Physician Assistant Aspirations

What is a Physician Assistant? As a relatively new field of practice, this answer is often asked. Physician Assistants are also known as PAs. They practice medicine on a team all under the supervision of a doctor. The name is largely a misnomer as physician assistants are much more than mere “assistants”. They are educated to diagnose injuries and illnesses, provide treatment and examine patients. Typical responsibilities of a physician assistant include: reviewing patients’ medical histories, conducting physician exams, order and interpret diagnostic tests, give treatment, evaluate and counsel patients, and prescribe medicines (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor).

There were many events leading up to the origination of the physician assistant. The military necessity in times of war was one of these events that induced the use of “non-physicians” and helped pave a pathway for physician assistants. In 1940 a highly respected physician trained his own “doctor’s assistant” to tend his patients while he was away receiving further medical education. This event was a major success and a brief example of what was to come a mere fifteen years later.

For my Capstone Project, I chose the career as physician assistant. I worked hard throughout the year to make sure I make a good grade on the Capstone Project. I job shadowed at D.D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in the pain management unit. I spent most of the time observing my mentor while she performed check-ups on her patients. Also, I saw my mentor give injections to patients to help with pain.

I want to be a physician because I want people to grow old. At the age of 6, one of my closest friends was diagnosed with leukemia. By age 8, the disease claimed his life, robbing him of the opportunity to experience the privilege of growing old. Unfortunately, we live in a society of vanity. We see the process of aging and choose not to embrace it. As a physician, I would work with my patients so that they do not fear age, but rather welcome it. I want to effectively educate my patients so they may willingly choose to lead healthy lives and ultimately extend their days left in this world with their loved ones. I hope that as a caregiver, I am able to help my patients realize that a long, healthy life is far more fulfilling than a short, glamorous one.

I began my undergraduate education at Colorado State University in 2004. I declared my major as Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. At this point in my life, I had no clue what I wanted to do for my career and thought this would be the best option and give me the most diversity of career options. Going into my sophomore year, I began a job in the emergency department at the hospital located in the college town. During my first day, I got to see a variety of emergent and non-emergent medical procedures. The level of care that the varying healthcare professionals provided to these patients was fascinating and became intrigued to a career path in the medical field. Over the next couple of years, I narrowed the possibility

Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to make a difference and help anyone in need that I possibly could. From the start of my childhood, I can recall helping my mother care for my great grandparents, so they would be able to live out the rest of their lives from their home, instead of in a nursing home. As a young child it was extremely difficult to live with and watch my loved ones deteriorate as they got older, as their condition got worse and worse, and saw my mother having a difficult time keeping up with caring for both of my great grandparents 24/7, it put a lot of stress on the family. However, I am grateful to have been able to help my mother care for them. Growing up in such a caring and loving household made the situation

The Physician Assistant (PA) is an essential component of a medical staff. Their duties include, Examining and treating patients, ordering and interpreting diagnostics, educating patients, and promoting overall health and wellness (“Physicians Assistants”. (2015, December 17). Retrieved May 26, 2016, from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm). Physician Assistants work in many different areas of medicine under the direct supervision of a primary care physician. 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

In 1968, American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) formerly known as the American Association of Physician Assistants was established in North Carolina by the first graduate students of Duke University Physician Assistant program. Since then PA profession has grown to tremendous heights. The mission statement of the AAPA is, “To ensure the professional growth, personal excellence, and recognition of the physician assistants, and to support their efforts to enable then to improve the quality, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered health care.” The physician assistant profession has shown remarkable growth since its first PAs started practice in 1967.

Physician Assistants (PAs) practice medicine on a team overseen by doctors. They examine patients all throughout the day and help people. They are trained to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and provide treatment. PAs work in different areas of medicine, from doctors’ offices of various specialties to clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms. Their work depends on their specialty and what their supervising physician needs them to do. They might be the primary care provider at clinics where a physician is only there one or two days out of the week. Physician Assistants also can make house calls or visit nursing homes and then report back to the physician afterward (“Summary”). In the mid-1960s, physicians

Ever since my cousin Paul, whom I’ve always looked up to, went to college and became a PA, I’ve wanted to follow in his footsteps. The definition of a physician assistant is “someone qualified to assist a physician and carry out routine clinical procedures under the supervision of a physician.” However, physician assistants can be so much more than that. They work in numerous fields such as pediatrics, obstetrics, orthopaedics, and with several health care providers such as nurses, surgeons, and physicians. I want to be a physician assistant because I want to be the face that people see throughout the healing process.

I thought I knew what career path I wanted for my future, with that in mind, I sought a degree in Fitness and Human Performance to continue with a career in Occupational Therapy. In this career choice, the way I got to help patients was through therapy. While taking classes, I realized Occupational Therapy is not what I truly was passionate about. I decided to take my mother’s advice and choose what I truly love to do, which is to help people all around and I believe the nursing program would be the best fit. I am currently completing my certified nurse program to proceed with a job as a patient care technician. I believe a job as a certified nurse assistant will give me a better insight while working beside nurses and observe what set of skills nurses use.

Working in different settings and meeting new people that need to be taken care of has always interested me. The job I want to have while I go to college is the very challenging role of a Medical Assistant. Due to the experiences that have happened in my life, I believe that becoming a medical assistant is the best career choice for me.

I wish to explore other settings such as residential care facilities and schools. Not only are these experiences valuable to my career but they are important tasks while searching for a job. With additional practice and surveillance I learn about the industry’s prospects and etiquette. I am able to ask questions, examine opportunities and become directly exposed to the tasks catered by the OT’s. My long-term goals consist of owning a license and beginning to work in either a hospital setting for pediatric healthcare or inpatient rehabilitation. After contributing a number of hours of work experience I would like to earn a specialty certification in neuro-developmental treatment or stroke rehabilitation. Ultimately, I am interested in earning an accreditation in pediatrics to enhance my professional autonomy and open up my own treatment center. I can positively see myself helping children reach their true potential and increase their

My future career objective is to become an Anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologist play an important role in patients which are undergoing surgery or any other medical procedure. They often included in the process before, during, and after the procedure by determining the exact appropriate amount of anesthesia a patient receives. During surgery, it is essential that they monitor a patient’s overall health and the reaction the patient gives off to the anesthetic that is given. A typical day for an Anesthesiologist revolves around a busy schedule. At times Anesthesiologist may follow a daily planned routine, while in other occasions it might be filled with chaos due to the unexpected factor found in any medical field related career. In addition,

One of my future goals and the most important one is to become a doctor. It is my life dream, and the only thing I am seeking for. Doctor is someone capable to save and help others life in ways that are not possible in other careers. Being a doctor for me is not just like any job, it is achieving a dream I have since I was 6 years old. One of the main reasons I picked this major is my family; my family members are almost all doctors, and my dad too. I have been growing up seeing my dad as a doctor, and he really loves his job, so automatically I got it from him. Many people pick this major to make money, but my dad always says, “This job is not for making money as much to help people and save their lives”. He taught me that people don’t have to pay to check their health, if they are not able to pay it is not a problem, you do your job as you should do and he always say if you care about money in this career, you won’t be successful at it. That is how I initially begun picking this major.