A physician assistant role involves the same tasks as a doctor minus the extremely complex ones. If the job interests you but you only have a vague sense of what it entails, as a physician assistant you will take medical histories, order and analyze laboratory tests and x-rays, treat minor injuries, prescribe medication, and examine patients. Over half of physician assistants are in primary care medicine. If you venture into this field, you will most likely find yourself in schools, prisons, hospitals, private offices, or clinics.
With this level of responsibility and depth of tasks, it will come as no surprise to know that you need to be qualified to be a physician assistant. In fact, one of the physician assistant requirements is a bachelor’s degree, but most students will undertake – and of course complete – a two-year master’s program. The first year of the course consists of :
- Studying medical science, which includes pharmacology, so you know which drugs to prescribe and when
- Biochemistry, to understand the complex inner workings of the human body;
- Physiology
- Anatomy
- Pathology
- And, crucially, disease prevention.
With the academic theory-based learning completed after the first year, students in the second year will have field training to pick up real clinical experience in the areas that a physician assistant will be working post-graduation. These areas include
- Emergency medicine
- Psychiatry
- Primary care medicine
- Surgery
- Gynecology
- Pediatrics
One of the bare minimum physician assistant requirements is, as mentioned, a bachelor’s degree. The Physician Assistant Bachelor’s Degree (BA-PA) is a fast-track, four-year program combining a bachelor’s degree with a graduate level physician assistant certificate saving you time in the long run. This is especially enticing for those students who know before starting college that they want to be a physician assistant. While the first 2 years are the academic side of things, the final 2 years are more practical, including clinical coursework for 9 months and clinical rotations for a full 12 months.
To obtain the coveted Physician Assistant Master’s Degree (MA-PA) you must first have the BA-PA as an entry requirement. The master’s degree is a natural progression from the bachelor’s, and the two-year program will get you up to speed to become a practicing physician assistant. The first year will require coursework on such areas as microbiology, pharmacology, gynecology, psychology, internal medicine, anatomy and more, and the second year focuses on clinical experience.
A physician assistant does not earn the title just by completing a degree, however. To achieve certification as a physician assistant requires two things: firstly, graduating from an ARC-PA, also known as the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant accredited program; and secondly, passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. Following that, every two years the physician assistant must undertake 100 hours of medical education and a re-certification exam every 6 years.
If a physician assistant is a career path you would like to pursue, the encouraging news is that there are currently 154 accredited programs in the USA, meaning you should have no problem finding one that suits you in your locality. However, don’t limit yourself just to the programs; rather, show initiative and help forge your own path somewhat too. One great way to do this is directly contacting the program and expressing your interest in studying and then requesting an information packet. By knowing your name and showing your keenness to learn, you will increase your chances for successful application. Another suggestion is finding someone who has already graduated from the program you want to enroll in. Take their advice on what the program entails and how you can make it easier on yourself, or what you can do to become a better student, and then ask for their recommendations. If they have graduated from the program you want to do, their recommendation to the institution can work wonders.
It may also be worthwhile to open an account with the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) as most programs demand that you apply through CASPA anyway. Apply early and be prepared by having past education and employment information on hand as this will make the application process faster and easier. Linked to this, write your personal statement on the CASPA application. This is extremely important so make sure you not only write it logically with stellar grammar in a concise manner, but use the opportunity to really sell yourself. Let the program directors know why having you on it would be something they wouldn’t want to miss out on.