College of
Health, Environment and Science
Physician assistant agreement boosts career opportunities No medical school, no huge debt, more freedom to pick your specialty, yet all of the satisfaction of delivering health care. These are the benefits of becoming a physicians’ assistant, one of the fastest growing occupations in the country. Recognizing this and wanting to help students “get there,” the College of Health, Environment and Science launched a new physician assistant articulation program this fall with Chatham University in Pittsburgh, said Wendy Stuhldreher, Slippery Rock University assistant to the dean of the College of Health, Environment and Science. “The reason physician assistants are becoming so popular has to do with changes in health care delivery – cost containment – and the trend of more and more physicians specializing,” Stuhldreher said. “There is a need for primary-care, health care providers and PAs make a wonderful, cost-effective way to manage primary care.” The articulation agreement is open to new freshmen. Freshmen are eligible to select the specialization if they major in athletic training, biology, exercise science or public health. It is not a fasttrack program. Students graduate in four years and then transition to the master’s degree program at Chatham. The master’s degree prepares graduates to be certified and licensed extenders of health care, working most often with a primary care physician. 38
The ROCK
Fall 2012
Physician assistants see patients but work under the supervision of a physician. While they cannot practice on their own, Stuhldreher said they are excellent at delivering primary care. “It is very cost effective for PAs to manage hypertension, well-baby visits, high cholesterol and more conditions that need monitoring,” she said. “That frees the MDs to provide the more complex care. Many PAs work in surgery or dermatology as well, supporting the physician. As the population ages, PAs will have a huge role in management of geriatric care.” Wherever there are physicians, there can be a physician assistant, because PAs pick their speciality. “As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and prescribe medications,” Stuhldreyer said. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the median annual income for full-time physician assistants is $90,000. The association projects employment in the field to increase 39 percent to 103,900 by 2018. “Many more of our students are interested in physician assistant graduate programs, so the College of Health, Environment and Science thought the time was right for investigating ways to help our students get there,” Stuhldreyer said.