In order to have an intelligent conversation about the Physician Assistant Profession, and where it came from, one must have some basic knowledge about what it is that is involved in a Physician Assistant Career. To make a long story short, a Physician Assistant is capable of performing the same types of services that any regular doctor can without having the same kind of autonomy.
The Physician Assistant Profession allows those who are involved to practice medicine in the same manner in which a physician does, but they must be doing so under the supervision of a fully licensed and trained doctor. They are capable of carrying out many of the same services as a doctor such as diagnosing illnesses, helping during surgical procedures, evaluating the status of patients and writing prescriptions.
Entering the healthcare profession in the realm of a Physician Assistant Career has some benefits that should be considered. Number one is that you can begin practicing medicine without having to spend as much time in school as a regular doctor. The pay scale for those entering this career field often reaches very close or above six figures.
Now that we have the basics out of the way, we can go on to discuss where this profession originated.
During the 1960s many doctors and educators saw that the number of physicians needed for proper care of patients was not enough to meet the demand. This mid-decade discovery caused them to determine that it was time to implement some changes to the healthcare field. This led to the broadening of the scope of medical care.
As a direct result, Dr. Eugene Stead of Duke University Medical Center established the first of its kind Physician Assistant class in North Carolina. The very first class consisted of Navy Corpsmen who were already familiar with much medical training which they had received as part of the military during the Vietnam War. At this time he used the fast paced type of training that was used while training World War II military doctors.
Two other doctors, Dr. Hu Myers from Alderson-Broaddus College and Dr. Richard Smith from University of Washington followed the lead of Dr. Stead and implemented programs of their own. Following suit, the American Medical Association also passed a resolution which created educational guidelines and the certification process used for completing the training required for becoming a Physician Assistant.
In conclusion, the Physician Assistant Career began out of a necessity. Due to the foresight of this pioneer, that initial class continues to expand its influence even further into the medical profession, creating an ever-expanding reach into the healthcare that we know today.
Physician Assistants provide a vital service which is particularly helpful since doctors are unable to be everywhere they are needed all the time.
The Physician Assistant Profession allows those who are involved to practice medicine in the same manner in which a physician does, but they must be doing so under the supervision of a fully licensed and trained doctor. They are capable of carrying out many of the same services as a doctor such as diagnosing illnesses, helping during surgical procedures, evaluating the status of patients and writing prescriptions.
Entering the healthcare profession in the realm of a Physician Assistant Career has some benefits that should be considered. Number one is that you can begin practicing medicine without having to spend as much time in school as a regular doctor. The pay scale for those entering this career field often reaches very close or above six figures.
Now that we have the basics out of the way, we can go on to discuss where this profession originated.
During the 1960s many doctors and educators saw that the number of physicians needed for proper care of patients was not enough to meet the demand. This mid-decade discovery caused them to determine that it was time to implement some changes to the healthcare field. This led to the broadening of the scope of medical care.
As a direct result, Dr. Eugene Stead of Duke University Medical Center established the first of its kind Physician Assistant class in North Carolina. The very first class consisted of Navy Corpsmen who were already familiar with much medical training which they had received as part of the military during the Vietnam War. At this time he used the fast paced type of training that was used while training World War II military doctors.
Two other doctors, Dr. Hu Myers from Alderson-Broaddus College and Dr. Richard Smith from University of Washington followed the lead of Dr. Stead and implemented programs of their own. Following suit, the American Medical Association also passed a resolution which created educational guidelines and the certification process used for completing the training required for becoming a Physician Assistant.
In conclusion, the Physician Assistant Career began out of a necessity. Due to the foresight of this pioneer, that initial class continues to expand its influence even further into the medical profession, creating an ever-expanding reach into the healthcare that we know today.
Physician Assistants provide a vital service which is particularly helpful since doctors are unable to be everywhere they are needed all the time.
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