The Medical Specialties Of Physician Assistants

Physician assistants work in various medical specialties like family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, orthopedics, anethesiology and other surgical sub-specialties. These healthcare professionals are highly in demand and can find employment in healthcare, education, research, administration and government facilities.The following will list a few of the job duties of physician assistants in these various sectors of the work force.

When employed in the area of family medicine, physician assistants are supervised by a family medical professional.These physician assistants are not confined to just one part of the medical field.Instead, they help to take care of people that have general medical sicknesses. They also focus on diagnosis, preventive health care and health maintenance.They administer treatments, write prescription requests, and provide follow-up healthcare.

Physician assistants that deal with the internal medicine speciality are there to treat people who suffer from ailments that pertain to internal organs.People who are being treated by physician assistants in the internal medicine field are diagnosed with serious conditions that need continuous care.Such PAs also advise patients on diet and lifestyle.Internal medicine PAs can also specialize in different subcategories – heart, intestines, liver, blood, etc.

If a physician assistant works in the area of surgery, then he has special abilities.They are knowledgeable on how to assist doctors with medical tasks leading up to the surgery as well as the surgery itself.Such PAs must complete a surgical residency program and attend programs at the graduate level.Physician assistants who work in the area of surgeries know how to treat the patients from beginning of diagnosis straight on thru the surgery itself.They know what it takes to be prepared for a surgery.As a result, many surgeons even allow their PAs to perform some surgical procedures.

When physician assistants are responsible for preoperative care, they aid patients before the surgery commences.Also, help to take away the nervousness that most patients might have about surgery and also answer any questions that they may have concerning their upcoming surgeries. Typical duties include recording preoperative medical history, physically examining patients, ordering diagnostic tests and creating reports for the surgeon.In addition, they understand how to not only help the surgeon with various surgeries, but also how to perform the actual surgeries in some circumstances.

Physician assistants that work in the field of pediatrics are knowledgeable on how to care for children. They study the same subjects that a non-specialized family medicine PA does.They are able to give outpatient as well as inpatient medical care. Also, they can find employment in hospitals or in other medical facilities.These types of physician assistants are trained to assist with surgeries and neonatal care.Pediatric PAs help treat minor and routine cases.The serious cases are left to the doctor.

In terms of equipment, physician assistants are trained to work with Ultrasounds, Holters, ABIs, EKGs and echocardiograms. Cardiology is a medical, and not a surgical, specialty.Cardiac catherization and pacemaker insertions are conducted by the doctor and not his physician assistant.Such PAs know all about the cardiovascular system.

Orthopedic physician assistants are not only capable of administering local anesthesia, but they can also prescribe test and care and analyze patient histories.In addition, physician assistants are very knowledgeable when it comes to smaller surgical procedures like hardware removal, drainage, tendon repair and needle biopsies. They are adept at performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures like joint aspirations, dislocation reduction, and splint applications.They assist orthopaedic surgeons, help with care after operations and do other general patient duties such as providing evaluations, treatments and counselling.

In addition to helping the anethesiologist, an anethesiology physican assistant is responsible for administering anesthetic prescriptions.In addition to their normal duties, physician assistants are trained to operate machinery and perform specialized steps such as starting IVs, auto rapid machines, intra-aortic ballon pump machines and cell savers.Anesthesiology physician assistants can also become experts in sub-speciality fields such as neuro, liver and heart.

So, it is easy to see that physician assistants are needed in many areas of medicine.When it comes to physician assistants, there are many different state laws about this profession.Physician assistants are to uphold all state laws that pertain to the profession.Also, they have to have a proper amount of malpractice insurance because employer cover is not enough.

Physician assistants go through the proper training and practice under the guidance of a licensed physician.It is a gratifying, satisfying and courageous career that also helps to keep people healthy and working.