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Physician assistant advantages and disadvantages
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William Osler once said, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” The medical field is one of the most rewarding job fields to work in, being a physician assistant is one of those jobs, what is not to like about helping people in need? The first step of many to become a physician assistant is graduating high school and taking the necessary courses to prepare students for college. The next step in the process of becoming a physician assistant is getting a bachelor’s degree to be prepared to PA school. It would be beneficial for you to major in pre-med or pre-physician assistant. After you have graduated with your bachelor’s degree your next step will be applying for PA school, there …show more content…
Now we enter the work environment and your daily tasks. The work environment varies depending on where you work, when you are a PA you have the option to work at a clinic, hospital, or just a private practice, your daily tasks still remain about the same. Your daily tasks when you are a PA consists of seeing patients, just like a doctor, ordering tests for patients, and prescribing medicine. Your working hours also vary depending on which facility you practice at, at a normal clinic you will usually work a 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, If you work at a hospital and practice emergency medicine you can work very long hours, and you are on call 24/7. Working in a clinic is a very laid back and a relaxed environment, on the other hand working in a hospital is not for everyone, it is very hectic and you are constantly moving. There is little room for advancement, because the only advancement you have is to become a doctor. The steps you would have to take to advance to a physician are, take the Medical College Admissions Test or MCAT, Next you will complete 4 years of medical school, and then after completing that you will have 1 year of a residency.
As a medical assistant, you will spend most of your day interacting with patients from all types of life. There will never be one type of patient, they will always be different. You will need to be helpful to physicians, nurses, all medical staff and patients. You will need to be able to communicate with your patients, co-workers, and other medical professionals.
These programs are usually available at the master's level and often require applicants to have bachelor's degrees and some amount of experience in the healthcare profession to gain admission. Many physician assistants serve as emergency medical technicians, nurses or paramedics before pursuing admission to physician assistant programs. Physician assistant programs generally take 26 months of full-time study to complete. During the first year, students focus on classroom instruction in medical science and clinical preparation. Courses may include pathology, pediatrics, diagnosis, surgical technique, emergency medicine, pharmacology and research methods. Afterward, the curriculum shifts to focus mostly on clinical rotations in various disciplines, such as general surgery, gynecology and behavioral medicine. During these rotations, students gain first-hand experience in patient care under the supervision of licensed physicians. Physician assistants are required to be licensed by the state in which they practice. Along with completion of an accredited training program, the licensing process entails passage of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, evaluates fundamental medical and surgical comprehension (www.nccpa.net). PA’s who pass the PANCE may use the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) designation. Physician assistants must earn 100 continuing education credits every two years. They are also required to pass the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam every six
If you are a new student and are thinking about pursuing a career in the medical field, like me, you have a lot of options. You could become a Registered Nurse, a Physician, a Physician Assistant, a Dentist, an Audiologist, an Anesthesiologist or many other professions. In this article I am going to narrow it down for you between a Physician and a Physician Assistant and I am going to tell you why I would prefer being a Physician Assistant over the highly prestigious Physician career. Physician Assistant is a relatively new career and there are many misconceptions about what individuals with this title do in the medical field.
Moreover, as a physician assistant, my duties and responsibilities would include various tasks. I would examine patients and review patients’ medical history. I would perform diagnostic tests and diagnose a patient’s injury. I would provide treatment and console patients’ on the proper treatment. Lastly, I would assess
To me, being a physician assistant means having the knowledge and tools to help those that may not have otherwise receive care. Obtaining a master’s degree in public health while studying to become a physician assistant will provide me with the knowledge and expertise to evaluate how environment can affect a population's well-being. Completing the dual degree allows a better understanding of how the community is affected—not just the individual. By becoming a physician assistant with a strong background in public health, I will be able effect change and be at the forefront of health decisions in a community.
... E. (2007). Academic medicine. Physician assistant education in the United States. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Abstract/2007/09000/Physician Assistant Education in the United States.14.aspx
...ch half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,080, and the top 10 percent earned more than $41,570. In conclusion Medical Assistants play a major role in the healthcare environment. They are doctors right hand man/woman and the help keep the office together and run smoothly. Medical Assistants will forever be needed, because every day a child is born and people are getting older. Medical Assistants care and their job is to provide good healthcare to patients.
I shadowed one PA in internal medicine who had an integral role, sharing the responsibility for care of patients right beside physicians. Another PA who specialized in pediatrics was extremely warm; this was key for interacting with fearful children and nervous parents. I learned so much everyday, from things like medication, dosage, reading lab tests, drawing blood, immunizations, signs and symptoms. I shadowed another PA at the NICU at Kings County Hospital. She worked close with residents and the head physician, and made frequent rounds checking infants who were kept in a sterile, climate controlled
Medical assistants typically graduate from postsecondary education programs, and employers may prefer to hire assistants who have completed these programs. Programs for medical assisting are available from community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and universities and take about 1 year to c...
dollars a year. A physician assistant are licensed to diagnose and treat illnesses and disease and
Any job in the medical field is great, because it will always be needed no matter what. Doctors, nurses, techs, etc. are all very important and necessary people, but the people behind the scenes are just as important, medical administrative assistants. Being a medical administrative assistant seems awfully difficult, you have all these responsibilities but at the end of the day you’ll have a sense of satisfaction because you may have possibly really helped a patient or family with a serious and hard situation. There are different types or categories of medical administrative assistants, you have the front office, the back office, the clinic setting, private practices, and the floating position. Duties for
The only requirement needed before taking a Certified Medical Assistant program is to obtain a high school diploma or have a GED. Job requirements change all the time and employers tend to lead towards hiring individuals that have an associate degree or more. In order to be able to ...
At the end of volunteer services I have decided on a major, I am now striving to become a physician’s assistant. In this position, not only do I get to care for patients, but I am presented with the opportunity to change their lives. I will be able to see firsthand the diversity of cultures from around the world.
The steps of education to become a medical assistant is obtaining a Post-secondary degree (offers social/ economic benefits), Associate’s degree (course of study usually 2 years community college, junior college, technical college), and High school diploma (graduation of high school). To attend this job (medical assisting) it takes 2 years at the most. The main degree for this job that is needed is an Associate’s degree. Training starts when you apply for the job and you get called in for training to prepare you for the experience before you actually start the
A clinic and doctor 's office requires many positions that are crucial to a patient’s satisfaction, and one of the most important occupations is that of a medical assistant. Whilst their job may seem simple at first, much information, characteristics, and morals are to be expected in this medical field. Upon completing their educational requirements and proving their credibility, they may commence to search for a job in a variety of locations and opportunities. Once employed, they are responsible for operating either the front desk or the back, depending whether they are specialized as a clinical or administrative medical assistant. All in all, the simple role of a medical assistant has many requirements and