Have you thought about a career as a physician assistant? The need for physician assistants has grown rapidly within the last couple of years. It is a career that is relatively safe because more and more health care institutions are looking to save money. And, people will always need healthcare providers. By hiring physician assistants, hospitals and clinics can cut costs because they would not have to pay a physician assistant near as much as a physician.
There are several physician assistant requirements. These requirements include experience in the health care field, a Bachelor’s degree, completion of a physician assistant program, passing of the national certification exam, and licensing.
Part of the physician assistant requirements is at least two years of experience in the health care field. There are several options that people have used in order to meet this requirement. Some have gone on to pursue a career as a physician assistant after working as a paramedic or as an emergency medical technician. Others have worked in such positions as nursing assistants, medical assistants, or medical technicians. Then there are those who decide to become a physician assistant after working as nurses or laboratory technicians. Any of these medical occupations count toward the physician assistant requirements.
Possession of a Bachelor’s degree is another one of the physician assistant requirements. Some of the above mentioned occupations already require a Bachelor’s degree in either nursing or a health related field. Those people can use their degrees as part of their pre-requisites when applying to a physician assistant program. For those who do not have a Bachelor’s degree, there is an option where they can work on their Bachelor’s degree while earning graduate level certification. That program is the Physician Assistant Bachelor’s Degree (BA-PA) program.
The Physician Assistant Bachelor’s Degree program includes curriculum where the student completes the first two years in classroom settings studying general subjects such as basic sciences, mathematics, and liberal arts. The student will spend the third and fourth years completing clinical experiences. The first nine months of clinical training involve clinical coursework while the remaining twelve months require clinical rotations.
An intensive part of the physician assistant requirements is the completion of a Physician Assistant Master’s Degree program. This program is very intensive and takes two years to complete. In the first year, the student is required to complete coursework in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, emergency medicine, geriatrics, gynecology, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, pharmacology, psychology, and surgery. The second year of the program is when the student fulfills the clinical requirements of the program. Students will gain clinical experience in primary care as well as in a variety of other medical specialties.
The final part of the physician assistant requirements is for the student to pass the national certification exam. Once the exam is passed, the physician assistant can then apply for a license with their local jurisdiction. State Laws require the physician assistant to complete ongoing training and to retest every six years.
