1 response so far ↓

• 1 Diane A

  1. Job title/ Physicians Assistant (that’s pretty much all the job titles).
  2 & #3. I graduated primary care PA school in 1985; did an ER residency in 93-94.I worked for 1 year in medico-legal medicine, then in the pediatric intensive care & heart transplant unit; then after I finished the ER residency I worked soley in the ER. I sorta retired 6 years ago (although I work summers occasionally as a traveler) and went back to school & got my architect/interior design degree & design ERs and do doctor’s houses.
  4. Education is the same regardless: 2 year PA program at the Masters level after a bachelor’s ( was pre-med); a residency is optional but worth while.
  5. I was a med technologist first (in the blood bank & clinical lab for 12 years); then nursing school; got into med school but had to stop; this was next best thing.
  6. This is not an easy field for someone who is just looking for money. It is a grueling school program and the jobs can be very challenging. Do not kidd yourself–you are practicing medicine and you can be sued (you are not assisting anyone). I have however, love medicine, and have overall been satisfied. I trained at a time when PAs were not well-known and it was an uphill battle to educate patients. Nowdays, it is much easier & you can garner a lot of respect. I work 12 hour or more shifts; the number depends on what is available. There are many fields PAs can go into and many areas you can work–clinics, Doc’s offices, medi spas, hospitals, drug sales, research, administration etc.

  I would advise following a PA for a few days; reading some PA journals, and looking over some of the programs & visiting them to see if this is for you.