Blayne Fortune HPS 101 24 November, 2015 Career Exploration and Planning Research Report Description of Physician Assistant Career Physician assistants (PA's) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. PA's are trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. They work with members of a healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x rays, and make diagnoses. PAs may be the principal care providers in rural or inner city clinics where a physician is present for only one or two days each week. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as …show more content…
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
With many medical careers students often get confused on what they really want to study, I have faced this problem myself and I know is not that easy due too many choices. There are many options ranging from healthcare to medical jobs. I have thoughtfully chosen to enter the program for Medical Assistant (MA). Ever since I was a child, I’ve spent most of childhood years at the Hospital, I was diagnosed with a rare condition that had to be treated continuously, this meant that I had to be going to checkups every three months so I was close to doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologist, medical assistants, etc. I remember at first I was frightened just of the thought of going to the doctor but after a few visits I got used to. The doctors and nurses were nice and caring and made me feel comfortable that I end up enjoying my doctor’s visits every time. Since then I decided I wanted to work in the medical field, this is my goal since I can remember. I have always enjoyed helping people in any way I possibly can. I chose to be a Medical Assistant because I think is great way to start my medical career going and programs are practical and not long.
The physician assistant is a team player in the medical world, working daily with surgeons, physicians, therapists, and many other health care professionals. Similar to the job description of physicians, PAs see patients, take medical histories, preform physical exams, make diagnoses, order and interpret tests, and develop treatment plans (Ludwig). A physician assistant, nowadays, may even perform procedures that were once performed exclusively by physicians. Because every PA must have a supervising physician who oversees their work, it is assumed by many that PAs are “assistants to doctors”, however, that is not the case because a vast majority of PAs work independently. The extent of supervision by a physician varies depending on location and branch of medicine. Although, a physician assistant may carry out much of the same roles as a physician would, the amount of schooling required to become a PA is nearly half as many as that of a physician. Physician assistant programs nationwide require an undergraduate degree in one of many sciences, such as biology, and certain
The assistant part in physician assistant is generally understated. Physician assistants’ responsibilities actually bear many tasks that would suggest a long work hours and practices. Many may work alongside a team of specialists to coordinate treatments for their patients or some may work independently supervised by a
I believe that people everywhere should always have access to adequate medical care. Where you live should not determine whether you live, and the PA profession was created to improve the availability of healthcare in rural and other underserved areas. As a PA, I would be eager to help people have not had access to the care they needed. I want to serve those that need medical attention but don’t have the means to obtain it—whether in rural Michigan, the inner-city of Atlanta, or the backwoods of Arkansas. Making great medical care accessible to all is crucial to improving public health, and it is a necessity across this country and the world. As a physician assistant,
The medical field is among the largest and ever growing career fields, especially when dealing with Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). In the 1960’s when the physician shortage began, the medical field created the PA and NP positions to fill in the gaps (Curren, 2007, p. 404). This matter has opened up numerous questions as more and more PAs and NPs begin practicing, especially concerning their education level. Many patients are concerned that they will not get the proper care. PAs/NPs are beneficial to everyday life by providing patients with the necessary skills needed to successfully treat them.
health care team who, with doctors, provide quality care to patients. In order to do that,
The healthcare field is a large organization filled with individuals that work towards the common goal of helping others. In the past several years’ health care organization have focused their attention in improving healthcare as a whole by focusing on factors such as access to primary care, control cost, increase efficiency and improve outcomes. A growing trend in trying to meet these challenges has been the use of physician assistants. According to Assistant, physician (PA). (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2015, from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8593 a physician assistant is a mid-level medical practitioner who works under the supervision of a licensed physician. Their education qualifies them to examine patients,
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
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
Certified medical assistants most often come from a background that includes formal training through a number of accredited program, whether a one year certificate program or a two year associate’s degree programs. Training programs are available through a number of accredited online and campus based institutions. Regardless of the learning plan you choose, you will learn lab skills, medical terminology, clinical procedures, and medical office
Standing at the starting line of the full marathon I felt anxious and nervous. Not only was I excited to accomplish this goal, but also I was nervous about the difficulty of this task. However, when I crossed the finish line and accomplished this goal, I realized that a new and possibly more difficult goal was about to start. This goal was not only to complete Physician Assistant School but it was to strive to excel in a career as a Physician Assistant in a rural primary care setting. Driven by my intrinsic personal traits of leadership, compassion, and commitment, I am motivated to achieve this goal of excelling in my career as a Physician Assistant.
Certified Nursing Assistants "perform delegated nursing task under the supervision of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN)" (Sorrentuino & Remmert, 2012). Nursing assistants are trained and certified to "provide basic quality of life care" (Botonakis, 2012) which includes assisting patients and residents with activities of daily living(ADL) such as; feeding, grooming, hygiene, housekeeping task, toileting; transporting patients and assisting with mobility. The responsibilities of nursing assistant vary based on state regulations, employment setting and the employer's individual policy and patients' individual needs (NCDHHS, 2013).
My lifetime goal is helping others and I plan to use my career to fulfill it. The classes I’m taking right now and the ones I’m planning to take senior year are classes I believe will influence my decision in my college major/career as well as counting toward my GPA. This will help me get into schools who have medical programs that I’m considering. Also, taking AP classes can help me save money since I can earn college credit. I’m taking all AP classes, and the electives I’m taking have been classes that have helped me consider being in the medical field. I’ve found that over the years, science and math are what I’m doing better in versus history and english. I believe by being in the medical field, I can help others in the best way I can.
On the clinical side, medical assistants often are the people who take medical histories, prepare patients for examination, assist the doctor during appointments and perform basic laboratory tests, along with other clinical responsibilities.
You take their family medical history, their medical history and you check their vitals. You have to prepare treatment for everyone of the physicians patients. “A medical assistant works hard every day with an eight to ten hour days. In one week a medical assistant can work anywhere between forty to sixty hours a week”(“Simmons”). I asked my mother “what the best part of her day was” and she responded “the best part of my day is the patient's and getting to know everyone of them” (“Simmons”). There are many, many challenges in a typical day of being a medical assistant. One of the biggest ones would have to be time management. you have to keep the doctor on time and yourself throughout the day. There are many factors out of your control. “You have to coordinate when the doctor arrives with the patient's arrival time”