My aunt is a very successful Physicians Assistant, and she is the reason I wanted to pursue it. (Although I have changed my major since, I still believe it is a very important job to have.) I took the time to call her and ask her some questions about her job, and it turned out being very interesting.
What types of people do you work with on a daily basis?
"I work with people ranging from ages 0-100. A huge part of my job is to take care of people who have just gotten out of surgery, regardless of the age. I give them their medicine, take medical tests, and do examinations depending on the circumstance."
What can you do that most people don't know about?
"Most people don't know that I can write prescriptions. I give medical examinations, especially when the doctors are busy, and then I can prescribe medicine depending on what the situation is. Since I've been doing this for a while, I'm able to create treatment plans for patients, without needing a doctors approval."
Are you able to work in surgery? Or is that a job just for a surgeon?
Yes, I am able to assist in surgery. That is something else many people don't know about. I assist the surgeon I am working with in all aspects of the surgery."
Are there different types of Physician Assistant's?
Yes, as a PA you can specialize in a certain area. I chose not to, because I'm a type of person where I would get bored doing the same exact thing every day. I have many friends who work with me that specialize in for example anesthesia, trauma, and critical care. Once you get into PA school, you can then narrow down your expertise and choose if you want to focus on a specialty or not.
What would you suggest to people who want to pursue this career?
I suggest to keep working hard, because it is a very competitive field. It is very hard to be admitted into PA school, but once you do get admitted you forget about all the hours of studying you had to do. It is a very rewarding job to have, and I really recommend it to people who want to do something medical related, but don't want to go to medical school. Plus, you get paid a really great amount of money! It's overall a very successful field to look into.
As we can see, it is a rewarding field to be involved in. Take it from a PA, go for it and work hard.
No comments:
Post a Comment