I got an email through Squidoo from a visitor to my lens on that site. He was wondering about PAs as well as the good and bad points of being a PA. I sent him a quick answer and decided to write this article.
I have loved being a PA and find these things to be the PROs.
When I went to PA college no college degree was required to enter. It was a 2 year course and when you qualified, you’re also awarded a bachelors. I have created a great living and had a good chance with a two year education and learning.
The salary through the years went from so-so to excellent-Acceptance and knowing of the profession is excellent and has made being a PA very pleasant.
The working conditions are wonderful and also you get to work with the very best as well as the brightest most of the time.The task is challenging daily, although some of it is routine, the responsibility never ever is.I am thankful for what I do much more than 10% of the time (remember the actual story of the 10 leper) I’m assigned as much responsibility as I can accept. I have been working in the medical end of medicine my overall profession.There’s a great deal of flexibility in exactly what a PA can do. It’s generally not hard to find a place to work if you opt to move. Even in United Kingdom, American PAs are sought after.
Cons:-I need to get at the very least 50 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) a year. You could get high quality or junk. It requires time and money to get good quality CME if you stay in non-urban areas like I have much of my profession. The world wide web has improved your choices.
You’ll never be independent. A PA by definition is a dependent practitioner. Even though you “own the business” an MD will usually have to over see your medical duties. It does not always have to be over-the-shoulder but it has to adhere to your state laws and regulations.
You will need skills as great as any medical professional but will always be paid lower than an MD typically no matter how great you are. (That doesn’t trouble me at this point but it used to.)
You need to take and successfully pass a certifying test each and every 6 years or learn a lot of information regarding Physician Assistant Schools. That may change but for my whole profession it’s been the standard. I have passed it five times now. It’s a costly inconvenience.