As a physician assistant (PA), you will have practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. Generally, physician assistants are usually required to at least have four years of experience in the health field prior to becoming a physician assistant. Many people group physician assistant and medical assistant together as the same profession, when they are two different jobs. A medical assistant performs routine clinical and clerical tasks.
The physician assistants’ job is the same as the doctor’s functions and you handle all the cases and the most complex patient cases. A physician assistant’s job is to practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician.
Learn how you can become a physician assistant in Ohio and basic requirements nationwide. Discover how you can start making a great salary and become a doctor’s go to person. You will have to be dedicated in becoming experienced in health care. The average salary for a physician assistant is around $80,000 per year and it is a rapidly growing career all over the country. Start working your way to an extremely rewarding career.
Job Description for Physician Assistants
Obviously by the job title physician assistants assist and are supervised by a doctor. They also see and treat patients just as a doctor does. The job description for a physician assistant is very similar to the description of a doctor. A physician assistant is responsible for direct patient care, also including patient diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. They also have the ability to write patient prescriptions for medication. Physician assistants work in a few different settings such as fast-track departments in emergency rooms, internal medicine practices, and in acute primary care settings. There are physician assistants that specialize in pediatrics, geriatric care, or surgery.
General Job Duties for Physician Assistants
Job duties for physician assistants can be challenging at some stages, but rewarding when you assist in saving someone’s life. Physician assistants are very vital to operations running smoothly within the hospital. They do things like taking medical histories or examining and treating patients. Physician assistants are also sometimes responsible for treating minor injuries. Like mention above, they also have the authority to prescribe medication to patients. Another responsibility for a physician assistant is ordering and analyzing lab tests and x-rays. They also do various types of managerial duties, supervising certain medical staff, and ordering supplies for the hospital.
Work Environment for Physician Assistants
There are many different work environments for physician assistants, not just in the hospital. A majority of people in this profession work in a private practice office or clinic. Next highest employed place for physician assistants is hospitals nationwide. They work in many other places however such as; temporary help agencies, schools, prisons, home health care agencies, public health clinics, and various other places. When you are in training to become a physician assistant you will be able to start working in any area of medicine. Over 50 percent of physician assistants work mostly in primary care medicine. Nearly 20% of people in this profession work in surgery or other surgical subspecialties. So you may work in many different settings and environments.
Education for Physician Therapists
To be successful in your education to become a physician therapist, you must gain as much medical experience as you can. To get into a great physician assistant program, they will look into your medical experience and they love applicants that have broad medical knowledge. Usually for most physician assistant programs, the applicants must at least have 2 years of hands on patient care. Most of the applicants that apply to physician assistant programs are nursing assistants, athletic trainers, medical assistants, physical therapy technicians, military medics, emergency medical technicians, and other jobs in health care.
Most physician assistant programs want people to have a bachelor’s degree. There are other various classes that are required like science. Standard classes that these schools want you to have taken are microbiology, biology 101, math, English, anatomy, and physiology. Other science classes that physician assistants will take are biochemistry, disease prevention, pharmacology, and a few more courses. As you progress through the program you will focus towards inpatient medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, psychiatry, and pediatrics.
Before you commit to a certain physician assistant program, you should do research on other physician assistant programs available. Look into their student requirements for physician assistants. Check out all the physician assistant programs in your area and do proper research on them to see which one is best for you. Physician assistants are trained in intensive and challenging education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Certification for Physician Therapists
Upon graduation, physical assistants must take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of PAs in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. Physician assistants must also maintain their national certification, they must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years and get a recertification every 6 years. The final examination that is taken after graduation from an accredited physician assistant program is required for state licensure in Ohio and nationwide.
Physician Assistants in Ohio
There are 2 major hospitals located in Ohio, along with many smaller hospitals are always looking for new physician assistants. The military always has a large need for this profession in Ohio as well. Physician Assistants are in the top 10 growing jobs in Ohio and the demand is steadily increases. There are 5 major physician assistant schools in Ohio that are accredited programs. These schools include; Cuyahoga Community College Physician Assistant Program, Kettering College Physician Assistant Studies, Findlay (Ohio) Physician Assistant Program, Marietta College Physician Assistant Studies, and Medical College of Ohio Physician Assistant Program.
