Are There Physician Assistant Scholarships?

July 23, 2011 By

There is a strong need for physician assistants today, so there is quite a bit of information available to you if you are looking for physician assistant scholarships.

Did you know that a lot of PAs actually work at more than one place right now because the demand for them is so high? The best part about this particular career is that you have the potential to earn quite a high salary but you are only required to have a two-year degree before you enter the workforce. Most PAs make around $75,000 per year (and that’s only at one job) and they receive excellent health benefits as well.

Since this field is in such high demand right now there are a lot more grant and scholarship opportunities available to anyone who is thinking about becoming a physician assistant.

Even though there are more physician assistant scholarships available today, the tough economic times that we are facing still force a lot of potential candidates to miss out on their opportunity because they just don’t know where to find the funding.

Tuition costs have been going through the roof over the last few years and you’ll end up having to spend the next 10 years paying off your student loans if you don’t manage to get some kind of financial assistance. That’s why so many people skip out on schooling. They just don’t want to mortgage their life for the next 10 years in order to pay for their education.

But there is hope for you, and the American Academy of Physician’s Assistants has laid out a number of possibilities for you to consider when looking for grants and PA scholarships. Here are some examples of funding options you should consider:

The first option is to get physician assistant scholarships through the federal and state government. But don’t worry, because there are so many more options available to you than just a Pell grant. If you’re not familiar with Pell Grants here is a little info on them:

  • Unlike a loan you do not need to repay a Federal Pell Grant
  • For the award year 2011/2012 (Jul 1/11 to Jun 30/12) the maximum Pell Grant is $5,550.
  • Some factors that determine your financial need are your status (full-time or part-time) and whether you plan to attend school for the full academic year.

If you’re interested in pursuing this, the US Dept of Education website contains all the details.

Like we said though, there are other options that you can look into.

If you are a mother in the workforce, you can get working mom grants to start. Or, you can allow the armed services to pay for your education in exchange for several years service in their organization. Other options are SEOG, Pell, Hope and ACG.

Did you know that you can also get PA scholarships through working at an internship?

Clinics and hospitals are in such desperate need of PAs that they are willing to personally educate them in order to have them work for them once their education is complete. So check with the clinics and hospitals in your area and see if they offer any programs like this one.

This way you will get the education you need, for free, and even have a job waiting for you once you finish your education. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Finally, you can check with professional societies and find out if they have any physician assistant scholarships available. Often these professional societies will have money set aside to assist the most promising students. You usually need to write an essay or fill out some kind of an application to become eligible for a scholarship of this nature.

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Physician Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner – What Is The Difference?

June 10, 2011 By

If you already have some experience working in a hospital or similar setting you probably know the answer but our goal is to provide a comprehensive PA resource so we would be remiss not to discuss the differences – Physician Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner.

We have plenty of information on this site about Physician Assistants so let’s begin by talking a bit about what a Nurse Practitioner is.

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

The first point to make is that a Nurse Practitioner must be a Registered Nurse. Not only that but they must have a Masters degree or Doctorate and considerable clinical experience. The advanced degree can be in nursing, or in some other field that is obviously related to health care. As far as typical responsibilities, NPs diagnose disease and also develop treatment plans for them. They are authorized to write prescriptions and order tests, and most NPs have hospital privileges as well.

This all probably sounds fairly similar to Physician Assistants but there are two major differences.

PAs vs NPs – Two Major Differences

As mentioned throughout this site a PA must always have a supervising Physician. Nurse Practitioners on the other hand can have their own practice.

The second difference between a Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant is the general approach their training takes. PAs are taught what is referred to as the medical model while as you might guess NPs are taught the nursing model.

What exactly does this mean? Well, basically the nursing model attempts to take a more holistic approach to health care. In other words treating the “whole person”. So while NPs certainly treat and diagnose disease and illness they also focus on disease prevention and health maintenance as well as patient education. This could include paying particular attention to a patients’ environment, family, diet, etc.

This is not to say that Physician Assistants (and Physicians) do not appreciate the importance or value in taking a holistic approach but this is not the model under which they are trained.

Which is the right career path for you?

A Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner? If you are an RN the choice is really yours. You will have already been trained under the nursing model so the NP route is perhaps the more logical choice but remember this will require an advanced degree which a PA does not.

If you are not already an RN, Physician Assistant Programs take less time but you have to remember that you will never be fully independent which may be an important consideration. It all depends on your temperament and what will make you feel fulfilled.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how a Physician Assistant differs vs a Nurse Practitioner.

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Confused About Physician Assistant Associations?

June 10, 2011 By

When you begin to research this career the number of Physician Assistant Associations can be a little confusing. We have summarized the roles and responsibilities of the various PA organizations and how they all fit into the big picture.

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)

The AAPA is the only national professional association representing all Physician Assistants regardless of specialty throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the federal services and the armed forces. By providing advocacy and support to PAs the AAPA hopes that patients will see better access to quality, cost-effective health care.

Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

This is the only national organization in the US that represents physician assistant educational programs. The PAEA has mission, vision and value statements but basically they are the organization primarily responsible for collecting, publishing, and disseminating information on Physician Assistant programs.

By developing and distributing educational products and services designed to meet the ever-changing requirements of the PA profession and the health care industry in general the PAEA strives to ensure that Physician Assistants receive a quality education.

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

The NCCPA serves to protect the public interest. They believe that certified PAs are a vital part of the health care industry, providing more affordable and high quality health care to millions.

