Physician Assistant Career
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What a Physician Assistant does:
A Physician Assistant (PA) is a healthcare
provider who works under the supervision of a
Physician or a Surgeon. Physician Assistants are
highly skilled and perform therapeutic and
diagnostic tasks as set out by a Physician.
Often in rural practices the Physician Assistant
is the principal healthcare provider. Physician
Assistants can specialize in areas such as
Orthopedics, Geriatrics, Emergency Medicine and
Surgery. Those specializing in surgery often
work as first or second assistants during major
surgery. Many Physician Assistants come from
nursing backgrounds, others come from other
allied health and related professions.
The main
duties of a Physician Assistant include:
- Taking a patient’s medical history
- Working closely with other healthcare
professionals
- Examining and treating patients
- Ordering x rays, laboratory tests and making
diagnoses
- Treating minor injuries
- Documenting a patient’s progress
- Prescribing Medications (in most states)
- Ordering medical supplies
- Supervising junior members of their healthcare
team
- Making house calls
- Reporting to a Physician
Education & Qualifications:
To become a Physician Assistant you must
complete an accredited education program and
pass a national exam. Physician Assistant
programs last for 2 years. Most programs require
students to have a minimum of 2 years in
college, and some health care experience as a
prerequisite. Physician Assistant Programs are
available from Medical Schools, Colleges, Allied
Health Schools and Hospitals.
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
provides accreditation for Physician Assistant
programs. Typical subjects covered in an
Accredited Physician Assistant Program include:
pathology, biochemistry, human anatomy,
microbiology, physiology, clinical pharmacology,
clinical medicine, disease prevention, geriatric
and home health care, and medical ethics.
Students also complete a supervised clinical
practice as part of the program.
All states require physician assistants to pass
the Physician Assistant National Certifying
Examination. This exam is administered by the
National Commission on Certification of
Physician Assistants (NCCPA), and is available
to graduates of accredited PA education
programs. Students who pass the licensing
examination can use the Physician
Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential.
Students interested in a career as a Physician
Assistant should take high school courses in
English, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics,
Psychology, and Social Science.
Salary & Job Prospects:
Salaries for Physician Assistants range from
$70,000 to $95,000 depending on location, job
profile, education and experience. The job
outlook for Physician Assistants is excellent.
Healthcare facilities can curtail costs by
recruiting Physician Assistants to carry out
many of the duties of a Physician.
Find an Allied Health School:
Use the red search box above, to find Allied
Health schools and colleges in your area that
offer Physician Assistant programs.
Below is a list of some of the various types of
allied health careers / professions: |
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