Being A Physician Assistant Essay

Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician (AAPA). These health care professionals are educated to provide treatment, diagnostics of injuries or illnesses, preform physical examinations, take medical histories, order laboratory tests and x-rays, and depending on their level of study they may assist in surgery procedures (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The code of ethics for the health care occupation of a Physician assistant has “four main principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice”(AAPA). What these codes mean is that patients have the right to make their own choices regarding their treatment and health and as such the physician assistant should respect these choices and abide by them. The physician assistant should act in the patient’s best interest without disrespecting their choices. Nonmaleficence indicates that the health care professional should do no harm or inflict unnecessary burdens upon the patient. The principle of justice indicates that no patient under similar circumstances of other patients should be treated differently and that fair distribution and care should be taken with all patients. Physician assistants can earn an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree from a legitimized educational program, and most have earned a previous bachelor’s degree with some work experience in the healthcare related industry. Miami Dade College Medical campus offers the Physician Assistant program, which would take approximately two years to complete, not including the prerequisites. To join this program one must have three recommendation letters from accredited professors, fifty hours of community service at a healthcare location such as hospital or clinic, and an entrance exam. The approximate cost of this program is $22,188.32 not including fees and it is subject to change. Florida International University also provides a Physician Assistant program with an estimated tuition and fee cost of $62,798 (Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine). All physician assistants must be licensed and in order to do so they must pass the Physicians Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). To maintain licensure physician assistants must complete 100 of continued education every two years and take a recertification exam every ten years. The job outlook for the profession of physician assistant is expected to grow due to the increase of growing and aging population. …show more content…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an expected “38 percent increase of physician assistants from 2012 to 2022”(Bureau of Labor Statistics). There have been sixty-three jobs advertised in the last thirty days of the Miami Herald for the position of Physician assistant. Previous experience is required due to how well someone who has had experience might preform instead of someone with little to no experience, previous experience also allows employers to verify past work ethics. Salary for a physician assistant varies on the industry in which they work, hospitals and outpatient centers pay more. An estimate of $79K annually is expected for an entry-level Physician assistant, while a physician assistant with experience may earn up to $124 annually (Payscale). Physician assistants can complete additional training in areas such as surgery, neonatology, family medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry with additional education. With additional experience the Physician assistant may take on more clinical and administrative responsibilities. The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is an organization for Physician assistants to develop their skills and