A physician assistant or physician associate is a type of mid-level health care provider. PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a principal healthcare provider.
What Does a Physician Assistant Do?
What is a physician assistant, anyhow?
As the name suggests, a physician assistant helps doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals with a wide variety of tasks. They serve multiple functions that help the hospital or clinic continue to move forward efficiently.
To help the doctor perform their work, a physician assistant will review patients’ medical information, conduct basic examinations, give treatment, and educate or counsel patients according to their needs.
Can a PA have their own practice?
Physician assistants cannot run their own practice. They have to work under the supervision of a physician. Many states allow physicians to determine exactly what constitutes supervision. In other cases, doctors have developed written protocols, which dictate procedures to follow.
Are PA’s now physician Associates?
AAPA House of Delegates Votes to Change Profession Title to Physician Associate. The AAPA House of Delegates (HOD) today passed a resolution affirming “physician associate” as the official title for the PA profession by a majority vote of 198 to 68.2
What are PAs called now?
When the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) recently voted to change the name of their profession from “physician assistant” to “physician associate”, there was a huge negative response from the physician community.
Below are steps to Become A Physician Assistant South Africa
We briefly explored a physician assistant education path, but now we’d like to take a deeper look at this topic to help you understand the details of getting the right education to become a PA.
Step 1: Four-Year Science or Medical Degree
Almost all prospective physician assistants will have completed a four-year (bachelor’s) degree in a related science before entering a PA degree program.
Technically, a prospective physician assistant can have a four-year undergraduate degree in any field, but you will be better served if you choose something that closely relates to medicine or science. Ensure your bachelor’s degree is regionally accredited in order to make your application to graduate school as seamless as possible.
Common undergraduate degrees for physician assistants include:
Biology
Psychology
Sociology
Nutrition
Step 2: Physician Assistant Program
You must ensure that your physician assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Asssistant (ARC-PA). View a list of accredited programs here.
Most programs will take two to three years to complete. During your years of study, you will learn more detailed and focused information about health, medication, anatomy, and the health care industry.
Throughout your classes, you will get both medical science and clinical experience, with courses covering diagnosis techniques, emergency medicine, pharmacology, and pathology, and well as many other topics.
Around the second year of studies, you will begin to focus on even more detailed topics, such as general surgery, gynecology, and behavioral medicine. Once you complete the physician assistant education, you should be well prepared to pass the licensing exam and become a full-fledged PA.
Online Physician Assistant Programs
One of the best options is to seek your education online. There are many top-notch online programs that can prepare you for this rewarding career, and most are built to fit the busy schedule of a working professional or single parent.
Admission requirements will vary depending on the specific program. However, you can expect the programs (at least the high-quality, ARC-PA accredited programs, which is what you should be seeking) to require at least a 2.75 GPA from previous studies, if not a 3.0.
Other admission requirements will include some or all of the following:
Pre-requisite courses in General Chemistry I with lab, General Chemistry II with lab, Organic Chemistry with lab, Human Anatomy or Anatomy and Physiology I, Human Physiology or Anatomy & Physiology II, General Biology with lab, Biochemistry, Microbiology with lab, College Algebra or Statistics, Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Anthropology or Sociology, Medical Terminology
Patient care experience gained via work or volunteer time as a CNA, EMT, CMA, medical technician, or in hospice care
Shadowing of a physician assistant
Community service
GRE scores
Admission essay
In-person interview
Letter(s) of recommendation from previous instructors or medical professionals
Previous experience in the medical profession
Basic life support certification
Background check
Drug screening
Getting Licensed as a Physician Assistant
No matter where you live in the South Africa, you will be required to complete specific licensing to become a physician assistant.
All states and the District of Columbia will have their own licensing system, so the specifics may vary, but you will be required to complete this step regardless of location. Therefore, after graduation, you will need to complete the licensing requirements to become legally eligible to work.
All candidates for physician assistant careers will need to complete the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, also called PANCE, which is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). When you pass this exam, you can legally use the designation Physician Assistant-Certified, or “PA-C” for short.
To even be eligible for the exam, you will have to graduate from an accredited school. To take the test, you will have to submit an application and a R 7293.61payment in advance. You may schedule the exam anytime within the 180 days after payment.
The examination will involve many different topics related to the profession. The test takes five hours to complete and includes 300 multiple-choice questions that are given in five blocks of 60 questions. You will also have an allotment of 45 minutes total for breaks during your testing.
Are there physician assistants in South Africa?
In South Africa, PA-like professionals are known as clinical associates; in much of eastern Africa, clinical officers; in Tanzania, associate medical officers. Scott Smalley, PA-C, teaches his class at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
How long does it take to become a physician assistant in South Africa ?
about two years
PA programs typically take between 24 and 27 months to complete. So, it will take you about two years to become a physician assistant. If you want to work during your PA program, some schools offer a three year part-time option. Planning ahead for your PA education is imperative.
Where can I study clinical associate in South Africa?
Clinical associate undergraduate programmes are offered by Walter Sisulu University, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), which has also recently started a BCMP Honours programme in Emergency Medicine.
What is Physician Assistant course in South Africa ?
B.Sc Physician Assistant is a three-year undergraduate medical course in which students are provided training in diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services in all medical specializations.
How much does PA school cost in South Africa ?
The average cost of public resident tuition for a 27-month physician assistant program is: R 1166116.96. The average cost of non-resident tuition for a 27-month physician assistant program is: R 1322462.78. Average program length is 27 months.
Is it hard to become a PA in South Africa ?
Becoming a PA isn’t easy, but it takes less time than becoming an MD. Qualifications vary from state to state, but most physician assistants become licensed after completing a four-year degree followed by a 25-month accredited physician assistant program and then a one-year clinical rotation.
Is a PA called doctor in South Africa ?
PAs can prescribe medication. PAs are “done with school” and will never “be a doctor”. PAs practice and prescribe medications in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A PA is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional.