Questions about PA

Started by boulux
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boulux

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First of all, I've never really heard about physician assistants before well... today? Where I live, there's no PA, so let's make it short I didn't even knew it existed and I'm asking myself a lot of questions about PA. I'm not trying to open a can of worms, so please keep this discussion civilized (pipe dream I know, it's SDN after all, lol)

-I went through some schools curriculum and wow those programs look really good "on paper". What kind of medical rights do PA's have? Can do actually do some cool stuff like diagnosis, some small procedures, etc?

-Are some people doing PA school, after their prerequisites, then bump their GPA in PA school before applying to med school? I'm sorry, I don't really know the whole process to enter med school in the states (besides the prereqs, mcat, gpa, extracuriculars, ...) Anyways, sounds like PA school is an awesome back-up to med school in case you can't get it...

-Are PA generally any good? It's only "2" years after all and here, well it takes 3 years of university to be a nurse (after 2 years of prereqs after secondary school). 2 years seems very short to me. Do they have to do a M.Sc afterwards in order to be able to practice legally? U Wisconsin-Madison writes on their website that "The PA Program is in the early stages of making the transition from an undergraduate program to a graduate program. Although the timeline is uncertain, it is likely that within the next 2-5 years the undergraduate program will no longer be offered and all students will need to complete another undergraduate major. " Does it means that those doing only the 2 years can't do anything with their diploma? Or does it simply means that you have to major in something first, then apply to PA school like if it were med school?

-Also, what kind of overall contribution do you think that PA's offer to the health care system? After reading a little bit about this profession, I'm starting to think that we should really have PA here, it seems like it would help the heck out of our system!

-Finally, why is there not more people wanting to go in this field if they can't get admitted in med school???

Thanks in advance for your replies!
 
you have plenty of researching to do. the person going to reply and answer your questions has major work in their hands.
 
onthego said:
you have plenty of researching to do. the person going to reply and answer your questions has major work in their hands.
Click to expand...

I'll put it in other words.

-In short, what PA can (or can't) do?
Suturing? Diagnosis? Small procedures?

-Is there people going to PA school then med school?

-In short, do you personally feel that the training is too short to make a very qualified professional?

-Do you think that they really help the health care system, because I feel they are a major piece lacking in my system (with no PA)?

That's it, I'm pretty sure someone can give his opinion on the subject rather quickly...
 
boulux said:
I'll put it in other words.

-In short, what PA can (or can't) do?
Suturing? Diagnosis? Small procedures?

-Is there people going to PA school then med school?

-In short, do you personally feel that the training is too short to make a very qualified professional?

-Do you think that they really help the health care system, because I feel they are a major piece lacking in my system (with no PA)?

That's it, I'm pretty sure someone can give his opinion on the subject rather quickly...
Click to expand...

PA's can do about 80% of the things MD's do I've heard.
Yes, there are some PA's that go onto med school. Common reasons include: limitations of PA, salary, prestige, etc. You can do a lot more with an MD.
Even though the training is short, PA's can still do many things, and I don't think the training is too short. Students in PA school learn quite a bit in those two years. Yes, they do really help the healthcare system and are excellent subsitutes for docs, though they can't do everything, they can still do quite a bit as I mentioned before.
 
boulux said:
First of all, I've never really heard about physician assistants before well... today? Where I live, there's no PA, so let's make it short I didn't even knew it existed and I'm asking myself a lot of questions about PA. I'm not trying to open a can of worms, so please keep this discussion civilized (pipe dream I know, it's SDN after all, lol)

-I went through some schools curriculum and wow those programs look really good "on paper". What kind of medical rights do PA's have? Can do actually do some cool stuff like diagnosis, some small procedures, etc?

PAs practice medicine. That includes diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. They also assist in surgery and manage patients in both an inpatient and outpatient setting. They are licensed in all 50 states and have prescriptive privileges in all 50 states (as well as DC and Guam). The PA scope of practice is defined by the physician they work with. PAs always work with physician supervision. For more on the PA profession try here:
http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html


-Are some people doing PA school, after their prerequisites, then bump their GPA in PA school before applying to med school? I'm sorry, I don't really know the whole process to enter med school in the states (besides the prereqs, mcat, gpa, extracuriculars, ...) Anyways, sounds like PA school is an awesome back-up to med school in case you can't get it...
PA school will do a lot of things, bumping your GPA is generally not one of them. While there are PAs that go onto medical school, they are rare (Probably less than 0.1% of PAs). PA school is competitive in its own right and using it as a back up to medical school is a good way not to get in.
-Are PA generally any good? It's only "2" years after all and here, well it takes 3 years of university to be a nurse (after 2 years of prereqs after secondary school). 2 years seems very short to me. Do they have to do a M.Sc afterwards in order to be able to practice legally? U Wisconsin-Madison writes on their website that "The PA Program is in the early stages of making the transition from an undergraduate program to a graduate program. Although the timeline is uncertain, it is likely that within the next 2-5 years the undergraduate program will no longer be offered and all students will need to complete another undergraduate major. " Does it means that those doing only the 2 years can't do anything with their diploma? Or does it simply means that you have to major in something first, then apply to PA school like if it were med school?
PA education is competency based. All PAs are trained generally in the same manner. The training is considered graduate education. However, because of resources the training may be conducted at Universities, Medical, Schools, Hospitals or other educational institutions. The majority of PA programs grant a Masters degree, requiring an undergraduate degree prior to entering the program. Even those that do not grant a Masters require 60-90 credits. For more on PA education, look here (again):
http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html

-Also, what kind of overall contribution do you think that PA's offer to the health care system? After reading a little bit about this profession, I'm starting to think that we should really have PA here, it seems like it would help the heck out of our system!
There are currently PA programs in Scotland, England, Holland and Canada. Singapore, India and Australia are examining the concept. For many countries the PA concept represents a solution to underserved and shortage areas.

-Finally, why is there not more people wanting to go in this field if they can't get admitted in med school???

Thanks in advance for your replies!
Click to expand...
The reasons that people go to PA school are as varied as the students. For some it is a second career and the appeal is a shorter educational route. For others it is the ability to move among medical specialties. The PA profession has been listed as a top profession for a number of years. Last year there were twice as many applicants for PA schools as seats.

Another source for more info is the PA forum:
http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/

David Carpenter, PA-C
 
I have seen a PA for 2 years for my physicals and any time I go in for an ailment. She is great...very friendly, knowledgeable and competent. I trust her opinion/judgment on diagnosing and prescribing.
 
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