Kasper
Jake Kasper
Ms. Moore
English 12A, Period 2
12 December 2022
Physician Assistant
Choosing a career is arguably the most important decision one can make. There are thousands of options, so how does one know which is the best? When choosing a career, it is best to assess yourself. Knowing one's values, skills, and aptitudes, as well as one's personality is helpful in choosing a career. Personal values and skills are the reason a career in the medical field is the best choice. Knowing that one will be able to provide quality care to improve the lives of many is one of the greatest rewards of any job in the medical field. There were days one will think of being a nurse, others a surgeon, and even sometimes a doctor. The Official team
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There is not one element, but rather a confluence of factors that is driving the healthcare field to grow so fast. Some of the factors driving the increased demand include, the physician assistant shortage and cost effectiveness. Students recognize this trend and pursue careers in healthcare by enrolling in healthcare programs. For physician assistants specifically, the demand is very high due to the fact that physicians cannot be produced fast enough. Due to the lack of physicians, ?The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics projects that the profession will increase thirty seven percent from 2016 to 2026, significantly faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for PAs is so high that three quarters of PAs receive multiple job offers upon graduation? (?What Is a PA?). As generations continue to grow and age, more healthcare services will be needed to treat patients and provide proper care. Like many careers in the medical field, there are factors that tend to influence salary. Some of these factors include the education level, the size of practice, and degree. ?Physician assistants who play a greater role in the treatment of patients often have bargaining leverage to boost their salaries? (?Physician Assistant?). The highest paid speciality for a PA is Dermatology with an annual salary of $113,063. A physician assistant who specializes in Dermatology …show more content…
Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physician Assistants, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited October 07, 2019).
"History of the Profession." BU School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program, www.bu.edu/paprogram/pa-profession/history-of-the-profession/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
"How to Become a Physician Assistant." GetEducated, 2019, www.geteducated.com/careers/how-to-become-a-physician-assistant. Accessed 3 Nov. 2019.
"How to Become a Physician Assistant: Physician Assistant Programs and Careers." Learn How to Become, 2019, www.learnhowtobecome.org/physician-assistant/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2019.
NCCPA. "Certified PAs at the Forefront of 2019 Health Care Trends." PR Newswire, 13 Dec. 2018, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/certified-pas-at-the-forefront-of-2019-health-care-trends-300764811.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2019.
"The PA Profession." Yale School of Medicine, 24 Sept. 2019, medicine.yale.edu/pa/profession/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2019.
"Physician Assistant." Explore Health Careers, Liaison International, 2019, explorehealthcareers.org/career/medicine/physician-assistant/. Accessed 18 Oct.
For this assignment, I conducted research to find the, required professional certifications, and program accreditations needed to perform work in this field, the overall job outlook, salary, personality traits fit for this position, and consequently, I outlined my career goals. With my degree in health science from Kaplan University and other
Every state in the US has an affiliated chapter branching from the national organization that advocates for all Physician Assistants, known as the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). The American Academy of Physician Assistants handles licensing requirements, networking opportunities, job resources, and provides tools to improve PA practice and patient care for each state and federal service chapter. These individual state affiliations branching from the AAPA are pertinent to the Physician Assistant profession because they allow for more direct and local resources for Physician Assistants. Having an individual state chapter makes it easier to find local jobs in the area and get answers to questions about each state law requirement.
Physician assistants work under the supervision of a physician. The service provided by a PA is contingent upon their education, experience, the state laws, facility policies and the needs of the patients at the practice. The standards which defines the service that PAs provide allow for faster, effective and specialized health care. Physician Assistants are licensed to obtain patient medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret test, develop treatment plans, assist in surgery, write prescriptions for controlled substances, and educate and counsel patients.
I admire the mission statement of the PAS program, as I am a firm believer in providing excellent care to all populations. A Physician Assistant, as well as any other medical professional, should provide compassionate care to those needing it, despite their financial status, race, disabilities, and more. As a future PA, I want to advocate for all populations and let their voices be heard, inside and outside of the walls of medicine. One reason I am compassionate about advocating for my patients is because I understand what it is like to be in their shoes.
