on their own.
What Does a Physician Assistant Do?
Also known as PAs, physician assistants are trained to diagnose, cure, and prevent illnesses and disease. Daily tasks can include everything from taking medical histories and examining patients to ordering tests and making diagnoses. Unlike doctors, PAs are limited in the types of medication they can prescribe and the types of illnesses they can treat. In most cases, they are responsible for minor injuries, broken bones, common sicknesses, and making referrals when they are unable to treat an illness on their own.
Physician assistants work under the direction of a licensed doctor, typically in a private office or clinic. Additional opportunities are found in hospitals, nursing homes, and with in-home care providers. Levels of supervision and autonomy vary, and some PAs find themselves working directly with a physician at all hours of the day, while others check in only once or twice a week. The amount of independence a PA has depends on the state, the type of facility, and even the supervising physician.
Like doctors, many physician assistants specialize in one area of medicine, including everything from pediatrics and obstetrics to emergency care or surgery (in which case they typically function as first or second surgical assistants).
Physician Assistant Educational Requirements
Most physician assistant educational programs are offered as a 2 to 3-year supplement to an existing Bachelor's degree in a related field (such as Biology, Nursing, or EMT training). Degrees, usually in the form of a Master's Degree, are offered through medical schools, military training institutions, and some universities.
A few states will allow PAs to have only a community college degree or its equivalent, though there may be stricter regulations for the amount of hours spent working in the health-care field. Programs must be accredited through the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant and graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination in order to get licensed.
The classes in any physician assistant program are similar to that of any medical training. Coursework includes biology, chemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, and medical ethics. Much of the in-class training is supplemented by laboratory and clinical studies, including rotations at local hospitals and clinics.
National standards for physician assistants require that all practitioners pass an exam and become licensed, with re certification exams every six years. Continuing education credits are also required to keep all licensure up-to-date in the amount of 100 hours every two years. Additional certifications and licenses at the state level may also be required, particularly for PAs who will be working largely independent of a supervising physician.
Physician Assistant Salary and Job Outlook
Earnings for physician assistants average at around $80,000 per year. Depending on the place of employment (with hospitals at the higher end and colleges and universities at the lower), the salary can range anywhere from $65,000 to $110,000. Advanced specialties and experience tend to boost the average income.
The majority of PAs can expect to work either in physician offices or in hospitals. Other jobs in government-run facilities, prisons, professional schools, and even medical insurance institutions are available in select areas.
The job can be a straining one by virtue of long shifts, on-call hours, night shifts, heavy physical demands, and the emotional toll of the medical field as a whole. This is especially true for PAs who work in rural and inner-urban clinics. However, many physician assistants enjoy greater freedom than doctors and can find work in a more stable Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 setting.
The demand for physician assistants is large and growing, particularly in rural areas and inner-city urban facilities. Many of these locations are unable to keep the proper number of doctors on staff (either for financial or social reasons), so several physician assistants working under the supervision of a single doctor can accomplish more and help more patients at a lower cost overall.
Becoming a Physician Assistant
Individuals who are interested in the medical field but don't want to become doctors often find that the job of a PA is perfect for them. With rigorous medical training in half the time of a doctor, moderate independence in the workplace, and competitive salaries, physician assistance training is becoming a more and more popular choice. If you work well in a fast-paced environment and love using both your hands and your mind, this could be the perfect career for you.
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