Roles of Physician Assistants - Research Proposal Example

Physician Assistant Roles of Physician Assistants Physician assistants are health professionals licensed to practice medicine in terms of treatment and guidance under the supervision of a medical practitioner. They work everywhere from remote rural settings to major urban centers, in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, armed forces and other federal government agencies (Rowh). Physician Assistants play a number of roles including taking medical history of patients, performing physical exams, diagnosing illnesses, counseling patients, ordering laboratory tests, prescribing and dispensing drugs, assisting in surgery as well as promoting general wellness of clients. However, most PAs work on primary care such as family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics even though they can still work on all specialties including surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine and orthopedics (American Academy of Physician Assistants). They also take care of minor injuries like cleaning and dressing wounds as well as offering injections to patients. More often than not they administer tasks such as ordering for medical stock and equipment as well as acting as managers of junior staff like technicians (American Academy of Physician Assistants). It should be noted that PAs may proscribe and prescribe drugs to patients depending on the laws of that state. In this regard therefore, I am aware that in order to become a good PA, dedication and commitment is paramount since they work for longer hours than people in many other professions. Reasons why I want to be a Physician Assistant I believe the sky is the limit and if anything interests you, you should work for it through thick and thin. It’s a matter of mind and love to help others that drives me to this noble profession. I strongly believe that determination and dedication always precedes a happy ending and it is for this particular reason that I am aiming at the top prize of graduating as a qualified PA. It is a well paying profession and much as I am not doing for the money it is still an aspect that I need to appraise. The American Academy of Physician Assistants posit that the starting salary for fresh graduate physician assistants was $76,232 in 2008 while in full-time clinical practice it was $89,987 in the same year. Some experienced physician assistants earned in the $119,000 to $200,000 range (American Academy of Physician Assistants). Secondly, it is a highly marketable career not only now but in future too. Adverse growth has been witnessed in healthcare profession over the years owing to the fact that it is a booming business world over (Rowh). As reported by US Department of Labor, this profession will grow by at least 27% by year 2014. During my employment family practice, I closely interacted with our two physician assistants Kelly and Krisie, who both attend Seton Hall. Similarly, I shadowed a PA that specialized in orthopedic medicine over the summer of 2011 so as to join your revered school. Watching Kimberly work with her patients has been a learning experience and I was highly motivated to join and work as a PA. I strongly believe by becoming a physician assistant I will be able to change my life and that of other people. My strengths and weaknesses in relation to the job of Physician Assistant I boast of excellent interpersonal, analytical, and organizational and communication skills that enable me establish a highly effective relationship with patients and families through listening, narrative and nonverbal skills, educating and counseling of patients. I have good medical knowledge as well that has enabled me provide resourceful knowledge and understanding of complex relationships and mechanisms of diseases. Patient care is another important asset that I posses and is required of a PA to be able to conduct accurate and comprehensive decisions based on available evidence, sound judgment and patient’s preferences. Excellent professionalism and system based practices are vital to enable efficiency and reduce errors to improve patient care. This I believe I have been able to acquire in my experience while working with Kimberly, Kelly and Krisie. I learn the importance of being compassionate, honest, role model behavior and the integrity to always consider needs of patients, families and colleagues. However, at times a person’s greatest strength can be his biggest fault. My weakness lies in the fact that I am at times too much dedicated to my profession to the extent of forgetting my social life which is also important for the completeness of a human being. Similarly, adapting to working under pressure is also a big issue that has left me with a lot of stress and pressure but I believe that with continued practice and support from my peers will go a long way in enabling me overcome some of my weaknesses if not all. Preference of Seton Hall Physician Assistant Program Seton Hall constitutes many different Health Care fields with programs that prepare students to become practitioners with profound knowledge and judgment to execute their duties as knowledgeable and highly skilled Clinicians. Therefore, it offers good opportunity to obtain all requirements of an excellent PA by providing Master of Science in Physician Assistant (M.S.P.A) programme designed to develop health care practitioners. Similarly ,it is a 96-credit,three year professional programme that includes courses specific to PA intended not only to impart students with necessary technical skills but the foundation for graduates to become empathetic technicians, self dependent critical and analytical thinkers while learning at the same time. Compared to other institutions that offer the same training, the programme in Seton takes a relatively short period precisely 2 years before getting a practicing license. Another reason is that PA provides me with an opportunity to practice in various places ranging from prison facilities, hospitals, and clinics as well as in rural areas. According to Yong more than 50 percent of physician assistant’s work in primary care medicine; this will enable me interact with many people and learn more new things. These are some of the attributes that encourage me to be a physician assistant and being a hardworking anatomy and physiology student I believe will achieve my dreams. Seton Hall also provides Clinical rotations that are a distinguishing feature owing to the fact that a number of PA programs proffer 38-50 weeks of clinical exposure. Seton Hall Master of Science (SHMS) program provides 60 weeks of varied clinical experiences: Surgery (8 weeks), Internal Medicine (8 weeks), Pediatrics (8 weeks), Emergency Medicine (4 weeks), Obstetrics/Gynecology (4 weeks), Psychiatry (4 weeks), Critical Care (4 weeks), Long-term Care/Geriatrics (4 weeks) and 12 weeks at the Outpatient Medicine. Improvement of Application from Previous Application for PA I have not been enrolled as a PA programme before and it is for this particular reason that I believe joining your revered institution will provide me with my heart’s desire. I am fully aware that students in Seton Hall receive practical experience with patients in their 1st semester of study. They get involved in obtaining patient histories, performing physical exams and partaking in patient examination. Rigorous core clinical experiences start in the 1st semester of the 2nd year of study and go on into the third and last year of the curriculum. These rotational programs, in addition to a 4-week optional rotation enable PA students to apply theory and research to clinical practice. Seton Hall has a high pass rate and offers good reputation for potential employers, increasing opportunity for quick employment. The growing population of South Orange encourages outcome of many cases which will strengthen my ability to handle a number of patients. Extra Information Required for Admission Committee Having taken my before GRE’s, I feel was not really prepared and would like to begin fresh classes on December 12 in order to obtain higher scores. I have taken post Baccalaureate studies that I believe will offer me opportunity to prove myself worthy for admission into Seton Hall University. I have been exposed to a significant amount of medical terminology and medical office procedures, from my experiences but most importantly, my interpersonal skills relating to patients, healthcare providers and professionals in environments ranging from happy to stressful and busy have strengthened me as well. Shadowing the Physician Assistant has further confirmed all my reasons for intending to become a PA and I believe that with great effort comes great success. Seton Hall stood up to be interesting and everyone was friendly which made me feel at home when I visited. This encouraged me to go back again, have a close overview of what happens by having a candid talk with both students and staff who enabled me apply and carry out my studies to achieve best education and training that I require to become a PA. Works Cited Yong, Juan. "Good Reasons to Become a Physician Assistant." Retrieved 2011-11-11 from www.uniquearticles.info American Academy of Physician Assistants. The Role of Physician Assistants .Retrieved 2011-11-11 from /www.nlm.nih.gov/news/aapa_partnership.html Rowh, Mark. The Future of Health Care. Retrieved 2011-11-11 from www.careersandcolleges.com/health-and-medicine&article=future-health-care U.S Department of Labor. Health Plans & Benefits. Portability of Health Coverage (HIPAA). Retrieved 2011-11-11 from www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/portability.html Read More