10 Facts You Should Know About a Physician Assistant

Let’s look at some interesting facts about Physician Assistant:

1. The modern physician assistant (PA) profession officially began on October 6th 1967 which was founded by Dr. Eugene Stead, where the first PA class of four students graduated from the Duke University PA Program.

2. A PA does most of the day-to-day job of a doctor from conducting exams, diagnosing conditions, prescribing medications, to assisting in surgery.

3. Physician assistants and nurses have similarities but they have different underlying philosophies in training and practice.

4. PA only needs to undergo training for 2-3 years after obtaining a degree.

5. PA is a good choice to study since health care development is being strongly supported and using a PA instead of a physician saves money, resulting in an increase in the demand of PA.

6. In order to use the credentials “Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C), a PA will have to obtain license as per the licensure according to state laws specific to your states. On the other hand, certification is established through a national organization, with requirements for minimal practice standards being consistent across all states. PA will need to meet the requirements set by the state laws and national organization to maintain certification requirements in order to renew your license.

7. The average salary of a PA in the United States is $71,000 as at 6 November 2009. Also, average PA salaries for job postings nationwide are 11% higher than average salaries for all job postings nationwide. (from indeed.com)

8. The employment of PA is expected be fast growing due to anticipated expansion of the health services industry and shortages of PA in rural areas.

9. PA is rank by Money/PayScale.com as the 2nd Best Jobs in America in 2009.

10. The supply of physicians will be unable to keep pace with the forecast increase in demand. A shortage of 124,000 physicians is expected by 2025. (Forecast by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)).

Source by Jack Jong