This document is one in a series designed to provide basic information about mainline health professions and the Premedical Office at Xavier University of Louisiana. This document is intended for information purposes regarding the field of Physician Assistant; Xavier University of Louisiana does NOT have a Physician Assistant program. Please go to http://www.paeaonline.org/ to view a list of Physician Assistant programs by state.
What is a Physician Assistant? The Physician Assistant (PA) profession began in the mid-1960s when physicians and educators recognized the shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians. Some of the first individuals who enrolled in PA programs were Navy corpsmen who had received extensive medical training during their military service during the War in Vietnam. The Physician Assistant is a health care professional who is licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician, performing many of the tasks traditionally performed exclusively by physicians. In some rural or inner city clinics where a physician may be present only a few days each week, PAs may serve as the principal healthcare providers. PAs can be found in all medical and surgical specialties, and in a wide variety of practice, educational and research settings.
What Do Physician Assistants Do? PAs are formaly trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative healthcare services, as delegated by a physician. PAs take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret lab tests and x-rays, and make diagnoses. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting. In addition to recording progress notes and offering instruction and counsel to patients, PAs in 50 States and the District of Columbia prescribe medications. PAs may also supervise technicians and assistants, and perform other managerial duties. The duties of PAs are determined by the supervising physician and by State Law.
Is There a Need for Physician Assistants? Yes!! Employment of PAs is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations due to the anticipated expansion of the health services industry. Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more PAs to provide primary care and assistance with medical and surgical procedures because PAs are cost-effective and productive members of the healthcare team. There is a dire need for PAs in rural and inner-city clinics since these settings usually have difficulty attracting physicians. Besides traditional office-based environments, PAs are needed in hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics, and prisons.
What Are The Requirements for Entry into a Physician Assistant program? There are currently more than 140 accredited education programs in the U.S. for Physician Assistants. Most of these programs offer master's degree, and others offer bachelors and/or doctoral degrees. The requirements for entry into PA programs are essentially the same as for entry into medical or dental school--that is, the student must complete general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and at least two years of college (a degree is usually preferred). For additional comments regarding general requirements you should refer to the previous documents in this Information series, particularly Info5: Requirements for Entry Into Medical or Dental School. Students interested in PA should contact individual schools for specific requirements and visit the Physician Assistant Education Association(PAEA) at http://www.paeaonline.org/. In addition, most PA programs require students to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). There are some PA programs that accept the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) in place of the GRE (contact individual programs for more info). Most PA programs require applicants to have extensive experience in the healthcare field (e.g. paramedic, nurse, hospital volunteer, orderly, etc.). Students interested in PA should contact the schools in which they are interested during their freshman year of college to determine what, if any, specialized courses are required for entry.
What Is the Curriculum in a Physician Assistant program? PAs are educated to provide a broad range of medical and surgical services under the supervision of a physician. Therefore, their education is designed broadly for the detection of many health problems. Most PA programs last at least two years and are full time. The first year of PA education provides a broad grounding in medical principles with a focus on their clinical applicability. This curriculum typically consists of coursework in the basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical lab sciences, behavioral science, and medical ethics. In the second year, students receive hands-on clinical training through a series of clerkships or rotations in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Rotations include family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry. Prior to graduation, PA students complete an average over 2,000 hours of supervised clinical practice. PAs are required to pass the Physician Assistants National Certifying Examination which is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only those successfully completing the examination may use the credential "Physician Assistant-Certified." In order to remain certified, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years, and every 6 years, they must pass a recertification exam.
Where To Obtain Additional Information about Physician Assistant
