How does one become a physician assistant in surgery?

[mednoob]

A friend of mine is considering becoming a surgical PA, but he's unsure of the path. So to do specifically surgery as a PA, one needs to do undergrad, then 2 years of PA school, then what comes after that? Does PA school train you how to do surgery? Or is there additional training after PA school required to become solely a PA doing surgery?

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[dfk]

A friend of mine is considering becoming a surgical PA, but he's unsure of the path. So to do specifically surgery as a PA, one needs to do undergrad, then 2 years of PA school, then what comes after that? Does PA school train you how to do surgery? Or is there additional training after PA school required to become solely a PA doing surgery?

why isn't your "friend" researching this?

 

[primadonna22274]

1. PA school. 2nd year, do extra surgery rotations. Do a clinical project in surgery. Get a surgical PA job. The first several years will be a steep learning curve, but he'll get there.
2. Surgical PA program. (There are a few, don't remember where they are.) PA with surgical emphasis. Then get a job in surgery.
3. PA school. 2nd year, lots of surgery rotations. Then surgical PA residency, where he'll get in-depth training at a major medical center and a nice certificate or possibly a master's out of it (not sure how valuable that is if you already got a master's in PA).

Refer your friend to www.aapa.org to research this, or to the PA forum www.physicianassistantforum.com

Good luck

Lisa PA-C (definitely NOT a surgical PA so ignore at will)

 

[deleted6669]

the surgical focus programs are cornell and u.alabama last time I checked although any pa program with electives in surgery and/or a residency will do.
see www.appap.org for residencies for pa's.

 

[mednoob]

why isn't your "friend" researching this?

He's living in the Stone Age and doesn't have a computer.

 

[mednoob]

1. PA school. 2nd year, do extra surgery rotations. Do a clinical project in surgery. Get a surgical PA job. The first several years will be a steep learning curve, but he'll get there.
2. Surgical PA program. (There are a few, don't remember where they are.) PA with surgical emphasis. Then get a job in surgery.
3. PA school. 2nd year, lots of surgery rotations. Then surgical PA residency, where he'll get in-depth training at a major medical center and a nice certificate or possibly a master's out of it (not sure how valuable that is if you already got a master's in PA).

Refer your friend to www.aapa.org to research this, or to the PA forum www.physicianassistantforum.com

Good luck

Lisa PA-C (definitely NOT a surgical PA so ignore at will)

Oh cool thx

 

[mednoob]

the surgical focus programs are cornell and u.alabama last time I checked although any pa program with electives in surgery and/or a residency will do.
see www.appap.org for residencies for pa's.

Yeah I heard Cornell has a good program...might wanna tell my friend to check that one out, must be competitive as heck though, Cornell is Cornell