Why do physician assistants exist

PAs have excellent job prospects We all know that doctors are always in demand, but PAs rarely struggle to find work either. In fact, many clinics where surgeries are not performed prefer to hire physician's assistants to save cash.

Busy physicians are often on the lookout for skilled physician's assistants to attend to their noncritical cases. The future also looks bright for physician assistants as this occupation is projected to grow 37 percent from to , much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the BLS.

As demand for health care services grows, physician assistants will be needed to provide care to patients. Becoming a doctor isn't the only way to enjoy a fulfilling career in medicine.

For these reasons, some people may find working as a physician assistant more rewarding. Considering a career as an nurse practitioner or physician assistant?

Here are the similarities and differences between the two occupations. There are plenty of ways to work with kids if you want a career that focuses on the next generation.

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Get emails of the newest jobs posted and be the first to apply. Job Title. Email Address. Privacy Policy. No Thanks Sign Me Up. Career and Job Advice Discovery. If you want to work in medicine but becoming a doctor isn't in the cards for you, consider a career as a physician assistant instead. Certified PAs tend to be women While they practice in all 50 states, particularly high rates per capita were recorded in Alaska, Pennsylvania, Maine, South Dakota, and New York.

Population figures, while useful, are only part of the equation. Who are these physician assistants? What's driving demand for them? And how permanent an effect will empowered certified PAs have on the medical field of the future? The official physician assistant role is a relatively new one.

John McGinnity, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants AAPA , told NewsWorks that the profession began back in the late s, when there was a pressing need for primary care physicians and a shortage of qualified medical help in rural areas. Sound at all familiar? To accommodate new PAs and get them up to speed, McGinnity explained, accelerated medical school programs modeled on those used for doctors in World War II were established.

Because PA training lasts only two to three years rather than the decade required to become a physician, PAs were quickly able to improve access to care. Until the mids, the majority of PAs worked in primary care facilities. Since then, however, the percentage of PAs in primary care has fallen from almost 51 percent to less than one-third, according to Annals of Family Medicine. State licensure laws vary; check with your local state board for further information.

One of the main differences between PA education and physician education is not the core content of the curriculum, but the amount of time spent in formal education. In addition to time in school, physicians are required to do an internship, and the majority also complete a residency in a specialty following that.

PAs do not have to undertake an internship or residency. A physician has complete responsibility for the care of the patient. PAs share that responsibility with the supervising physicians. The relationship between a PA and the supervising physician is one of mutual trust and respect. The physician assistant is a representative of the physician, treating the patient in the style and manner developed and directed by the supervising physician.

The physician and PA practice as members of a medical team. These are based on the unique relationship of physician assistants who recognize themselves as agents of physicians with respect to delegated medical acts and legal responsibilities.

In all settings, physician assistants recognize physician supervision in the delivery of patient care.