In the United States, a PA, or a Physician’s Assistant, is a non-physician therapist, who is licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. In many cases, this supervision does not have to be direct and many Physician’s Assistants practice in distant and remote locations like satellite clinics.
Physician Assistants prescribe medicine and treat patients and in some places in the United States, they are given a DEA number that gives them the power to prescribe specific controlled medicines, such as narcotics. In surgical procedures, Physician Assistants act as first assists during a surgery. They also offer medical services, which are compensated by a third party insurance company or by Medicare.
How They Fare
In the year 2005, PA’s held around 64,000 jobs. The number of jobs available is greater in proportion with the number of practicing Physician Assistants, since some PA’s hold more than two jobs. For instance, many Physician Assistants work under a supervising physician and they also work in other clinics, hospitals or practice independently. According to the AAPA or the American Academy of Physician Assistants, in January 2006, there were almost 60,000 certified Physician Assistants practicing in clinics.
In 2005, over 50% of Physician Assistants were found to work in clinics and offices of physicians, either in osteopathic or allopathic practice. Almost 40% were hired by hospitals and the remaining few were engaged in nursing homes, prisons, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, public health clinics, schools and home health care agencies. In addition, the AAPA states that almost 20% of all the Physician Assistants were found to provide health care to many rural communities.
Accredited Programs
In 2006, almost 150 accredited Physician Assistants Programs exist. One governing body, the ARC-PA or the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, accredits all these programs. Most of these programs are Master’s Degree programs, however, a few of them do provide undergraduate majors and graduate level training.
One governing body, the NCCPA or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, grants the certification of a Physician Assistant.
Other Innovative Medical Careers
Physician Assistants and the Nurse Practitioners provide similar services. The only dissimilarity would be that Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses and have to undergo extensive training, more than the PA’s, and they have to obtain a Master’s Degree in nursing. They are also known as APC’s or Advanced Practice Clinicians or MLP’s or Mid-Level Practitioners.
Medical Assistants perform routine clerical and clinical tasks at any physician’s clinic. A Medical Assistant is a multifaceted healthcare practitioner, who is capable of performing a variety of laboratory and clinical procedures, along with certain administrative responsibilities. They are multi-skilled and versatile professionals. Their formal education takes place in community colleges, junior colleges, vocational or technical institutes or proprietary schools. The curriculum has to be accredited, if graduates plan on getting registered or certified. Accreditation requires that the school curriculum should offer classroom lectures and well equipped laboratories.
Today, many of the health care placements focus on healthcare services and almost 15% of all healthcare jobs available have increased. The factors that contribute towards the growth of jobs in this industry include the growing and aging population that demands additional medical services and of course the use of innovative medical technology for treatment and intensive diagnosis.
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Innovative Medical Careers – Physician Assistant
Medical Assisting Careers
The medical assistant position offers a chance to enter into the medical field that can lead to a stable and reliable career path. Medical assistants play a vital role in both the administrative and clinical aspects of medicine. This means working with patients and doctors alike and becoming efficient in numerous aspects of business in the healthcare industry.
To get started in medical assisting there is some training that is required. Potential medical assistants will have to find a academic program that will prepare them with the variety of skills that will be required to be successful in administrative and clinical responsibilities. The basic curriculum students will need to know ranges from familiarity with medical law, records, billing, insurance, communications. On the clinical end students will learn patient preparation, become trained in aspects of medical testing and practice as well. This will prepare the student to handle a range of duties that will often exceed those of a nurse or medical office assistant. In a sense, a medical assistant will be expected to perform both to some degree.
With this preparation students can go on to sit for professional exams to become a Certified Medical Assistant or CMA. Another professional exam exists to become a Registered Medical Assistant or RMA. Those considering a future as a medical assistant will want to be sure that the training program they choose will provide eligibility and preparation for whichever one or both of these credentials, depending on the requirements for the position they seek. Most training programs will also require students to complete a training at a medical facility. This is essential to learn the basics of patient care that will be part of the medical assistant role.
