| Are you looking for a stable career with continual | | | | complete an accredited, formal education program |
| innovation and variety? Do you enjoy working | | | | and pass a National exam to obtain a license. PA |
| with people and have a knack for science and | | | | programs usually last at least two or three years |
| medicine? If so, you may want to consider | | | | and are full time. Most programs are in schools of |
| becoming a Physicians Assistant. Every day, | | | | allied health, academic health centers, medical |
| thousands of people have access to quality health | | | | schools, or 4-year colleges; a few are in |
| care because there are Physicians Assistants | | | | community colleges, the military, or hospitals. |
| (PAs) in their communities. Many physician | | | | Many accredited PA programs have clinical |
| assistants take jobs in rural communities that | | | | teaching affiliations with medical schools. Most |
| would otherwise be without a health care | | | | applicants to PA educational programs already |
| provider. As patient advocates and educators, | | | | have a bachelor's degree. |
| PAs help people use the health care system more | | | | Some Physicians Assistants pursue additional |
| efficiently and effectively. | | | | education in a specialty such as surgery, |
| If you want to make a difference--and have a | | | | neonatology, or emergency medicine. PA |
| positive influence on health care in this | | | | postgraduate educational programs are available in |
| country--the Physician Assistant profession is | | | | areas such as internal medicine, rural primary care, |
| waiting for you. | | | | emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, |
| What Does A Physicians Assistant Do? | | | | neonatology, and occupational medicine. Candidates |
| Don't confuse physician assistants with medical | | | | must be graduates of an accredited program and |
| assistants, who aren't qualified to do much more | | | | be certified. |
| than take your blood pressure. Physician | | | | As they attain greater clinical knowledge and |
| assistants do 80% of what doctors do--conduct | | | | experience, PAs can advance to added |
| exams, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, | | | | responsibilities and higher earnings. However, by |
| even assist in surgery. While PAs are supervised | | | | the very nature of the profession, clinically |
| by physicians, they have considerable | | | | practicing PAs always are supervised by |
| independence. And while pay isn't quite as much | | | | physicians. |
| as that of a doctor, it's far from sickly. Also, | | | | Career Outlook |
| training is much shorter than it is for | | | | Physicians and institutions are expected to employ |
| doctors--typically consisting of three years, | | | | more Physicians Assistants to provide primary |
| post-bachelor's. | | | | care and to assist with medical and surgical |
| No surprise this is one of America's | | | | procedures because PAs are cost-effective and |
| fastest-growing professions. | | | | productive members of the health care team. |
| Physician assistants work wherever physicians or | | | | Physician assistants can relieve physicians of |
| health care organizations employ them. They can | | | | routine duties and procedures. Telemedicine--using |
| be found in virtually all health care settings. | | | | technology to facilitate interactive consultations |
| Physicians Assistants work in hospitals, physicians' | | | | between physicians and physician assistants--also |
| offices, HMOs, correctional institutions, military | | | | will expand the use of physician assistants. Job |
| installations, VA medical centers, nursing homes, | | | | opportunities for PAs should be good, particularly |
| public health agencies, community clinics, research | | | | in rural and inner city clinics, because those |
| centers, urban/rural health clinics, health care | | | | settings have difficulty attracting physicians. |
| education and administration offices, industrial | | | | Besides the traditional office-based setting, PAs |
| medicine clinics, and even the White House. | | | | should find a growing number of jobs in |
| Physician assistants can take medical histories, | | | | institutional settings such as hospitals, academic |
| perform physical exams, order and interpret | | | | medical centers, public clinics, and prisons. |
| laboratory tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, | | | | Additional PAs may be needed to augment |
| counsel patients, assist in surgery, and set | | | | medical staffing in inpatient teaching hospital |
| fractures. | | | | settings as the number of hours physician |
| Physician assistants are educated as generalists in | | | | residents are permitted to work is reduced, |
| medicine; all programs emphasize primary care. | | | | encouraging hospitals to use PAs to supply some |
| Although their education and credentialing are | | | | physician resident services. Opportunities will be |
| based on a primary care foundation, PAs can | | | | best in States that allow PAs a wider scope of |
| work in specialty fields, such as cardiovascular | | | | practice. |
| surgery, orthopedics, and emergency medicine. | | | | According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004 |
| Most choose the primary care specialty areas of | | | | the median salary for Physicians Assistants was |
| family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and | | | | $77,863. |
| obstetrics and gynecology. | | | | A commitment to caring is the foundation of the |
| Education & Training | | | | physician assistant profession - and has been since |
| Requirements have been ratcheted up. Today, | | | | the profession began. Whether it is running a rural |
| the typical student admitted to the three-year | | | | health clinic in South Dakota or a community |
| training program has a pre-med bachelor's degree, | | | | health center in Florida, caring for pediatric patients |
| plus a few years of experience as a nurse, | | | | in New York or geriatric patients in Arizona, |
| paramedic, or emergency medical technician. | | | | Physicians Assistants are making a difference. |
| All States require that Physicians Assistants | | | | |