In 1965, Duke University in North Carolina started the first PA (physician assistant) program. Many of the first students were medical corpsmen returning from the Vietnam war looking for a profession where they could use their experience.
At that time, the distribution of medical doctors was way out of proportion, and this new program was designed to help provide quality medical professionals to rural communities and lower socio-economic areas where there was a severe shortage of physicians. Today about one-third of PAs work in rural communities with populations less than 50,000.
Career Opportunities Will Grow
Only in recent years has Medicare begun to reimburse for care provided by physician assistants. This step has helped to open up opportunities for PAs and now it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of PAs by at least fifty percent over the next decade.
Education
The physician assistant program lasts at least two years. The average program takes 26.5 months to complete according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Applicants must have had two years of college education and some experience in the health care industry.
The first year of the PA program is classroom studies of sciences such as biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and pathology. They also study such subjects as pharmacology, health promotion and medical ethics.
The second year is comprised of clinical rotations in private practice as well as health care settings such as hospitals and clinics. Students rotate through family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics and radiology.
Certification/Licensure
Upon completion of an accredited PA program, PAs are eligible to sit for the national certifying exam administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Those who pass can use the title PA-C (physician assistant-certified).
Scope of Practice
PAs work under the supervision of a physician and can perform such duties as:
- physical examinations
- obtaining medical histories
- ordering laboratory test
- diagnosing illness
- treating illness
- assisting in surgery
- counseling patients
- educating patients and promoting wellness
- prescribing medications
This scope of practice varies by state laws, the extent of the PA training, and the specific health care setting. PAs can prescribe medications in all states.
Difference Between a PA and Nurse Practitioner
The PA and nurse practitioner careers seem similar and indeed in many ways they are. However, the education for a nurse practitioner is more intense and in most cases now requires a master's degree. A major difference is that the nurse practitioner (NP) can work on his/her own and doesn't have to be under the supervision of a physician, where as the PA must work under the supervision and license of a physician.
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