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Physicians Assistant

Megan Pazdersky

WHAT IS A PA?

-Are health care providers who practice medicine

-Can diagnose, treat and prescribe medicine for patients under the supervision of a licensed physician

Began in the mid-1960’s once the shortage of primary care physicians was recognized

Eugene A. Stead JR., MD of the Duke University Medical Center, put together the 1st class of PA’s in 1965. That graduated on Oct. 6th 1967

The American Academy of Physicians Assistants was established and incorporated in the state of North Carolina in 1968

As of July 2007 there are 141 accredited PA programs throughout the country

Today PA’s can practice medicine in all 50 states

History of Physicians Assistant’s

Take’s your medical history Conduct physical exams Diagnose and treat illnesses Order and interpret tests Develop treatment plans Counsel you on preventative care Assist in surgery Write prescriptions Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes

How does a Physicians Assistant practice medicine?

Most programs are 26 months in length Most require the same prerequisites as medical

school More than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations Students take basic courses in science, behavioral

sciences and clinical medicine Anatomy Pharmacology Microbiologuy ectWhat are the

educational requirements of a PA?

PA’s must graduate from an accredited program

Pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam

Get licensed by the state In order to maintain the certification

Complete a recertification exam every 10 years

Complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years

How are Physicians Assistants certified and licensed?

Active listening Critical Thinking Speaking skills Service oriented Deductive reasoning Calm demeanor Energetic Patience

Skills That I Possess That make A Great Choice for Physician Assistant School

Median annual salary in 2013 : 92,970 Lowest 10 percent made about 62,030 Median wages in 2014 : 46.07 hourly, 95,820 annually Projected growth (2012-2022) much faster than

average (22 percent or higher)

Potential Growth/ Salary Range

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Getting into an accredited PA program

Schools I'm interested inPrerequisite course workWhy I'm a good candidate

General Microbiology with lab ( 4 credits) Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab (4 credits) Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab ( 4 credits) General Chemistry 1 with lab (4 credits) General Chemistry 2 with lab ( 4 credist) Organic Chemistry with lab OR Biochemistry Intro to Psychology Developmental Psychology Elementary Statistics Nutrition GeneticsGeneral Prerequisite Course Work (each PA program can be different)

Bachelors degree prior to admission Minimum 3.0 GPA Minimum of 800 ( 1600 preferred) documented hours

in patient contact or medical related experience Completion of prerequisite math and science courses

with a “ B” or better 3.0 or higher science GPA GRE scores 26-month program Estimated In-state tuition : 33,016.00 Estimated In state ( in county) tuition:26,123.00Towson University/ CCBC ( on accreditation probation)

Apply through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistant

Submit GRE scores ( no older than 5 years) Complete a Bachelors degree GPA higher than a 3.00 Cumulative GPA higher than 2.8 Criminal Background Check Minimum of 300 hours of health care experience, 40

hours under the supervision of a certified PA No history of drug abuse or conviction of a felony Estimated Tuition for a Maryland resident : 28,960.00 Application date November 1st

University of Maryland Eastern Shore ( on probation)

I scored highest in Social, Enterprising and Investigative in my O*net report

I current have above a 3.0 GPA I’m well on my way in terms of

logging hours and passing my prerequisite course work

I went on a medical mission trip to Guatemala this summer where I learned that I really enjoy hands on interaction with patients

Traits Detail oriented Compassionate Hard- working Interest in continual learning Critical thinking skills

Why should I become a PA?

I was originally drawn to PA school after witnessing my cousin go through medical school and residency. I want to be able to have a family and a career and I feel as if PA school is best for me.

I’ve known since I was a little girl that I was going to do something in the field of medicine when I grew up.

I plan to keep up my grades, log more hours and finish my prerequisite course work so that I am able to apply to PA school and be a competitive candidate

I'm not sure which specialty I want to go into. But I'm hoping to find that out in the future.

What does my future look like?

https://www.aacc.edu/physassist/file/2WebPrerequisites2015.pdf

https://www.aapa.org/become-a-pa/ http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/

29-1071.00

http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/past-ms/files/ProgramInfoBooklet.pdf

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