Coming out of thorough training program, medical assistants will find an abundance of opportunities that await them. The United States Department of Labor even predicts the opportunities available for medical assistants will continue to grow. This is because medical assisting involves both ends of the healthcare business and a good medical assistant can allow the matters of clinical and administrative duties to flow smoothly by performing well.
Going forward, medical assisting can lead to nearly every career outcome by furthering training. From working as a medical assistant, one will generally make a decision to advance their training in either one of two directions. If they find they are more at home in the office environment, there are many degree opportunities in healthcare management at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s level. Taking this path can lead to upper level management positions in hospitals or insurance companies. Those that feel drawn towards the clinical aspect may choose to go on to study medicine with the goal of becoming a registered nurse or even a doctor. Becoming a medical assistant will allow the opportunity for a person that is new to the medical field to get experience and learn about the various positions before making that important decision on the direction of their career.
The median salary for medical assistant positions will start off in the upper twenties or lower thirties. The pay can vary depending on the number of duties expected in the position as well as the experience and training held. Some medical assistants will look to continue quickly in their training to attain an LPN and take on more clinical responsibilities to increase their pay. Other available training on the administrative end, such as a course in ICD-9, or continue training to become certified in other areas. Those looking into increasing their pay and advancing in the area of healthcare management can become a Certified Professional Coder Apprentice or a Registered Health Information Administrator, depending on their interests.
Medical Assistants are able to get a fast start in the healthcare field. For those that may be a little unsure what potential direction they would want to see their career go, medical assisting will be an opportunity to gain field experience without spending an abundance of time and money on their training. It is a chance to be a vital part of a medical facility, learn and practice a number of various skills, and to make a difference in the lives of others every day. The best part is, it is the beginning to any healthcare career one might want.
Why You Should Choose A Medical Career
A medical career is one of the most secure employment opportunities available. Think about it: as long as there are people who get ill or need medical assistance, there will be opportunities for employment within the medical industry.
But a career in the health care industry also requires a great deal of responsibility, and a willingness to stay up-to-date with advancing technology and practices. People who are most likely to succeed in the medical industry are those who work well with others and have a natural curiosity to continue learning throughout their career.
As far as employment opportunities, you really cannot do better than working within the medical industry. Statistics consistently show that health care workers have one of the highest rates of job security, and the United States Department of Employment estimates the jobs within the healthcare industry will continue to grow, as demand for health care services continues to rise over the next several decades.
The reason for this exponential growth in the medical industry is that the so-called Baby Boomer generation is now aging, and boomers are beginning to retire. As this generation grows older, demand for health care services continues to increase, providing plentiful jobs in many different health care areas.
One area with a particularly bright outlook is medical coding. Medical coding and billing professionals are in greater demand today than ever before in history. These jobs offer a very respectable salary and benefits, along with unparalleled job security.
In fact, job security is so great for medical coders that an experienced coding professional can find work in virtually any part of the United States without much difficulty. In some areas of the country, the demand for professional medical coders is actually far greater than the amount of qualified people to fill these positions. This creates a great opportunity for anyone interested in working in an exciting medical career.
The first step to becoming a medical coder is to receive your medical coding certification. This will allow you to work in many different healthcare related offices such as hospitals, insurance companies, private practices and clinics. Although the training to become a medical coder is comprehensive, it does not have to take as long to complete as many other vocational certifications.
The main qualities needed to achieve a medical coding certification are an ability to understand medical charts, a basic knowledge of medical terminology, and a familiarization with insurance regulations and forms. Applicants will also need to be computer savvy, as they will spend a great deal of time performing data entry tasks.
If you are considering a medical career in coding or insurance billing, the best place to start your search is online. You’ll find that there are a variety of schools with programs that lead to a certification in medical coding. But be sure to shop around; it is important to insist upon a school with a good track record and a history of successful job placement among their students.
While you can attend a traditional classroom to study for a medical coding career, it is also possible to study online. But be sure to research any online schools you are considering very carefully, as there are also scammers claiming to offer medical coding training online without being certified to offer these programs.
When researching a medical career online, it pays to do your homework and remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.