One of the hottest careers in the medical profession is a physician assistant. Being a physician assistant is a great career choice for any person who wants to earn a nice salary and work minimal hours in the medical profession. When you are a physician assistant, you will not be stuck working late hours in a hospital. You will have a set schedule and will meet with patients during normal hours. You also provide valuable assistance to doctors in a hospital. Doctors will rely upon you to treat patients and ensure that they are improving in their condition. Maybe you have wondered, “How do I become a physician assistant?” When you want to become a physician assistant, you will need to think about all of the educational requirements that you need to complete.
What’s it like to be a physician assistant?
When you are a physician assistant, you meet with patients on a daily basis. A doctor may also want to meet with you to discuss the condition of a certain patient. It may be your task to check up on a patient in the hospital. You may also work in a lab setting. If you work in a lab setting, then you will need to order lab tests and record prescriptions. You will assist a physician in taking care of patients. Basically, you help the doctor in whatever ways that he or she requires. A doctor may want you to do additional research for a patient’s file. It is your job to carefully read through the patient’s file and understand his or her medical condition. The doctor may also want you to research the treatment for certain illnesses. It is important for you to always be punctual and ready to serve the doctor in whatever way you possibly can.
Education Requirements
To become a physician assistant, you should complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program. You will then need to apply for programs that offer a physician’s assistant certificate. These programs usually take about two years to complete. You can also complete a program at a college that combines a certificate program and undergraduate degree program. These types of programs usually take about five years to complete. The benefit of completing one of these types of programs is that you will save thousands of dollars in tuition fees. Before you apply for a physician’s assistant program, you should make sure that you have completed all of the course requirements. Some programs require that you have a certain number of credits in math and science.
Salary & How to Get a Job
According to the BLS, the average salary of a physician’s assistant is about $85,000 a year. You can get a job as a physician’s assistant by applying for positions at local hospitals. You may also find a job as a physician’s assistant by applying for a position at a private doctor’s office. The competition for these positions can be very tough, so it is important for you to apply for as many positions as possible.
References:
1. http://www.ehow.com/how_4495245_become-physicians-assistant.html
2. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm