If you are seeking tips on "How to become a Physician Assistant?", you're at the right place. Physician Assistant occupation is becoming more and more popular these days. It is regarded as one of the fastest-developing, competitive and rewarding occupations in the USA. CNN has recently placed Physician Assistant profession at the 2nd position in 2010 best 100 professions in United States of America. U.S. Department of Labor has projected that the PA profession will increase by more than 25% through the year 2016.
For those who don't have any knowledge regarding this career and want to find out more about what is a Physician Assistant, let's explore this topic. A PA is a medical professional that is prepared to work under the administration of a doctor. PAs are competent to assist physicians in numerous clinical processes like ordering and interpreting medical documents, diagnostic care, conducting physical exams, diagnosing and curing illnesses and injuries, and writing medical prescriptions. Physician Assistant daily medical tasks depends on the type of education obtained and the experience of a PA. To become a Physician assistant one needs merely 24 months of education.
As we already know, we are encountering a shortage of doctors in our health care structure. The Council on Graduate Medical Education indicates a scarcity of 85,000 medical doctors by 2020. The only solution to this bad situation is to train and bring on board more PAs to decrease the shortage. Physician Assistants cannot completely replace physicians, but could aid them in conserveing time by doing 70-80% of their work. Also, it takes shorter time to become a Physician Assistant than a doctor.
Now the next big question comes in, how to become a Physician Assistant? The profession is in good demand and is a very competitive career. There are different steps required in becoming a PA. To become a PA, you need to graduate from an accredited PA program. There are currently over 150 certified educational institutes in the United States. They offer courses at the level of Bachelor's, Master's or Associate's degree. Most of the educational institutes offer programs at the Master's level. This means you will need to have a Bachelor's degree in order to be eligible for the PA program. In addition to the Bachelor's degree, there are a pile of additional requirements to be eligible for a Physician Assistant program. Majority of the program needs an applicant to have courses done in Anatomy, Mathematics, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, English, Social Science, Psychology and Anthropology. Individual will also need to have some medical-associated work experiences in professions like Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians or Registered Nurses. The amount of experience might vary from a couple of thousand hours to many years. You might also need to write additional exams like GRE(Graduate Record Exam) or TOEFL (if you are an international student). Most courses may also require an individual to present reference letters from their former employers or managers. These prerequisites may differ from program to program. So, it's suggested to go through your PA program's requirements in order to get more information on prerequisites.
There is one more step needed to get the "Physician Assistant Certification" credential. After completing education from an authorized Physician Assistant course, you are required to pass the Physician Assistants National Certifying Examination (PANCE) in order to get the national certification and to practice as a Physician Assistant.
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