Becoming A Physician Assistant: A Case Study

I am drawn to the PAs ability to not only treat and diagnose independently but to work in a team environment. I relish the idea of working alongside nurses and physicians in choosing the best path of treatment for my patients. I am also attracted to the flexibility of the PA program, which will allow me to change specialties if I desire. Being a team player and having a passion for medicine, I have concluded that a career in the health care field, and more specifically as a physician assistant, is the right path for

My mom has worked in hospitals since before I was born. From being a nurse to becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, she spent a lot of time in hospitals, which meant her family did too. After spending many nights and even holidays at them, hospitals became like a second home to me; and the staff, a family. I learned to love everything about hospitals: the smell, cleanliness, layout, and even the chaos. I saw how controlled yet sincere everything was. I saw and learned things wandering around hospitals that many others will never understand.

A medical professional essential role always boils down to serving other people faithfully. For me, I have always found great joy in serving the community in any capacity, but found a special joy in health care. I have found my desire to serve is what continually motivates me to become a Physician Assistant. This drive has help me maintain a 3.80 GPA, while leading my college soccer team as a captain for the past three seasons. All while establishing myself as a chemistry lab assistant and tutor. The balance between the three is great preparation for the future as I prepare to face the challenges ahead. I am aware of the value of education and gaining as much knowledge as possible, however I equally value establishing relationships with people.

Jerry has been trained as a medical assistant and well as LPN or licensed practical nurse. Having an occupation as being a medical assistant is regulated loosely in the U.S. In addition, many states lack medical assistant certification and training requirements. It may be surprising that licensing for medical assistants does not exist. Despite inconsistent regulation, every state mandates by law that whenever a medical assistant provides any type of direct patient care, the supervising physician or licensed health care professional must be physically present in the office or building (medicalassistant.net website, 2012). Another law that is consistent in every state is one that prohibits medical assistants from independently prescribing or refilling medications (medicalassistant.net website, 2012). Licensed Practical Nurses have a broader scope of practice than medical assistants do, but prescribing or refilling medications is not included. In this case study, only Dr. Williams is able to refill the medication. If Jerry decides to call in a refill he will be practicing outside of his professional scope and breaking state law.

One time, I was taken aback and saddened by a patient yelling a plea to God as she was suffering through tremendous pain. As I walked into the room, the first thing this patient did was stop yelling and attempt to put on a calm face. It was a sobering moment, but I proceeded to ask her if I could do anything to help. What struck me most about this moment, was how much fight this lady could conjure up to hide her pain and yet still remain compassionate towards me. I hadn't expected anything, but this experience was a brilliant reminder of why I wanted so badly to improve the conditions of patients across the medical spectrum. I couldn't fathom the extent of this patient's pain, but I could fathom the idea of pain itself. In the patient, I saw a little bit of myself. I wanted to help this patient greatly and desired the means to do so. In this patient, I saw the nature of humanity. Human beings, for the most part, are inherently good and strive to be selfless even at their weakest moments. In fact, most people I know tend to be more worried about others than themselves, whether it be from a positive or negative perspective. As I got to know this patient, I realized how much she wanted to be with her family and see her grandchildren grow up. Though she was aware of the pain and suffering, she was also aware of what could be once she got through this struggle. Once I become a medical doctor, I can give back

The reason why I chose to further educate myself to become a medical assistant is because I love the servant role. Ever since I can remember, I pictured myself in the medical field. I find myself genuinely enjoying helping patients, taking care of them, seeing them smile after the fact; It brings me joy. Not only I find myself enjoying being in the medical field, I also see myself grow in this area. My ultimate goal is to become a Registered Nurse. I started working in the medical field in 2012 at Alaska Regional Hospital. Til this day, I can’t stress enough how thankful I was when my supervisor gave me a chance to work with them. She saw how badly I wanted the position and I stressed the fact

I am pursuing a Medical Assistant Associate in Applied Science degree. I choose this major because the field of work I want to be in is more hands on. I want to be in the action, where I can be doing multiple things and always be on the move. My career goals are to graduate from Berkeley College, move on to my internship, then choose a facility to work at. As I am working as a medical assistant (MA), I would like to continue my career and go back to school, and become a registered nurse (RN). I want to learn and experience different situations to gain more knowledge. Once I become a RN, I would like to continue my education and go back to school for Advance Practice Nursing. My personal goal is to develop great communication skills. I want

I felt like my dreams were slowly being fulfilled before my eyes. I wanted to pursue the medical field in depth and see which type of medical career was best for me. I have been persistent and motivated and this pushed me to achieve my Medical Assistant Certification in June 2006 when I graduated from Clara Barton for Health Professions High school.

