Monday, October 12, 2009

Is a Physicians Assistant (PA) a good job?

Im debating whether to go paramedic, nursing or P.A. and im wondering if PA is a good job in terms of pay, working conditions, etc. Anyone in the know can u please enlighten me. Thanks.
Answers:
Consider what you like to do, not just the pay. PAs work in the hospital or a clinic. They basically take the physical exam for physicians and may specialize in a particular specialty. They may write prescriptions but they work directly under a physician. It is a repetitive kind of job that pays pretty well. Nursing is always in demand and is less independent than the PA. There is a shortage and you will always be able to get a job and control your hours. The pay varies by location like anything but it also varies considerably by specialty. You can also always go to grad school and go into management or other specialties. You will work with alot of women in this field. It doesn't mean that you are gay. Lots of men do this job. But it helps if you like working with women. Surgical nursing is 50/50 men. There is a lot of ethnic diversity in this specialty. Paramedics are independent in alot of ways. They live in the ambulance. They like trauma, car accidents, emergencies. You can intubate people and take orders directly from physicians. It is stressful sometimes like nursing but more. The education is less but the pay is less. The hours are more varied, think about car accidents.at night.that sort of thing. What is important is that you find the right fit. Each is different and the personalities that go into each are quite different. Money wise PA's start out the best, but the jobs are less varied. Nurses are the most variety. Paramedics, limited opportunities but exciting. Of course, nursing can be in the ER and be very exciting. Also, nurses can be like paramedics (flight nurses etc). All are pretty secure jobs.Hope that helps. Been in the medical field for many years. Suggest watching ER for a general picture. All three are there. PA's are not in the ER often though, more in clinics.
This should help:P.A.:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/.R.N.:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/.*Top 10 Fastest-growing fields: Physician assistant 49.65% job growth
why do you want to be somebody's assistant
A PA is a step below a Doctor. They can write prescriptions and do many of the things that a Dr can do. I believe it's about the same as a nurse practitioner.
If you decide to become a PA you will make a lot of money more then the other 2. It alswo depends where you work to. A P.A is just below a doctor and you should be able to know howmuch you would make if your below a doctor. in my area a PA will make about 15 an hour, but it plays a major role where you live at too
Yes, it's a great job. It's not just the money. They pay well, but the important thing it's the human touch. If you are social, this is a great opportunity to become a real angel.
pa pays more you get more responsibility i think you will make more money but if you become a anesthesia nurse you make like 150,000 yearly
Demand for PA's are on the rise. PA's are highly trained and educated caregivers who are a step below physicians. They do not achieve the income level of physicians, but are qualified to perform the vast majority of routine day-to-day care of both outpatients in an office or inpatients in a hospital. They are usually employed by physicians to take over the mostly routine matters invloved in patient care. As the workload in a busy medical practice increases, it may make better economic sense for the practice to hire a PA who will not demand the income level of a full fledged physician. As more medical practices see their profitability threatened, PA's will become more of an attractive option for many groups. A qualified PA in a lucrative practice could probably make 6 figures, but probably won't see anything near 200 grand.
Depends on the physician you are assisting.
I actually had been considering the same options myself. I ended up going into a paramedic program for a few reasons. First, paramedics are much more independent. We operate primarily on protocols and standing orders. We don't have to wait for a doctor's order before assessing and treating a patient. We essential operate as "field doctors". The education is very comparable to that for a nurse, and the skills we perform in most states are almost identitical. However, there are some advanced skills that paramedics may be authorized to perform that nurses cannot. Unfortunately, the pay for paramedics is the worst of the three. If you're doing it for the money, don't be a paramedic. If you want an exciting job, this is the way to go.Nursing is a very well-paid profession, and offers a lot of different options. There are a lot of different specialties that you can go into. If you want to work with kids, geriatrics, cancer patients, psych patients, or whatever you can think of, there is a specialty for you.Here's a little riddle to help you decide between the two careers I mentioned above:Q: What's the difference between a nurse and a paramedic?
A: Nurses care.A physician's assistant would typically be above either nurses or paramedics on the pay scale. However, the education requirement is considerably greater. The PA programs that I looked into were two year programs following your Bachelor's degree, so you're looking at 6 years of school. But, PA's get to do a lot more of the "science" behind the illness by making a definitive diagnosis. Generally, paramedics and nurses don't diagnose - they just treat the symptoms. A PA's work hours are much more likely to be regular daytime hours.I chose paramedic for the excitement, the ability to work independently, and because it is really cool to go into someone's home and determine based on your findings what the problem is and how it will be treated. YOU are responsible for making the right decision and making it quickly. I guess I thrive on stress and live for the adrenaline rush.

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