Physician Assistant Degree 101

Those interested in becoming a physician assistant will find that they will need to first get their physician assistant degree. What you will find is that the physician assistant position is one that has increased in popularity and remains a steady choice in the medical industry. These physician assistants will find that the remain in greater demand and since healthcare needs are on the rise, there will continue to be growth in the industry. Even though they aren't a doctor; they can earn quite a bit of money in the industry.

By definition, a physician assistant is a healthcare professional who is certified, licensed and registered by the state of his residence to practice in the field of medicine as part of a team that consists of doctors. The physician assistant will be focused on the maintenance, treatment and prevention of illnesses, while offering many of the healthcare services a doctor can provide. This individual has the ability to perform exams, diagnose and treat sickness and even interpret tests as they issue medical orders and help with surgeries as well. Before they can even begin this job though, they will need to take the time to obtain their physician assistant degree.

Anyone who is interested in joining the physician assistant program should take a moment to meet with current students to understand how the process works. Before you even enroll in a program for a physician assistant degree, you should ensure you review all the information available about this career choice. For example, certain websites such as mypatraining.com and its forum are well worth examining.

To be successful in this process, you will want to take a moment to get some medical experience under your belt before you begin to enroll in a physician assistant program as well. The reason for this piece of advice is because a good many physician assistant programs look for applicants who already possess a wide range of medical knowhow. Perhaps a good starting point for this will be to ensure that you do have 2 years of actual patient care to assist you. People who normally apply for physician assistant programs are surgical assistants or technologists, nursing assistants, medical assistants, vocational nurses, physical therapy technicians, athletic trainers, military medics and emergency medical technicians.

For this process, you will want to look at the requirements that you will have to meet before you can enroll in this program. An example would be that before you get enroll in the program, you will need to have your bachelor's in Health Science. Of course, you will also need to get your courses like Math, Microbiology, English and similar courses completed first as well.

Next up is researching the physician assistant program of choice. A general rule of thumb is to review the physician assistant program you are considering as each one will aid in different needs. A good idea will be to sit down and do your research to ensure that you understand what the program will actually entail.

Students should also contact the program they are interested in directly. It is important that the student speaks with a representative that can guide them in the program. As part of the process, the student should ensure they get an informational packet as well.

It is a wise idea to meet with other graduates of the program to gain feedback on it. It will be during this time that you can meet with the physician assistant and get an idea of the experience they had.

You will also find that that opening an account with CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) can be beneficial as well. You will find a vast majority of programs will require that you apply to them via CASPA. It is, though, quite possible that certain programs demand further applications like an application of admission to their specific university. Since they can take quite a bit of time to work through, you will need to make sure that you apply for CASPA in advance. A good idea will be to gather all your employment and education information in advance.

Recommendations will also be essential if you are wanting to help improve your chances of getting into the physician assistant program of your choice. The minimum number of people writing recommendations is three, and at least one of said three has to be either a physician or a physician assistant.

A personal statement should be composed as well. To be considered, the CASPA application should be completed in a grammatically correct manner with clear and concise answers. A good idea will be to have your statement proofread as well.

If you are invited to an interview; you are already on the road to success. Prepare for said interview by performing a mock interview with a real physician assistant, and also ask him what he went through during his own interview. Finally, dress conservatively to the interview, arrive early and behave professionally.

You are going to find that by following each of these steps, you will have a chance to get into the physician assistant program. At the end of this program, you will finally obtain your physician assistant degree. Of course, you will need to understand that even with your degree, you are still required to get certification to practice in your state. Only after doing all this can you finally be approved to operate in your state. What this means is that you will need to continue the process even after you have earned your degree.