Being a Physician Assistant (PA) is an incredibly popular career choice for those interested in the medical field, and for good reason. Pay is competitive, and the need continues to grow, and most importantly a PA dedicates their work to helping others and alleviating their suffering. However, before you dive into a career as a Physician Assistant, you must educate yourself on the opportunities and challenges involved. Read on to do this.
Physician assistant career advancement tips:
1. Education
To be a PA you will need to have completed a PA masters program, and passed the PANCE (see below). There are prerequisites you will need to be able to get into a physician assistant master’s program. For example, if you have a bachelor’s degree in the arts you won’t be able to get on, as PA masters only take STEM bachelor’s degrees.
However, a pass in a PA Baccalaureate program, or some experience within the medical field, may also get you in if you do not have a STEM degree qualification.
2. License and insurance
To begin a PA career you will need to be properly licensed and insured. Licensing will be via the PANCE program, otherwise known as the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. You must pass the PANCE exam which measures medical knowledge and clinical skills to practice as a PA.
Physician Assistants will also need the correct insurance before they can practice, and this means medical malpractice insurance is a must. Then you, your career, and your finances will be protected if you make a mistake or if a patient files a claim against you. Something that can be fairly common in the medical world.
3. Responsibilities
PAs can do a great many things that a regular physician can do including assessing patients, making diagnoses and offering treatments. However, there are some things that a PA cannot do that a doctor can and these include prescribing medications and ordering X-rays. It’s also helpful to note that while PAs and physicians often work side by side when dealing with patients, physicians do return the ultimate responsibility for their care and so have the last say when it comes to treatment.
4. Specialities
PAs are found in every speciality where there is a physician. That means you can work as a PA in a hospital or urgent care center, or at the offices of specialists including psychiatry, orthopaedics, or oncology. Dermatology is also a pretty popular specialism at the moment, as it offers plenty of challenges and opportunities for career growth.
Considering which area you would like to specialize in early on in your career can be helpful, as it can help you get the necessary experience to be competitive in the job market.
5. Career Advancement
You can advance your PA career in several ways including working towards your doctorate and getting involved with research. Indeed, many PAs who have been working within a specialism for several years continue to research in that area. This is because they have a very clear idea of the problems that patients and medical staff are facing, as well as the impact that new approaches and treatments can have.
