Physician Assistant Jobs

Have you always wanted to be a doctor but didn’t attend medical school, and now you think it’s too late to learn to practice medicine? Well, I’ve got good news-it’s not too late. It may not be possible for you to spend the five years in med school and residency necessary to become an MD, but it’s quite possible that you can nevertheless still practice medicine. If you’ve got a college degree, and some experience in the health care field, you should consider becoming a physician assistant. Many people have never heard of this health care option, and would have no idea how to go about training for a physician assistant job. But it’s a fast growing occupation, and it has nothing to do with the ads for those schools you see on late night TV offering training in “medical assisting“. People in physician assistant jobs actually practice medicine under the supervision of an MD.

Physician assistants examine patients, diagnose and treat medical conditions, conduct medical testing. They even assist in surgery, and are allowed to prescribe drugs in almost every state. PA‘s are similar to nurse practitioners, which are better known, but the education required for each position is different. Nurse practitioners are required to have a degree in nursing; but that’s not necessary to get a physician assistant job. Because of the increasing specialization among MD’s, and the relative lack of general practitioners, the job of physician assistant was created in the 1960’s to fill the gap. Now, there are thousands of physician assistants, but there are more needed than ever before. How does a person qualify for a physician assistant job? First, you’ve got to have some college education. A degree is preferred, but not always necessary. And you’ve got to have a few years experience in a health related career. Physician assistants must pass the PANCE exam to be certified.