i heart PAs

in a previous post, i mentioned my profession. i am a physician assistant (PA). have you heard of PAs? have you ever been seen by one at your doctor's office? do you know what the difference is between a PA and a physician? this past week was PA week. i love how almost every profession has a day, week, or month to celebrate! and this is ours! so, in honor of our week of celebration and in an ongoing effort to educate the world about what a PA is...

here a little history for you:

the first Physician Assistant program was established in 1965 under the leadership of Dr. Eugene Stead, Jr, at Duke University. the program was made up of former US Navy hospital corpsmen and the curriculum was based on the training of medical doctors during WWII. it was this week, in 1967, that the very first class of Physician Assistants graduated! today, there are over 150 accredited PA programs in the United States! our profession has come a long way in 44 years!

a Physician Assistant is trained on what is called the medical model, same as physicians, only PA programs last between two and three years and we have no residency requirement following graduation from a PA program. in many settings, the job of a PA looks very similar to a physician; yet, we work under the supervision of a physician. this means that although we have autonomy to see patients, as well as diagnose and treat, our licensure and practice as a medical provider is dependent on our having a supervising physician. this relationship is vital to our practice and extremely beneficial. physicians are trained for a longer period of time, with a completed residency specific to their chosen field, so it is reassuring to have the partnership and expertise of another medical provider in taking care of patients to the best of our ability.

i love being a PA. every day of seeing patients and practicing medicine has its challenges, as does any profession, but there are so many rewarding moments. i love connecting with a patient, taking care of them and providing more than just a quick-fix cure. i appreciate having the time to educate patients on their illness, preventative medicine, or the difference between a viral and bacterial illness! even though when i worked full-time, it was in urgent care, i enjoyed follow-up with patients, establishing a relationship with them, building a trust, and knowing more about them than simply their medical issues.

PAs have a unique and important role in healthcare. i am proud to be part of the team of healthcare providers and to be able to serve in this capacity. to all my PA colleagues out there, happy PA week!