Physician Assistants

Education

To become a PA, a person must graduate from an accredited PA educational program. To be accepted into a program, an applicant must undergo a rigorous application process and meet academic, experiential, and personal criteria. Applicants need a strong science background to meet prerequisites in chemistry, physics, anatomy, and physiology. There are 123 PA educational programs, whose training ranges from 24 to 48 months and which offer master's, bachelor's, or associate's degrees. An increasing number of physician assistants hold master's degrees. In 1998, only 27% of PA programs awarded master's degrees; however, in 2000 the profession adopted the position that training programs should prepare PA students at the graduate level of education. As a result, in 2003, 54% of PA programs offered master's degrees.

PA program curricula typically average 1,153 hours of formal training, which is evenly divided between didactic and clinical phases. In the didactic phase, students are trained in basic medical, behavioral, and social sciences. Typical core courses in the first year include anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, ethics, and cultural competency. All PA programs have a clinical training component to their curriculum, where PA students undergo training in family practice, internal medicine, surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, and gynecology. Some PA programs have clinical rotations in correctional institutions. To complete a training program successfully, PA students must demonstrate mastery of core competencies in a variety of fields, including human anatomy and physiology. They must also be adept at interviewing, patient communication, and general physical examination skills.

Like the physicians they assist, PAs are taught a systemic, focused approach to patients, concerning the medical history and physical examination for cardiology, dermatology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pulmonology. nephrology, hematology, oncology, gastroenterology, urology, rheumatology, orthopedics, emergency medicine, endocrinology, geriatrics, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and surgery. They [Page 700]are also expected to master universal precautions, venipuncture, ophthalmology examination, slit lamp function, auscultation, basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation, basic life support, nasogastric tube insertion, urinary catheterization, prostate and rectal examinations, casting and splinting skills, macro and micro urinalysis, manual complete blood count, advanced cardiac life support, basic suturing skills, pelvic and Pap smear skills, and mental status and neurological examination.

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