Physician assistants are medical professionals that have physician assistant certification according to standards set by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Their duties include obtaining medical histories, performing routine procedures and examinations, diagnosing illnesses and then directing the course of treatments, ordering diagnostic tests and then interpreting them, prescribing appropriate medications, and in some cases referring patients to specialized care providers. It’s no surprise that there is a need for physician assistant certification. Although they are limited in scope by law and by the direction of their supervising physician, they perform duties that impact the well being of their patients on a significant enough scale that physician assistant certification and licensure are required.
Physician Assistant Certification License
Physician assistants do not work under a physician’s license, but have their own physician assistant certification. When their specialty requires prescribing controlled substances, they will also have their own license from the drug enforcement agency (DEA). Each state has its own laws and interpretation of licensure requirements, but in most cases, physician assistants have a subordinate relationship to a licensed doctor, who supervises their work and offers services when the scope of a patient’s treatment exceeds the ability or legally allowed range of treatments of the physician assistant. Like nursing, a physician assistant certification ensures that anyone with that title has demonstrated the rudimentary necessary requirements for the profession.
Practical Physician Assistant Certification
Apart from the legal requirement, there is a practical one as well. Physician assistant certification is critical because the physician supervisor may not be physically present but may offer collaboration via phone, computer, or other off-site means. In fact, many certified physician assistants practice alone in areas under served by other medical professionals. Part of the increase in demand for physician assistants comes from the need for medical care in urban or rural areas that find it difficult to attract doctors for economic or environmental reasons. Because so much of their work will involve activities primarily outside of the immediate attention of a fully-licensed doctor, it’s incredibly important that their education is measurably certain and that their knowledge is proven.
Physician Assistant Certification Credentials
The most important physician assistant certification is the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential. It was created and codified by the NCCPA and many states require that the physician assistant certification be obtained prior to practicing medicine. In order to prepare for physician assistant certification, students will typically undergo classroom or online training and use various self-study aides. In addition, students need to enroll in continuing education courses. Since every six years there is a requirement that physician assistants re-certify, it behooves a physician assistant to be aware of the programs and schools available to continue their education.
The demand for physician assistants is growing at a profound rate. Because the nature of health care in America in the future will push more care into the hands of these professionals, the process of physician assistant certification is an important protection for patients and the health care industry. As more and more people seek to enter into this growing field, understanding the need for physician assistant certification and studying to obtain it is essential.
