The Career Of A Physician Assistant

The physician assistant (PA) profession has been described as “one of the greatest innovations of the last half of the 20th century.”1(p1) The profession has been established for less than fifty years, but it has managed to develop and expand vastly within those years consisting of more than 105,000 certified physician assistants and more than 170 accredited physician assistant programs. Simply stated, a physician assistant is defined as a certified medical professional responsible for providing medical care and treatment under the supervision of a physician. In order to completely understand the role and importance of physician assistants in the medical field, the history of the profession must be acknowledged.

Have you ever wanted to be a physician assistant? If you do, it is a challenge to be accepted in PA (physician assistant) school. There are over one hundred and twenty-five PA programs in the United States. A physician's signature is required on some percentage of the charts of patients whom PAs treat in twenty-four states. This job is considered to be the second best job America.

My chosen degree program is Associates of Applied Science in Medical Assisting at Kaplan University. I am currently a online student. I have been doing some research of my program and I have came up with a lot of very interesting facts. First the median salary for a Medical Assistant is $28,860 per year that is about $13.87 a hour, that was in May 2010. There could be opportunities it maybe higher, For example, the experience you may have, or the facility you are working in, and even the level of the education that you have (/www. .bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm).

A JOURNEY TO PROVIDE CARE When in the emergency room, many will groan because a "real doctor" is not taking care of them. However, the physician’s assistant’s (PA) job in the emergency room is to assist in taking a load off of the doctor so that the doctors can focus on the extremely critical patients. There are a number of fields that one can work in as a PA. Because of the variety of job choices, studies have shown that a physician’s assistant is the second most wanted job in the United States of America. (cite) To become a physician's assistant one must be willing to endure schooling and trials, though the job is full of benefits.

The competiveness of the programs makes it necessary for me to get involved in different clubs and organizations both in and outside of school. Although the benefits of being a PA are high, it is not a perfect job. Often people mistake PA’s with medical assistants or feel like they are not qualified to treat them. But the good outweighs the bad. This career offers a great salary while requiring a short amount of schooling, similar duties as a physician while being able to switch specialties, and a more flexible schedule than a physician. There are many obstacles I will face, from citizenship issues to financial struggles but I will overcome them. Like anything else however, it is good to have a plan B and plan C. Whatever career I end up in, I will make sure it is something I am passionate about and enjoy

A Physician Assistant (PA) is defined as a mid-level medical practitioner who works under the supervision of a licensed doctor (an MD) or osteopathic physician (MedicineNet). Although a Physician Assistant need not be physically supervised at all times while performing his or her duties, some form of communication and contact between or with a physician or doctor is mandated. If employed by the federal government, one has the necessary credentials needed to practice and perform services, such as ordering/interpreting lab tests, testing physical examinations, prescribing medicines, and counseling patients (ASAPA). Over the years, it has been stereotyped that more women than men are involved in this department, healthcare is too expensive, and

I possess the integrity that is required to fulfill the role of a Physician Assistant and provide medical care to patients to the best of my ability. I can honestly say that I have never wanted anything more than I want to be a Physician Assistant and to instill the devotion to meeting the requirements of the program to make a successful career. I have the determination to work hard to receive the comprehensive education that will help shape me into the Physician Assistant that I know I am capable of

When looking at a career to become a physician assistant education is the first step that is required of you to take. It first begins with you having a high school diploma. This is important because to become a physician assistant you have to go to college and you can’t go to PA school without a high school diploma. After you receive your high school diploma you need to receive a bachelor's degree. Your bachelor’s degree can be in any major that you want, as long as you meet all the required courses that your future physician assistant school wants. According to AAPA website most of schools prerequisites include biology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy, and microbiology as well. Including your prerequisites you also may need to develop some hands on experience in the medical field before applying to some physician assistant schools. You can gain this experience by working as a certified nurse, paramedic, surgical tech and etc. After you complete all of this your next step will be getting accepted into a physician assistant program. After you are accepted to a school you spend about two and a half more years in school. Then prior to completing school you must take the PANCE this stands for physician assistant certifying exam. When you pass

At different times throughout my life I have envisioned myself as a cardiologist, a surgeon, or one of many other specialized physicians. However, these specializations all lacked the independence and flexibility I sought. Becoming a physician assistant will enable me to have the autonomy to practice medical care in a compassionate, economical, and ethical manner in order to address major health concerns in the United States.

A physician assistant (PA) was created to improve and expand healthcare. In the mid 1960s, physicians noticed there was a shortage in primary care physicians. To deal with the shortage, the first PA was was created in 1965 (“physician assistant”). The demand for healthcare will always be needed. More People are becoming a PA because of wages and less schooling is required. The career of a PA will grow and expand over the years. Medical examiners are always wanted due to the rise in healthcare demands through my research in career requirements, qualifications, working conditions, salary, the typical day, the future need for the career, my interest in the career, and my personal interview with a person in the field .

Physician assistants work with doctors and surgeons and examine patients, analyze medical test results, and treating minor injuries under the supervision of medical professionals. They can also manage inventory, supervise medical technicians and prescribe medication. To become a physician’s assistant, he or she must complete four steps. Step one is to be able to qualify for a physician assistant program. To become qualified, they must acquire at least a bachelor’s degree that has education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).4

In the health care field, there are many opportunities one can explore. A few examples of healthcare career options vary from respiratory therapists, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technicians, medical assistants, to the more common hospitalists, physicians, and registered nurses. Of course each position requires certain education requirements and various qualifications to be accepted into the desired healthcare position. However, today we are going to go in depth in the medical assistant position.

Please explain why you are interested in being a Physician Assistant. (5000 characters) My interest in healthcare began when I was a young girl, living in Battambang, Cambodia. Warm air and the smell of dirt filled a small clinic where I was lying in a bed with an IV attached to my arm. I watched as the fluid from my IV bag drained and noticed my blood starting to flow up into the IV tube.

I chose the career of Physician Assistant, since it’s compatible with my interests, skills, and work values. Physician Assistants provide patient services under the direct supervision and responsibility of physicians. I ideally wanted a job that did not require more than a master's degree; this job fits that as well as other criteria. Physician Assistants, like other health care employees, want to help people directly. This is my goal for a career and becoming a Physician Assistant allows me to do this also with a comfortable amount of schooling.

A Physician Assistant (PA) is a mid-level medical provider who works under the supervision of Physicians. PAs have to pass multiple exams to start the practice. Although some of the Physician Assistant programs in the United States accept students who do not have an undergraduate degree, most of the program now require to have a Baccalaureate degree. Students can choose any major during their undergraduate degree; however, they must complete the pre-requisite course of the Physician Assistant program. Some of the major pre-requisites of the PA program are: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, General Biology, and English. Although there are variation in the pre-requisite for different programs, most of the pre-requisite