The vision of the NCCPA is that certifying quailifed PAs through programs that not only improve patient care but also exemplify a commitment to excellence unparalleled among certifying organizations will transform the delivery of quality health care. These programs evaluate Physician Assistant competencies and encourage the pursuit of life-long learning and improvement.

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

The ARC-PA is the independent accrediting agency authorized to accredit qualified PA educational programs leading to the professional credential, Physician Assistant (PA). This is accomplished by determining whether a program meets certain standards for function, structure and performance.

The American Academy of Physician Assistants, The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Surgeons, the Physician Assistant Education Association, and the American Medical Association all cooperate with the ARC-PA. Their goal is to determine, maintain, and promote the appropriate standards of quality for entry level education of PAs as well as recognize educational programs that meet the minimum standards.

It should be noted that the ARC-PA does not actually accredit academic degrees (BS, MS, etc.) this is solely at the discretion of the sponsoring institution (school).

Hopefully this information has provided you with a good overview of the different Physician Assistant Associations and their general roles and responsibilities.

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How To Become A Physician Assistant?

June 5, 2011 By

Much of this site is about how to become a physician assistant; everything from prerequisites and the application process to what programs are available. This article will discuss a few of the things you should be aware of – basically serve as a general overview.

Are You Eligible To Apply?

The first step in becoming a Physician Assistant is to determine if you are eligible to apply. You should be aware that every school with a PA program has different entry requirements. Your best bet is to directly contact any schools you are interested in applying to. Generally speaking experience, academic standing, and character are the three main factors that will be evaluated by any school.

Physician Assistant programs offering baccalaureate degrees require a minimum two years of college credits, and most are looking for some previous health care experience. Schools with master’s degrees require appropriate undergraduate credits with a minimum GPA and previous health care experience. Most applicants have a BA/BS degree and prior health care experience before admission to a Physician Assistant program.

As you might expect suggested courses to have under your belt prior to applying to a PA program include; anatomy, chemistry, biology, college math, psychology, english, organic chemistry, medical terminology and physiology.

Please refer to our article on PA Requirements for more detailed information.

What Is The Application Process?

The application deadlines for most Physician Assistant programs fall between November and March and most programs begin between May and September. The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) maintains a directory list with everything you need to know about the 154 accredited PA programs across the country. There you can find contact information, entrance requirements, admissions deadlines, tuition fees, credentials awarded and financial aid.

The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA), also maintained by PAEA, is an online application service that allows you to apply to any number of PA programs across the country by simply completing one application. As you can imagine this is a huge time saver if you are considering a number of different schools.

Please refer to our more detailed articles on applying to PA programs for further information.

How Does The Typical PA Program Work?

This is not a simple question. There are actually three different Physician Assistant degrees; associate, baccalaureate and masters. As we mentioned in the previous article the average is about 26 months – half classroom studies and half clinical rotations. The absolute minimum is one year in length with at least four months of classroom instruction.

After graduating from an accredited program, Physician Assistants are eligible to take the national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only those passing the test can use the title Physician Assistant-Certified(PA-C).

This is a very high-level summary of how to become a Physician Assistant. As you can guess there is a lot more involved than what was covered here. There are many articles on this website which go into greater detail on all these points.

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What Is A Physician Assistant?

June 3, 2011 By

What does a Physician Assistant do? Many of you are probably visiting this site because you have some basic questions about this occupation. A logical place to start is to answer the general question “What is a Physician Assistant?”.

Physician Assistant (PA)

A Physician Assistant, or PA, is a licensed health professional who practices medicine with physician supervision. This does not mean that a physician must always be present merely that they must always be available for consultation. Physician assistants perform a wide range of medical duties ranging from primary care to highly specialized procedures. A PA will often assist with major surgeries and also provide both pre and post operative care.

PAs have been around since the 1960s when the idea first emerged as a means to help address problems with the distribution of physician in certain areas or regions of the country. Physician Assistants serve a vital role in helping to provide improved access to quality medical care for all. PAs are well accepted by physicians and patients alike as they improve both the quality and quantity of medical care services which benefits everyone.

Physician Assistant Responsibilities

The responsibilities a Physician Assistant will have depends to a great extent on the type of practice, his or her experience and in some cases applicable state laws. PAs can be found in both rural settings and urban centres, hospitals, doctors’ offices, HMOs, clinics, federal government agencies and even the armed forces. In fact the first PAs were actually former medical corpsmen who wanted to use their medical skills in civilian life.

Some examples of medical functions that PAs may perform are; performing physical exams, ordering lab tests, taking medical histories, diagnosing and treating illnesses, assisting in surgery, patient counselling and general wellness promotion. Physician Assistants are authorized to prescribe medication in all fifty states. Often in say a rural setting where there can be a shortage of Physicians, PAs will serve as the primary health care provider (but always under the supervision of a physician).

Approximately half of all Physican Assistants practice in either family and general medicine or general surgery and surgical sub-specialties. You can find more detailed information on the breakdown in other articles on this website.

Physician Assistant Programs

The average Physician Assistant program takes just over 2 years to complete. The 1st year is mainly classroom studies — the medical science courses you would expect such as anatomy, microbiology, and physiology. The 2nd year is generally clinical rotations in private practice and/or various institutions

Now that you know what a Physician Assistant is and what they do, make sure to check-out the rest of the site to find out more about this rewarding career and see if this is the right profession for you.

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