Here is How to Locate a Physician Assistant for Shadowing

Shadowing a physician assistant is one of the best ways for you to really decide whether or not going to PA school is the right course for you to take. If you are in anyway unsure of whether or not you know enough about this career or if you have a future in it, shadowing a PA will most definitely make it clear to you if its right for you. If you’re uncertain about it, when the interview comes around they will see the uncertainty in you and this could definitely hurt your chances of getting admission into the PA school you’ve chosen.

Almost everyone who is contemplating on starting a career should shadow someone who is already in it. You’ll find a physician assistant working in many different practices. With the information obtained the from bureau of Labor statistics, there were a recorded 74,800 available jobs for PAs in the United States in the year 2008. This is phenomenal because in that year, that number was greater than the number of actual licensed PAs in the country, and it’s a fact that physician assistants work more than one job at the same time.

The growth rate for the next 10 years for this profession is an amazing 39%. PAs are extremely busy on a daily basis, so finding a PA to shadow just might be one of the most challenging things you do and if its possible you should try and find multiple PAs to shadow work in different health care institutions.
As you are shadowing your physician assistant, its important that you remember to wear shoes that are comfortable. Working PAs stand and walk around whole day as they do task to task like clockwork. Do your best to observe and stay out of their way, and ask them where they’d like to observe from so that you aren’t in their way. Remember to dress appropriately, and remember that you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.

Just wear clothes that don’t set you aside from everyone else because you’re only going to be there to observe. Don’t wear cologne or perfume, and these are banned in most hospitals anyway due to the fact that they could be harmful to patients. Even though asking questions is important, wait until an appropriate time to ask them so that you don’t get in the way of their work. Remember that you aren’t supposed to discuss anything about the patients you saw outside of the practice because there are laws that uphold patient confidentiality. Here are three of the perfect resources to find a physician assistant for you to shadow….

1. Your Own Doctor – When you were in your Doctor’s office, there was probably a PA there and it was probably a PA who examined you. This is a great resource because of the fact that they will already know you on some level. Remember that even though the PA may agree to let you shadow them, you need to make sure you confirm this with the person who runs the office or practice.

2. The Local Hospital – PAs work in hospitals as well and finding you can definitely find one who may let you follow them around for a day. In hospitals, a PA can work in just about every department where a physician is likely to be found. When you go to the hospital, go to the human resources department and confirm that they will let you shadow a working PA. The human resources department should be able to give a lot of information and they may even be able to give you some names of PAs that would be willing to let you shadow them. If they have no names available for you, then you should ask for a staff directory so that you can find a physician assistant and contact them directly to ask.

3. Get in contact with your local PA chapter or organization – There is going to be a local PA association that is going to be extremely valuable for you. They will not only be able to get you in touch with a physician assistant, but they will also be able to give information about different practices and available jobs when you are done with PA school.

It may not be easy to find a PA to shadow, so don’t get discouraged if you are told “no” by a PA. The fact is there job is very fast paced and demanding at times, and they may not want a student following them around. There is bound to be someone who will say “yes.” When you are done shadowing your PA, make sure you thank them in a note because it will definitely be appreciated if you and it makes them remember you later down the road.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Physician Assistant

Nowadays in the health care industry, the third fastest growing career in the world is that of the physician assistant. By the year 2016, the demand for this job is expected to increase by 40% because it has also been predicted that there will be a serious shortage of physicians in the year 2016. With these predictions, anyone who decides to take on this profession will without a doubt have a bright and secure future. Even though this is a great career to get into, it still has its ups and downs. Lets first get into the pros and advantages of being a PA.