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant requires that each PA program provide, "…classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis), followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine" (AAPA, 2000). Physician assistants are trained to serve as clinical partners to primary care physicians, handling routine office visits, taking call, and performing inpatient rounds so that the physician is freed up to handle more clinically intensive patient needs (Russel Johns Associates, 2001). Additionally, some PAs support physicians in certain specialty areas such as anesthesiology, radiology, neurology, and gastroenterology performing various levels of technical procedures based on supplemental training and physician granted autonomy (Grandinetti,
Physician assistant programs look for applicants who have a history of collaborating effectively with others in a professional setting, as physician assistants usually work closely with the doctors who supervise them (such as in research, business, etc.). Additional valuable training in influencing others' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors is provided by leadership roles. For this Jawaira 4 reason, it is crucial to have prior experience managing a team of people in a structured environment, such as working as a manager at work, a captain of a sporting team, a resident assistant in a dorm, a wilderness guide, or a military officer (Quick Facts: Physician
Many careers have rewarding benefits, and PAs are no exception. Kasey D'Amato states, "A new PA may receive some benefits including: paid time off, health insurance, malpractice insurance, CME allowance, or 401k (Kasey D'Amato). For a beginner, those are very grand benefits. PAs also received a lofty median compensation of $121,530 in May 2021 (Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physician Assistants). The employment of PAs is projected to grow by 31% from 2020-2030 (Physician Assistant).
Thank you for taking the time to review my personal statement on why I have chosen to embark on the journey to become a Physician Assistant. My story started several years ago, more than I care to count, when I stumbled into the health care world as a paramedic in rural Pennsylvanian. While in high school, I became friends with several other students who were actively volunteering with a local fire department. After hearing their stories about the things they were learning and doing I also joined a volunteer fire department, mostly out of curiosity. Over the course of a couple of years I discovered that the challenges that I encountered during training and responding to emergencies had unlocked some unrealized, more like unknown, drive inside
https://www.nursingprocess.org/cna-vs-cma.html HealthCare Career College. (2021). Five Fun facts about medical assistants. https://healthcarecareercollege.edu/5-fun-facts-about-medical-assistants/ NurseJournal. (2022).
Medical assistants learn both administrative and clinical skills, making them versatile and valuable employees. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), medical assistants are trained to work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. They learn medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical law and ethics, pharmacology, and clinical procedures. This broad knowledge base prepares medical assistants to work in different departments, including dermatology, cardiology, pediatrics, and obstetrics.
Being a physician assistant pays well and gives me job security meaning with the right years of experience I can obtain my job for the long term. There is also career and schedule flexibility because
But, Why PA school? Why not just go to medical school? I’ve gotten this question from a lot of people and it’s a question I’ve had to ask myself as well. PAs work interdependently with their supervising physician to “take patient histories, perform physical examinations, order laboratory, and diagnostic studies, prescribe medications, and develop patient
A Medical Assistant is an allied health professional that supports the work of physicians and other health professionals, usually in a clinic setting. They are four easy steps to do to become a Medical Assistant. The very first step is to go to school. Most Medical Assistants go to school for two years, usually at a community college or vocational school. What I really like about this career is that Medical Assistants programs are both abundant and flexible, no matter what your situation is you can always find a school to suit your schedule.
However, in some cases, the physician assistant can perform autonomously. Being a physician assistant is typically full-time work and at times can be physically and emotionally demanding. A prospective PA must be able to work long hours on their feet, have good
The top physician assistant specialties that currently spark my interest are the pediatric practice, the surgical practice and the emergency department. I have previously shadowed all three fields in my pervious journey to obtaining my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) licenses. The fields interested me because of the work required and the environments they worked in. However, any field would be fine with me as long as their primary mission is focused on the bettering of patient’s health.