Every year, an estimate of 5.9 million people dies from disease (World Health Organization, 2016). Some of these diseases are caused by bacteria, parasites, virus, trauma, mutations, and environment. Although these diseases can cause death and injury, in many cases, they can be treated by a specialist called a physician. A physician is a person who is qualified to practice medicine. Often, these medical specialists need help in treating large numbers of patients in need of care. In the 1960s, the physician assistant (PA) profession was created.in 1965, there was a noticeable shortage of physicians. Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, of the Duke University Medical Center assembled the first class to take on the role as physician assistants. These men received medical training in fast track manner to what a physician might learn (Academic Academy of Physician Assistants Organization, 2014).The duties of a physician assistant are similar to what a physician may carry out but differ in some ways. Today, the physician assistant profession is a growing field, but more difficult to achieve. Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of school time and pre requisites to be accepted into a physician assistant graduate program. Specialization of a particular field is even more difficult to achieve. In addition, work environments can be often challenging. However, high salaries and benefits of working in the medical field give reward to the employee.

I believe that I have significantly strengthened my application since the last PTCAS cycle. In August of 2014, I gained admittance into Delgado Community College’s physical therapist assistant (PTA ) program. I completed the program in July of 2015. Over the course of eleven months, I excelled academically and maintained a 4.0 GPA. Prior to attending DCC, the only observation hours I had completed were in two different out-patient clinics. During my time in DCC’s PTA program, I was assigned to four different clinical rotations. Three of my rotations granted me the opportunity to observe the practice of physical therapy in a skilled nursing facility and in two different acute care hospital settings. My fourth clinical rotation was an out-patient

Other things to keep in mind when applying for these physician assistant programs are things like the GRE and more importantly, the citizenship requirement that may intervene with my plans. Though I have a permit to legally reside and work in the United States, I am not considered a citizen or a permanent resident. This could be a big problem when applying because a requirement listed is that the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Applicants should be citizens or permanent residents because insurance is required to participate in the clinical rotations. I believe this will be the most difficult part of my journey to becoming a PA but like all the other challenges I have faced due to my legal status, I will overcome it. I will use this personal issue in my favor by explaining that having to live with it has only made me more resilient and I would relate it back to their mission statements which all state that one of their priorities is to serve the underserved communities. Because of my status, I relate to these underserved communities because I

Kacey TylerWhen becoming a medical assistant there is certain requirements. Medical assistants perform both clinical and administrative duties and assist a variety of providers including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. When pursuing an education in medical assisting, it is worth considering programs accredited by a nationally recognized certifying body, such as Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education SA comprehensive medical assisting program consist of three, distinct segments: administrative, clinical, and an externship.You must be in school for at least 10 months to 2 years in college. A background check is required and any little thing can stop you from getting certified.

As most kids grow up, their dream job changes all the time. One week they want to fly to the moon as an astronaut while the next week they want to rule the world as president. However, I’ve always wanted to help people by being a doctor. I would sit in front of the television mesmerized for hours by various trauma shows. I preformed surgery on my stuffed animals and diagnosed my friends and family with different fake illnesses. As I continued to grow up, I realized there is many types of jobs in the medical field that preform a variety of different services. After researching the different options, I fell in love with the idea of being a physician assistant (PA). A PA, supervised by a doctor, has the freedom to interpret tests, record progress, and diagnose patients. In order to become a PA, it takes a lot of schooling, but it is a rewarding job that I would be very good at. Ten years from now, I will be a great physician assistant due to the characteristics I already posses and the education that I will be receiving in the future.

I want to attend George Washington’s physician assistant program because their mission and strong curriculum will help me attain my academic objectives and become a successful PA in primary care. I will fulfill the mission at George Washington as a PA because I plan to practice evidence-based medicine, advocate for my patients, and serve the community. From my dietetics major, I learned the importance of practicing evidence-based medicine to provide the highest quality care to my patients, which is how I will practice as a PA too. Secondly, I will strive to support my patients holistically with their medical needs. Providing quality, compassionate care to my residents as a CNA, I learned how to be a reliable caregiver and address any questions about their care that they have. Lastly, I learned the importance of volunteering and serving the community from my mother as a kid and began to volunteer at church and school alongside her. Also, I was a Girl Scout for eleven years and at the end of high school earned my

It was a pleasure speaking with you on the phone this evening. Thank you for taking time away from your family and personal life to do so. I loved hearing about the position you have open in your practice. I am excited to hear more about it as it seems like a great fit for me.