P.A.-Another Health Profession

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Have you wondered of becoming a physician assistant? Well you should give a thought for it, it is an interesting career. A physician assistant (P.A.) is a licensed health professional who practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. Like physicians, PA's can work in any specific area, such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Others specialty areas include general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. The only difference between a physician and a PA is that the time spent in school. Obviously physicians spent more time in school than PA's but their curriculum is the same.
You are probably wondering by the job of a PA. and their job compared to a physician. Well PA's perform physical exams, diagnose illnesses, develop and carry out treatment plans, order and interpret lab tests, suture wounds, assist in surgery, provide preventive health care counseling, and in some states they have the right to prescribe medication. Physician assistants cannot perform surgery but they can perform pre- and post-operative care.
Although it takes less time to become a PA than a physician, they still have to go a long way. It is not that simple. Physician assistant program require 2 years of college and some work experience in the healthcare field. Some courses include biology, English, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, anatomy and pharmacology, microbiology, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, surgery, and psychology. A state law requires require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistants National Certifying Examination. Well if you think that is all the education required you are mistaken. In order to remain certified, PA's must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years. Every 6 years, they must pass a recertification examination or complete an alternative program combining learning experiences and a take-home examination.
After going through a long way, it would not be hard to find a job. The job opportunities of a PA has increased over the years. The number of jobs is greater than the number of practicing Pas. Statistics show that Median annual earnings of physician assistants in 2002 were $65,910 in general medical and surgical hospitals and $64,170 in offices of physicians. ?According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, median income for physician assistants in full-time clinical practice in 2003 was about $72,457; median income for first-year graduates was about $63,437. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience.
Physician Assistant program is not the only allied health field, Another allied health field is medical technology. In medical technology, instead of working with patients you will work with medical tools, such a BP machines and other surgical devices. This is another interesting alternate medical career. Other allied health fields are occupational therapy, nursing, and environmental health scientist

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