So...What is a PA?

I received the call that I had been accepted to PA School on December 13th. That's right, Friday the 13th turned out to be one of the greatest Fridays of my short life so far. I couldn't wait to tell everyone and the Holiday season was just starting so this was the perfect time to share with everyone. The next day, I attended my fiance's parents' Christmas party and was so pumped to tell absolutely everyone that I was nearly shaking with anticipation. I told his parents and siblings first and they were so incredibly excited that my high got even higher. I couldn't wait to tell more people about my awesome accomplishment.

And then...

"So you're going to be a nurse?"

"Oh, like those medical assistants who check patients in?"

"What even is that?"

"Just an assistant?"

"Why didn't you just go to medical school?"

I have researched and shadowed and obsessed over Physician Assistants for the past 4 years of my life and came to the realization that not everyone fully understands it. It is a little irrational, I realize. Why should people who don't even care about the medical field know everything about what PA is? But for some reason, the fact that people didn't understand the very thing that I was so proud of hurt my feelings. It became "I got into PA School!!" (excited out of my mind) to "Oh well, no it's not a nurse/MA/MD" (feelings of sadness as they didn't express the joy I felt). I know it is silly but I'm willing to bet other PA acceptees have felt the same thing as friends gave them the tilted head, blank eyed look rather than understanding what a massive thing you just accomplished.

So this first post is for my friends, family, acquaintances, ANYONE who doesn't know what a Physician Assistant is or needs a neat and tidy explanation to share with your friends, family, etc.

First and foremost, a Physician Assistant is a Master's student. Doctors receive their doctorate, Physician Assistants receive their Master's, Nurses receive their bachelor's or associate's* and Medical Assistants and Nursing Assistants receive a certification.

Second, a Physician Assistant must have their Bachelor's degree before they can be accepted into a PA program. A PA program is not just some medical healthcare training you can sign up for out of high school. You must be a college graduate! So many people I have talked to didn't know this! Each program requires approximately two full years of science class requirements so most PAs majored in a science such as biology, chemistry, neuroscience, etc.

Physician Assistant schools are rigorous, intense and extremely competitive. The pool of applicants choosing to apply to PA school is swiftly growing so each year that passes is resulting in even more competitive application processes. Most schools require significant hands on patient care experience along with a high GPA, great GRE score, outstanding personal statement and other extra curriculars as a requirement for acceptance.

Physician Assistants practice medicine as a part of a team of medical professionals. A PA can do the following:

Perform physical examintations

Diagnose illness
Treat illness

Prescribe medication

Order lab tests and interpret results
Perform procedures & assist in surgery

PAs work in all fields of medicine from family practice to surgery to specialized sub-specilaties like pediatric oncology. Most people have been treated by a PA in their lifetime and can't tell the difference between a visit with a PA or Doctor.

Physician Assistants are supervised by Doctors but that does not mean they can only provide care for patients if a Doctor is watching over them and "checking their work". A Doctor and PA work together as a team to treat multiple patients; they can work together on certain cases or a Doctor can delegate patients for the PA to treat. Patients can ask for a PA to treat them as well. PAs are autonomous and can treat and diagnose patients all on their own.

Fun Facts: Forbes ranked Physician Assistant first in "Best Master's Degrees for Jobs". CNNMoney ranked PA as the number two "Best Job in America" Kiplinger's named PA as one of the "great careers for your future".

Most importantly - "Physician Assistants provide healthcare that is indistinguishable in quality from physicians". 

These are the most common explanations I have had to give to my friends and family when I told them my good news. If you are not a PA-S or pre-PA and hear that someone has gotten into school, I hope you understand what a great accomplishment this person has just achieved and how hard they have worked towards it. So no, I'm not a medical assistant, nurse or doctor. I am going to be a Physician Assistant and I am damn proud of myself. 

And I will address my favorite "So why aren't you just going to medical school" question later. That question deserves an entire post for itself. 

*Some nurses and nurse practitioners receive their Masters degrees as well