One of the fastest growing careers today is that of the physician assistant. Doctors all over the country are hiring physician assistants to help with large caseloads, making the need for persons in this position greater. This makes the career of physician assistant a safe option for those who are interested.
In order to become a physician assistant, you need to have at least two years experience in the medical field and have a Bachelor’s degree. You must also complete a physician assistant program and pass the physician assistant national certifying exam. Physician assistant programs last about 26 months, but the rewards pay off in the form of a higher pay rate.
There are about 140 accredited physician assistant programs for you to choose from depending on geographic area. These physician assistant programs include classroom instruction as well as clinical experience. Requirements for admission to each of these programs may vary, but the content is basically the same.
Before enrolling in a physician assistant program, those interested need to have at least two years experience in the medical field. Usually, the persons who are wanting to become physician assistants have worked as nursing assistants, x-ray technicians, lab technicians, emergency medical technicians, and even paramedics. Most of them already have a Bachelor’s degree with at least two to four years experience in their field.
Those who do not have a Bachelor’s degree may chose to enroll in a physician assistant program that includes a four year accelerated curriculum. This option allows the student to obtain their Physician Assistant Bachelor’s Degree (BA-PA) while gaining their graduate level physician assistant certificate. In this type of physician assistant program, the first two years of coursework includes basic sciences, mathematics, and English. The third and fourth years include clinical experience where the student completes clinical coursework during the first nine months and clinical rotations the remaining twelve months.
For those who already have a Bachelor’s degree, they can pursue a Physician Assistant Master’s Degree (MA-PA). This is a two year option where the first year involves coursework in anatomy, emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, gynecology, microbiology, obstetrics, pediatrics, pharmacology, physiology, psychology, and surgery. The second year requires clinical experience in primary care and medical specialties.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners perform essentially the same basic functions. They provide direct care to patients. They function as primary health care providers. They confer with physicians. They order and interpret diagnostic and lab tests. And, in most states, they are able to prescribe medicine.
The difference between the physician assistant program and the nurse practitioner program is in the educational and training requirements. Most nurse practitioners start out as registered nurses, therefore they follow curriculum that is designed for nursing students. They specialize in specialty areas. The physician assistant program follows the same curriculum as medical doctors. They are educated in a large variety of medical and surgical studies. Therefore, they are able to practice in several specialties instead of focusing on just one.
