A presentation I created about being a PA

1. Savanna Altman
HLTH 4190
Kathleen Meyer
Fall 2015

2. Introduction
 The aim of this presentation is to explain
what a physician’s assistant is, how to
become one, what they do, and why I
am a good fit for this career.

3. History
 In the 1960’s, it was recognized that there
was a shortage of primary care physicians.
 Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, created the first
class of physicians to help fill this gap. He
chose four Navy Hospital Corpsmen who
had considerable medical experience from
their service.
 Their curriculum was fast paced, taking
after the training of WWII doctors.
 The first class of Physician Assistants
graduated in 1967 from Duke University.

4. http://www2.paeaonline.org/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/25449

5. What they do
 The duties of a physician’s assistant depend on the
needs of the supervising surgeon or physician as
well as state law.
 PAs can work in many areas such, as primary care,
family medicine, and emergency medicine.
 On average, PAs see 51-60 patients a week.
 Generally they:
 Examine patients
 Interpret tests
 Make diagnoses
 Treat minor injuries
 Prescribe medications

6. Where they work
 Most physician assistants work in a group
in a private practice office or in a hospital.
 They may also work for outpatient care
centers, the government, or educational
services.
 Further, most work full time; if in a hospital,
they may also have on-call shifts
 PAs spend a lot of time on their feet and
can encounter stressful situations.

7. How to become one
 PA programs require a bachelor’s
degree with many science courses
including anatomy and physiology,
organic chemistry, and psychology.
 Most programs also require or prefer at
least 200 hours of patient care
experience.
 Volunteer and shadowing hours are also
highly recommended.

8. Continued
 Applicants must have a competitive GRE
score (50th percentile), GPA (at least 3.0), and
interview experience.
 Physician Assistants receive a Master’s
degree after two years of full course loads
including clinical experiences.
 Physician Assistants must pass the Physician
Assistant National Certifying Examination to
be licensed.
 Further, every 2 years they must complete 100
hours of continued education.
 Every 10 years they must be recertified.

9. Programs that interest me
 Emory University School of Medicine
 Ranked #3 PA program in the country
 Atlanta, GA
 Baylor College of Medicine
 Ranked #13 PA program in the country
 Houston, TX
 Medical University of South Carolina
 Unranked program
 Charleston, SC

10. Projections
 The physician assistant career is
expected to grow 38% between 2012
and 2022, which is much faster than
average.
 The median salary was $95,820 in 2014
 $43,600-90,880 in SC 2014
 $91,040-95,550 in GA 2014
 $102,800-112,700 in TX 2014

11. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291071.htm#st

12. Why I’m a good fit
 I want to live a life in service to others and am fascinated by the
functioning of the human body.
 I have a 3.57 GPA
 I will be completing a hands on internship Spring 2016
(180 hours).
 I have 12 hours of surgical observations and continue to
increase this number during semester breaks.
 O*Net identifies Social, Investigative, and Realistic to be the
best interests for potential Physician Assistants.
 My highest scores on the O*Net Profiler were in the
Investigative, Social, and Artistic categories.
 My having a high artistic interest would allow me to bring refreshing
creativity and spirit to the workplace as well as improve the patient
experience.
 I have always enjoyed solving problems and learning why things happen
a certain way.
 I grew up in a very active church and love volunteering my time and
working with others.

13. Conclusion
 Physician assistant programs are
growing increasingly competitive with
the increasing demand; with my natural
skill and interest set and a Health
Science degree from Clemson, I am
equipped to face the challenge.

14. Sources
 https://www.aapa.org/threeColumnLanding.aspx?id=
429
 http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1071.00
 http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/careers/physician-
assistant
 https://www.musc.edu/chp/pa
 https://www.bcm.edu/education/schools/school-of-
allied-health-sciences/programs/physician-assistant
 http://med.emory.edu/pa/index.html
 https://www.aapa.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.asp
x?id=2147483705
 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-
assistants.htm