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Physician Assistant
Physician Assistant
Physician assistants (Pas) are licensed health professionals who practice medicine with physician’s supervision. As apart of the physician/PA team, Pas exercise autonomy in diagnosing in treating illnesses. aPas deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in both rural and urban settings throughout the United States. Their focus is patient care, and their practice may include education, research, and administrative activities.
The role of the Physician Assistant
Pas are highly skilled professionals educated to use the same medical procedures as their physician counterparts. For example, Pas take medical histories, perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret laboratory tests, perform minor surgery, and in most states can prescribe medications. Pas practice in virtually every medical specialty --- from family medicine to surgery. A hallmark of physician assistant practice is that Pas practice as part of a team. They are educated to recognize when patients need the attention of a supervising physician or a specialist. Pas enjoy a collegial relationship with other providers because they have demonstrated their commitment to patients and their competence in delivering quality care. To allow the PA/physician team to be more efficient in extending care to their patients, most states for not require the PA and physician to be at the same location. For example, the PA may be seeing patients in a rural clinic while the supervising physician is at the hospital or in a central office. All state laws require the supervising physician to be immediately available for consultation, usually by telephone, while a PA is seeing patients.
Education
Physician assistant education is modeled on that if a physicians, although it is shorter. All PA programs must meet the same stringent requirements for national accreditation. The first PA program began in 1965 at Duke University in North Carolina, and the first PA was former military corpsman. Today, the typical PA student already has approximately four years of health care experience prior to entering a PA program. Students undergo a rigorous education to become a PA. The typical program is more that 24 months long. The first year includes classroom and laboratory instruction in the medical sciences ---from anatomy to pharmacology--- and medical ethics. The second year involves structured clinical rotations, providing the PA student with direct patient contact in medical disciplines such as family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, and emergency medicine. PA program are offered by medical schools, colleges and universities, teaching hospitals, and the military.
Credentials
Before they can practice, graduates of accredited PA program must pass a single national certification exam developed by the national certification exam developed by the National Board of Medical Examiners and administered by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants.PA add up to better health care
Today, the physician assistant profession is one of health care’s fastest-growing fields. PA help people use the health care delivery system more effectively and efficiently. They make quality health care more available by providing those services needed by patients in a cost-effective way to the practice. Their training as team players enables them to work with other providers to endure appropriate patient care in all settings. Pas, working with supervision of physicians, deliver the highest quality of medical care.