Physician assistants is a growing profession in the medical field and in general; this is a career I am working towards becoming. It is number three on the top ten jobs list of 2018 by U.S. News. While the word ‘physician’ is a part of their name, and so is ‘assistant,’ it doesn’t mean that physician assistants are physicians or just an assistant. They work in collaboration with a medical doctor. While physician assistants have been gaining popularity, many have compared them to nurse practitioners. Some believe that physician assistants and nurse practitioners can be interchangeable professions. However, they are two distinct careers as the preparation, job duties, and certification, licensing, and autonomy are not identical; therefore, patients
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Academically, these two professions hold differences. To enter a nurse practitioner program, you must already be a nurse and have a degree in Nursing. If one wanted to enter a physician assistant program, it doesn’t matter what kind of degree they have, as long as they have one. An English major could become a physician assistant if they wanted to, but only a nurse can become a nurse practitioner. If someone wanted to become a physician assistant but their major was not science based, they must take and pass the prerequisites for their desired program. Physician assistants take courses in basic sciences, behavioral sciences, and clinical medicine (“What is a PA?”). Upon graduating the program, future physician assistants will have a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies while future nurse practitioners will have a Master of Nursing Practice. Nurse practitioners take courses in humanistic and natural sciences. To apply to a physician assistant program, one must take either the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, or the Medical School Admissions Exam, or MCAT. …show more content…
Both nurse practitioners and physician assistants prescribe medicine, diagnose and treat illnesses, educate patients, vaccinate, and order tests; however, they follow different models. Nurse practitioners follow a holistic, nursing approach while physician assistants follow the medical model. The nursing model gives attention to a patient’s mental and emotional needs as much as their physical issues; the medical model puts a greater emphasis on disease pathology, and it looks primarily at the anatomy and physiological systems of the body (Nurse Journal). While it seems that physician assistants and nurse practitioners specialize in the same areas, there are specific specialties for each of the profession. Hospitals will typically place physician assistants in general surgery and anesthesiology, and they will typically place nurse practitioners in neonatal health and geriatrics. Because their job duties are not identical, the salary and job outlook shows that as well. The median salary for nurse practitioners is $107, 460, and the median salary for physician assistants is $101, 480 (Engard). The salary can vary depending on which specialty a nurse practitioner or physician assistant goes in. The number of jobs for physician assistants is expected to grow 37 percent by 2026, and for nurse practitioners, it is expected to
Academically, these two professions hold differences. To enter a nurse practitioner program, you must already be a nurse and have a degree in Nursing. If one wanted to enter a physician assistant program, it doesn’t matter what kind of degree they have, as long as they have one. An English major could become a physician assistant if they wanted to, but only a nurse can become a nurse practitioner. If someone wanted to become a physician assistant but their major was not science based, they must take and pass the prerequisites for their desired program. Physician assistants take courses in basic sciences, behavioral sciences, and clinical medicine (“What is a PA?”). Upon graduating the program, future physician assistants will have a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies while future nurse practitioners will have a Master of Nursing Practice. Nurse practitioners take courses in humanistic and natural sciences. To apply to a physician assistant program, one must take either the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, or the Medical School Admissions Exam, or MCAT. …show more content…
Both nurse practitioners and physician assistants prescribe medicine, diagnose and treat illnesses, educate patients, vaccinate, and order tests; however, they follow different models. Nurse practitioners follow a holistic, nursing approach while physician assistants follow the medical model. The nursing model gives attention to a patient’s mental and emotional needs as much as their physical issues; the medical model puts a greater emphasis on disease pathology, and it looks primarily at the anatomy and physiological systems of the body (Nurse Journal). While it seems that physician assistants and nurse practitioners specialize in the same areas, there are specific specialties for each of the profession. Hospitals will typically place physician assistants in general surgery and anesthesiology, and they will typically place nurse practitioners in neonatal health and geriatrics. Because their job duties are not identical, the salary and job outlook shows that as well. The median salary for nurse practitioners is $107, 460, and the median salary for physician assistants is $101, 480 (Engard). The salary can vary depending on which specialty a nurse practitioner or physician assistant goes in. The number of jobs for physician assistants is expected to grow 37 percent by 2026, and for nurse practitioners, it is expected to