Summary: A Career As A Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant
I. Job Description In today’s medical world the physician assistant career is one that is highly coveted and is predicted to continue to grow in the coming years. “As patients live longer and chronic illnesses grow more complex, health experts project a shortage of doctors and an even stronger demand for physician assistants” (New York Times, 2011). Physician assistants work as part of a medical team where they perform various tasks and it is rumored that they perform most of the doctor’s work. PAs have knowledge of most if not all of the medical procedures and responsibilities that doctors deal with and face on a daily basis. The significant difference between a physician
All these responsibilities and services provided by the physician assistant are appointed and under the orders of a physician. When a patient is first walked into the physician’s office, the person that sees the patient before the main physician is the physician assistant. During this time, the P.A. examines the patient, reviews medical history, orders and interprets laboratory tests, and makes diagnoses of their own. The physician assistant later relays the information collected to the physician. Following this, the physician goes in and makes his or her own observations of the patient and recommends a remedy. As one can see through this process, the physician’s job has been made faster and easier. “In some cases, PAs also make house calls or go to hospitals and nursing care facilities to check on patients, after which they report back to the physician” (U.S. Department of Labor, 2011). Most physician assistants work in primary care offices and family doctor’s offices. However, some PAs do work in surgeries, orthopedics and
As stated earlier, the length and detail of the education is what separates the physician from the assistant. Although the PA may know as much as the actual physician he or she work under, the certification and degree the physician holds is what makes them work less and get paid much more. There are different methods to how one can obtain the education required by the health board and the state laws. Physician assistant degrees can be obtained through an accredited university, through some military programs or schools, and colleges and health allied programs with association with medical schools. For example, in Miami, Florida, an aspiring Physician assistant student can attend Miami Dade College and apply to their two-year program. Although Miami Dade College is not a university, it is an accredited institution and is affiliated with hospitals such Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Baptist Health System. On average, the length of a physician assistant program is two years and has an average cost of $30,000 (Go Physician Assistant School, 2011). Using the previous example of Miami Dade College, this program has an approximate cost of $22,000 for in-state students and approximately $37,000 for out-of-state students. Although a student has completed the schooling, they are not allowed to practice their degree until completing state exams. All States and the District