Overview of the Profession of Physician Assistant
Physician assistant can be a rewarding choice of career for those who are keen on medicine and always have a desire to make a difference in patients’ lives. Since its inception in 1965, this profession has had an impact in terms of improving the quality of service rendered in the health-care industry.
In response to the need to extend the delivery of primary care medicine, this job was born and continues to evolve. For those who are not familiar with the job of a PA, it is essentially a job whereby the professional assist the physician for many tasks traditionally restricted to be performed by doctors. Members of this profession practise under the supervision of a physician. They help to provide approximately 80 percent of the duties usually carried out by physicians.
A physician assistant may perform a variety of tasks. This set them apart from health personnel who normally work within a specified range with clearly defined responsibilities. The job scope for a PA ranges from taking interviews, examining and treating patients, providing injections to counselling patients. As the duties performed are virtually the same as that performed by a physician, the PA is therefore medically, administratively and legally responsible to patients.
In terms of professional qualification, a national certification is required to practise in most states across United States. Prior to sitting for the examination, aspiring physician assistants are required to get a PA degree. After that, they are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).
Physician assistants are educated as generalists in medicine, hence they can work in many disciplines. Examples of the specialty areas they can work are cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics and emergency medicine. One emerging trend for this profession is that PAs can consult their physicians even though they may be physically far from them. This is achieved through the application of telemedicine.
For more information about physician assistant career and physician assistant schools, visit PhysicianAssistantCareer.com.