Theres a wide gamut of professionals that provide healthcare to people every day besides doctors and nurses.
My name is Jordan Hall.
I am a physician assistant (PA) in Atlanta, Georgia.
A PA is a medical professional who is licensed both federally and locally to practice medicine.
I have been working a little over three years now.
Prior to that, I was in school for about seven years preparing for this career.
What drove you to choose your career path?
Like many of my colleagues, I was drawn to medicine through an affinity for science.
After my observations, I researched the career extensively.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
Nearly all the PA programs are 2-3 year Masters programs which require a bachelors degree for admission.
Typical acceptance is based on overall undergraduate GPA, core science GPA, and GRE/MCAT scores.
There are prerequisite classes that are deemed mandatory by each institution.
These classes typically include organic chemistry, microbiology, genetics, and anatomy/physiology.
Most applicants have a degree in a life science, which fulfills the aforementioned requirements.
Clinical experience hours are earned by observing or working alongside medical providers in a professional setting.
Candidates with clinical experience have a clearer idea of what the profession entails.
Clinical experience requirements can vary among programs from 200 to 5000 hours.
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
We also have to complete 200 hours of continuing medical education every two years.
What differentiates a physician assistant from a nurse or doctor?
(I probably would have mistakenly assumed you were a nurse.)
Nurses are more limited in the decisions they can make without a physician.
Nurses are not allowed to diagnosis and treat patients, order studies, or write medications.
In short a nurse is not allowed to make any decisions regarding a patient without a physician permission.
A more correct comparison would be to a nurse practitioner who can also do the above.
We have more training than a nurse and less than a physician.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most peoplesee?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
Documentation is becoming a major focus in medicine right now.
Documentation and dictation take up about thirty percent of my time.
I enjoy educating my patients by discussing the finer points of pathologic findings.
I feel this gives the patient a deeper understanding of their healthcare.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
The profession is still relatively young and people both outside and inside medicine have misunderstandings.
One misunderstanding is that a PA is still in school or training to be a doctor.
If faced with this misconception, I do not take offense.
This misconception usually appears as an overheard derisive remark.
The remark is undeserved and unsupported.
PA school is incredibly competitive with a difficult academic and clinical course load.
Many of my classmates and I were accepted into medical school, but chose to pursue PA school instead.
The misconception seems to be more prevalent in older patients.
What are your average work hours?
A PAs schedule is dependent on their individual situation and the needs of the practice and the attending physician.
The schedule can be extremely flexible if necessary.
My typical workweek is between forty and forty-five hours.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
I continue to delve into research and lectures out of professional and personal interest.
I hope that this profession attracts curious and driven individuals because that is what modern medicine needs.
We live in an age of increasing information availability, and providers have to sprint to keep up.
But for me, thats what makes it so fun!
Forging the frontiers of health sciences is how we as a species combat disease and bestow benefits on mankind.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
I am more technologically versed than some of my peers.
I am constantly utilizing technology for educational and professional purposes.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
This quickly puts my own personal problems into perspective and reminds me how fragile our health can be.
I am not sure if that part of the job is for everyone.
I do my best to approach all patients like they are my friends.
I attempt to follow the proverbial golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Having a positive impact on someones life is the most rewarding part of the job.
It is certainly not all happy times.
I have stressful days, but the patient who sincerely appreciates your care quickly buffers any acidic memories.
Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?
Do not feel intimidated.
Medicine is very complex and it can be helpful to break it down to more understandable parlance.
I would recommend asking no more than two questions per issue.
If you need additional information, simply inquire about obtaining another appointment for further discussion.
The salary rangemost commonly referencedfor a PA throughpublic sourcesis $95,000.00 - $150,000.00 annually.
This number represents an average across the country.
In less populated areas and in family medicine, salaries will be lower.
How do you move up in your field?
Experience and clinical skill set are the two ways I see PAs move up.
What do your patients under/over value?
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
I would say go for it!
Do not let the heavy set of pre-requisite science courses or a daunting MCAT examination hamper your desire.
We need passionate curious people to help care for an increasing and aging population.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].
Photo byeverything possible(Shutterstock).