The Advantages

• Because of the fact that this is the third fastest growing career in the world right now, the salary and bonuses that come with this job are phenomenal. The average salary range for a PA is $60,000 to $110,000, and there are PAs who make over $120,000. The salary of almost every career in the health care industry is based on a number of factors. Factors like the disciplinary/malpractice history, work experience as a PA, and academic background. No matter what, the salary for a physician assistant will be high because of what this job brings to society concerning health care.
• The tasks and duties that PAs perform on a daily basis are very challenging and at the same time they are rewarding. Day after day there are new things to learn and obstacles to get through. You’ll get a sense of fulfillment helping others who are suffering and completing tasks using the education and training you worked hard to master and achieve.
• As a PA, its going to be very easy to move from different health care departments. You’ll have the option of transferring from one department to another such as pediatrics, neonatal, emergency or ICU. A decade ago, there were a lot of limitations for what a PA was allowed to do, but here in 2011 its seems endless with the shortage of physicians around.
• This medical profession is highly respected and valued by health care workers like physicians and surgeons because it takes so much stress off their shoulders. PAs can do pretty much do all the tasks that were traditionally meant for the physician.

The Disadvantages

• A physician assistant will always be supervised a surgeon or a physician. It doesn’t matter how much work experience the PA has, their academic background or their skills. They will always be supervised. Its because of this that when it concerns patient care, the PA has to always work collaboratively with a physician to determine the right treatment.
• Even though PAs are doing most of the tasks that were usually done by physicians, their pay will still be lower in comparison to a physicians’.
• Every 6 years a PA is mandated to take a re-certification exam to keep their certification. So even though they are already a working PA, they still have to do Continuing Medical Education (CME) up until they decide to quit their job or retire from it.
• PAs are always doing a lot during the day. It can get very hectic to say the least. They have a ton of tasks that they have to do such as clinical and administrative. They work in the office and they handle patients. In the office they’ll either be updating patient records based on patient appointments or they’ll be helping the physician with whatever office tasks they need done.

Being a physician assistant great and its filled with tons of experiences. You’re going to see a lot of new things, do a lot of different things, and you’ll most definitely learn things about yourself as a person. Working with people does this too you so get ready for a exciting career if this is the one for you.

The Tasks and Schedules that Physician Assistants Deal With

As you may already know because of the title of the job, a physician assistant is someone who helps the physician. They are able to assist the physician because of the fact that they can perform tasks that were usually only performed by the physician themselves. They make work less stressful and time consuming for the physician because they do almost all direct patient care. The PA will do patient injections, they will perform examinations and issue out patient treatment, they’ll do tasks such as measuring the patient’s blood pressure, they’ll talk to patients about maintaining their health after being discharged, they are able to issue out rehabilitation therapy for patients, and they can order and interpret laboratory tests. All these tasks are the most common that are performed by PAs, but the scope of practice for a PA varies based on that person’s training, their experience, the state laws and rules, and it could vary because of what the supervising physician allows in their practice.

If the physician is a surgeon, then the tasks of the physician assistant could be to carry out the tasks during surgery that were once meant for the physician/surgeon to perform themselves. So if the supervising physician is a surgeon, then the PA will most definitely need to well educated in performing surgical procedures, surgical techniques, and the equipment and medication that is used during surgeries.

All the states in the U.S. allow PAs to write out patient prescriptions, but there are only 39 states that allow experienced assistants to write and prescribe medications for patients without having to consult their supervising physician. This is a huge reason why the workload for physicians is becoming lighter and lighter, and the plus side for PAs is that they get more autonomy to practice medicine in different health care institutions.

An example for how the tasks and services a PA can perform depending on their location is that in rural areas and inner cities the physician assistant is the main health care provider for patients because there is such a shortage of physicians. There’s a shortage of physicians because of the fact that most of them are always in hospitals or clinics, and they’ll only be available 2 or 4 days out of the week.
The Schedule that a PA has can sometimes be pretty hectic and random. It all really depends on their supervising physician’s practice and the location they’re in. Some places don’t have people coming through the emergency room doors like clockwork and some places do. A PA who works in a hospital will have to be on call no matter the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday, a weekend, your day off, or the middle of the night. A physician assistant has to be ready at all times. PAs who work in clinics don’t have to deal with this hectic schedule, but what is mandatory for any PA is that they have to put in a minimum of 40 hours a week.

PAs can work in many different medical institutions. Hospitals, clinics, outpatient offices, critical care units, surgery rooms. Where you find a physician, you should find their assistant working with them.
The medical profession of physician assistant will always be high in demand, and it is a extremely vital asset to the health care industry. Physicians most definitely appreciate them. This career is rewarding and fulfilling, and its going to open you up to many new experiences.