Being a physician’s assistant is a good job in the medical profession. It is great for people who want to help people but do not have the resources to become a doctor. A person will still need advanced medical training and they will be responsible for patient care directly. It is worth the small amount of time it takes to find out what being a PA involves and what training is needed. There are many jobs available for both on-site and traveling PAs.
Getting a PA Job That is Right For You
There are job opportunities for a PA all over the United States. One just has to know where to look. One way to find the perfect job, once training is complete, is to contact a company such as CompHealth. These companies help job applicants perform job searches that are successful. They have multiple listings of jobs that are available all over the country.
This and other job search companies help match PAs with both permanent PA jobs and locum tenens jobs that match their training and job preferences.
A Short History of PAs
In the mid-20th century, there was an acute shortage of primary care doctors. In 1965 a doctor named Dr. Eugene Stead Jr. started the first physician’s assistant program recruiting Navy corpsmen who already had medical experience to receive additional training to assist doctors.
From then to the present day, the demand for PAs has grown substantially. As the population in the U.S. grows and gets older, the need for medical care increases. Physician’s assistants help fill this need for quality medical care from physicians and PAs under the supervision of physicians.
How To Become a Physician’s Assistant
To become a physician’s assistant a person must get a bachelor’s degree in healthcare, healthcare experience, and a graduate degree from a physician assistant program. Then the person must pass exams to qualify them for board certification and state licensure. When a person has completed the requirements to become a PA, they can earn an annual salary of approximately $130,020.00 and have good job security.
A person seeking a bachelor’s degree should choose a science-focused major so they can apply credits toward PA school requirements. The work experience can be gained through HCE or PCE programs that are health industry work that is paid or unpaid and give a person experience in the medical field. About 1,000 hours or a year’s work are required by the graduate PA programs.
Make sure to apply for accredited physician assistant programs. This last educational requirement will train students in histology, clinical anatomy, pediatrics, medicine principles, and clinical therapeutics. These programs may also involve clerkships or clinical rotations.
What Do Physician’s Assistants Do?
PAs work with doctors to give medical treatment. The PA’s duties may include examining patients, helping doctors perform surgeries, diagnosing illnesses, writing prescriptions, creating patient treatment plans, and offering advice to patients concerning preventative care and good health practices.
PAs work in many medical settings including hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, schools, workplace clinics, correctional institutions, and more. There is no shortage of job opportunities for qualified physician’s assistants. PAs can choose to work in one setting or they can travel to different places where they are needed on a temporary basis.
Being a PA is a rewarding and well-paid career for those who want to work in the medical field.
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