Due to an ongoing shortage in the number of primary care physicians available to meet the increasing healthcare needs of a growing and aging population, physician assistants (PAs) have become familiar figures within a wide range of medical settings.PAs are trained in general medical practice and can provide the same level of care as a doctor if they choose to.Finding a PA for your medical care needs is no more difficult than finding a physician, although it always pays to understand how PAs are trained, what exactly they can do, and how they are hired to work within a collaborative medical team.
Step 1: You can use the same method to find a doctor.
Depending on the particulars of your health insurance plan, you may be a member of a particular health system in the U.S.Many health care system websites allow you to search for physician assistants as well as finding a doctor.If you want to include registered nurses in your physician search, you can check a dialog box on the health system website.
Step 2: You can search on commercial web portals.
In addition to health system websites, there are for-profit sites that list medical providers, including PAs, based on your location and/or other preferences.A long list will appear before you if you enter the metro area in which you want to find a PA.Take the PA ratings with a grain of salt.It is difficult to pin down the criteria used to determine ratings.They are a starting point, but not the only factor.
Step 3: In almost any healthcare setting, look around.
You might think of physician assistants working in primary care physician offices, but PAs can perform many of the same services anywhere you can find a doctor.You can find them in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools and colleges.PAs are authorized to take medical histories, conduct exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, develop treatment plans, counsel on preventative care, assist in surgeries, write prescriptions, and make hospital rounds in all 50 U.S. states.
Step 4: The benefits of PA- provided care should be recognized.
Some people may be concerned that they are getting second rate medical care by seeing a PA instead of a doctor.According to surveys and studies, PAs provide a similar quality of care and produce similar patient outcomes, while achieving the same degree of patient satisfaction.PAs work under the guidance of a physician.Helping to reduce costs, increase service availability, and decrease waiting times is what PAs do.Some patients find it easier to make a personal connection with a PA as opposed to a medical doctor.You can feel confident that you are getting high-quality general medical care if you find the right PA.
Step 5: There is a job board on the AAPA website.
The American Academy of Physician Assistants is the largest professional society for PAs in the U.S.The AAPA has a website that helps bring PA job-seekers and employers together.There are posted job openings and uploaded PA resume.There should be no shortage of job openings and an increasing number of freshly-minted PAs for the foreseeable future according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Step 6: There are other PA-specific and general job websites.
There are websites that only focus on physician assistants, but regular job websites can be used to find PAs.You can use multiple platforms to find the right person for the position.Since the demand for PAs is higher than the supply, you may have to work harder to find the right person.It's likely that thorough searches will pay off for you.
Step 7: There is a well-regarded PA training program.
Sometimes it is easy to get a physician assistant who has just finished their program.In order to meet the rising demand for PAs, there has been a significant increase in the number of PA programs in recent years.The educational and training process for PAs is provided in How to Become a Physician Assistant.If you want to practice as a PA in the U.S., you have to pass the PANCE exam and get a license from the state in which you practice.
Step 8: Refer to how PAs fit into a medical team.
The concept of physician assistants was developed at Duke University in the 1960s to deal with the primary care physician shortage that was already underway.It was modeled after the fast-track doctor training used by the U.S. military during World War Two, and is focused on providing general medical training that is ideal for preventative care services.State laws in the U.S. require that PAs work under the "supervision" of physicians, but in practical terms this means that the supervising physician must be available for consultation by phone.PAs should work with physicians and other care providers.PAs have the skills to provide care autonomously, but are trained to function best within a collaborative care system, which is becoming increasingly critical to modern healthcare provision.