PAPCA Presents…
“Introduction to the PA Profession”
What is a Physician Assistant? “A Physician Assistant is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional. PAs practice medicine on health care teams with physicians and other providers and practice in all 50 states. Most PA programs are 26 months long and require students to have about three years of healthcare training and experience which includes up to 2,000 + hours of clinical rotations.” ➢
American Academy of Physician Assistants
What can PAs do? PAs can: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
take a patient’s medical history conduct physical exams diagnose and treat illnesses order and interpret tests develop treatment plans counsel on preventive care assist in surgery write prescriptions make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes much more!
http://www.aapa.org/landingquestion.aspx?id=290
What areas of medicine can PAs practice in? Physician Assistant can work in any area of medicine that they choose. Some of the areas include: ● family medicine ● internal medicine ● pediatrics ● OB-GYN ● surgery ● emergency medicine ● behavioral medicine ● many others!
Quick History of the PA Profession 1799: Congress passes a bill authorizing the Navy to use hospital mates to assist physicians in care of sailors. 1898: Congress passes a bill authorizing establishment of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps 1965: The nation’s first “physician assistant” educational program is created at Duke University by Dr. Eugene A. Stead, Jr.. The Program accepts four former Navy medical corpsmen. 2013 (March): There are 170 PA Programs accredited in the United States. There are 105,216 certified physician assistants to date. http://www.pahx.org/
For Your Information: Statistics on Current PAs
Statistics continued...
Overview of other Medical Professionals What if you think PA isn’t right for you? There are many other choices! ● Doctor of Medicine/ Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine ● Physician Assistant ● Nurse Practitioner/ Registered Nurse ● Emergency Medical Services
MD Doctor of Medicine (MD) Allopathic approach - use of external remedies (such as surgery and/or drugs) in order to treat patients. 4 years of undergrad; 4 years of medical school Require MCAT; USMLE Salary: Varies by specialty â—?
DO Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Osteopathic approach - use of massage therapy on structural parts of the body (such as muscles and bones) in order to treat patients. 4 years of undergrad; 4 years of medical school (receive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)) Require MCAT; COMLEX Salary: Varies by specialty â—?
PA PA’s are nationally certified and state licensed medical professionals that practice under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. Duties: •Examine patients •Diagnose injuries and illnesses •Provide treatment -Can prescribe medication in all 50 states Job Outlook: •Employment projected to grow 39% in next 8 yrs •The median annual income is $93, 105.
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154 accredited PA educational programs in the United States Most PA programs award a masterʼs degree and must complete: − − − − −
400 hours in basic sciences 75 hours in pharmacology 175 hours in behavioral sciences Nearly 580 hours of clinical medicine 2,000 hours of clinical rotations
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Must pass a national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
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Must earn and log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and take a recertification examination every ten years
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Must have state authorization—a license, registration or certification—and work with the direction of a physician
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The “PA-C” after a PA’s name means they are currently certified.
RN/APRN/NP RN - Registered Nurse (2.7million employed in 2011) -
Must complete an RN education program from an accredited university (2 or 4 year program) NCLEX-RN - national nursing licensing exam
APRN -
NP -
(sometimes seen APN) - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse APRNs must attain a Master’s degree, typically a Master of Science in Nursing - must have a bachelor’s degree to apply to a Master’s program - Nurse Practitioner APRNs have 4 distinctions, the most common being NP
Emergency Medical Services â—? Definition of EMS would be a medical service that provides acute out-ofhospital care, vital prehospital care, and transportation to definitive care. â—?
EMR, EMT-B, EMT-A, EMT-P (Paramedic), Lifestar/Cross-Trained Paramedics
Emergency Medical Services Relationships with PAs: assume care of from EMS in hospital, can work on specialized teams with one another Differences: Pay is much higher for PAs, PAs can prescribe meds when Paramedics give meds with medical cause
Questions? If you have any questions on the materials on the slides for this Powerpoint, please contact us at uconnpapca@gmail.com!