Role Of Physician Assistant Essay

717 Words2 Pages

Is the doctor in? Rural health care is a real challenge in the United States. Imagine needing emergency services and a doctor is not available. Imagine living in a remote area where specialized medical services are miles away. In rural areas these situations are a reality not imaginary. Physician assistants have the ability to impact and influence the solution to the growing healthcare crisis. So, what is a physician assistant and why am I interested in becoming one? The role of the physician assistant is growing because of the ageing population and the decline in medical care practitioners. Finding ways to expand the capacity of the general practitioners are needed to satisfy the lack of medical care in rural communities, the physician assistant can fulfill this role. Physician assistants are beneficial to assisting the general practitioners, meeting the demands and extending the capacity of health care. The physician assistant arose during the 1960’s, to assist doctors due to a shortage of family physicians in rural areas. The first physician assistant program was developed by Duke University. It is considered one of the most rapidly growing professions today and is an element of most health care teams. Today’s physician assistant is a mid- level practitioner who practices medicine under a licensed physician in all aspects of the …show more content…

I am from a rural area, and my mother and aunt, both breast cancer survivors, have experienced the trials and tribulations of obtaining the necessary health care in close proximity to home. Physician assistants were such an integral part of their health care experience. I realized during that time I wanted to become a physician assistant and treat patients in a compassionate manner and to empathize with the confused and scared patient for them to feel safe and educated on available treatment

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