how can I become a physician assistant?
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Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement[About this section] Back to Top\nAll States require that PAs complete an accredited, formal education program and pass a National exam to obtain a license. PA programs usually last at least 2 years and are full time. Most programs are in schools of allied health, academic health centers, medical schools, or 4-year colleges; a few are in community colleges, the military, or hospitals. Many accredited PA programs have clinical teaching affiliations with medical schools.\n\nIn 2005, more than 135 education programs for physician assistants were accredited or provisionally accredited by the American Academy of Physician Assistants. More than 90 of these programs offered the option of a master’s degree, and the rest offered either a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree. Most applicants to PA educational programs already have a bachelor’s degree.\n\nAdmission requirements vary, but many programs require 2 years of college and some work experience in the health care field. Students should take courses in biology, English, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, and the social sciences. Many PAs have prior experience as registered nurses, while others come from varied backgrounds, including military corpsman/medics and allied health occupations such as respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and emergency medical technicians and paramedics.\n\nPA education includes classroom instruction in biochemistry, pathology, human anatomy, physiology, microbiology, clinical pharmacology, clinical medicine, geriatric and home health care, disease prevention, and medical ethics. Students obtain supervised clinical training in several areas, including family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, prenatal care and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Sometimes, PA students serve one or more of these “rotations” under the supervision of a physician who is seeking to hire a PA. The rotations often lead to permanent employment.\n\nAll States and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the qualifications or practice of physician assistants. All jurisdictions require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and open only to graduates of accredited PA education programs. Only those successfully completing the examination may use the credential “Physician Assistant-Certified.” In order to remain certified, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years. Every 6 years, they must pass a recertification examination or complete an alternative program combining learning experiences and a take-home examination.\n\nSome PAs pursue additional education in a specialty such as surgery, neonatology, or emergency medicine. PA postgraduate educational programs are available in areas such as internal medicine, rural primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, neonatology, and occupational medicine. Candidates must be graduates of an accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA.\n\nPhysician assistants need leadership skills, self-confidence, and emotional stability. They must be willing to continue studying throughout their career to keep up with medical advances.\n\nAs they attain greater clinical knowledge and experience, PAs can advance to added responsibilities and higher earnings. However, by the very nature of the profession, clinically practicing PAs always are supervised by physicians.
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First, please be certain that you attend a college that is fully accredited by a regional accrediting association. There are other kinds of accreditation but this is the kind of accreditation you need to be able to transfer credits or have them recognized by an employer. You will find a list of these accrediting bodies at this site:  http://www.worldwidelearn.com/accreditation/accreditation-associations.htm\n\nYou will want to be sure that the college where you earn your degree in teaching is also accredited by NCATE - National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. For the education degree some of the courses, such as student teaching and teaching methods, will require interaction with students. You will find a list of colleges that are accredited by NCATE at this site: http://www.ncate.org/public/listofaccredinst.asp\n\nThere are several types of programs for a pharmacy technician.\nFormal pharmacy technician programs require classroom and laboratory work in a variety of areas, including medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy recordkeeping, pharmaceutical techniques, and pharmacy law and ethics. Technicians also are required to learn medication names, actions, uses, and doses. Many training programs include internships, in which students gain hands-on experience in actual pharmacies. Students receive a diploma, a certificate, or an associate’s degree, depending on the program. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos252.htm#training\nSince your girl friend has expressed an interest in eventually becoming a pharmacist, I would suggest that she earn an associate degree so she can transfer her credits, which she could not do if she took a certificate program.\nYou will find a list of pharmacy schools at this site:\nhttp://rxinsider.com/schools_of_pharmacy.htm\n\nI believe you can see that the degrees you and your girl friend are interested in cannot be taught solely online, although you may be permitted to take a few general education courses online. You need to make a list of colleges in your area that offer the degrees you want. Then study their catalogs (you will probably find them online but if not you can call and ask that a catalog be mailed to you) and call and make an appointment with the admissions office of the colleges that seem to meet your needs to discuss your options.
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Other than volunteering, there are several types of summer programs where you can shadow physicians in hospitals or do clinical or lab based research, all of which bolster your application.  \nLook into programs by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, if you are a member of a minority group, there are some specific programs available.  Otherwise, many med schools have programs available for local college students for shadowing or research, you just have to call and ask.  \n\nLastly, if you know a local PA or physician, just ask if it is possible to shadow at their office; many docs and PAs like to teach and, as long as the patients are OK with you being there (most patients don't mind, actually), you can be in the room to observe the interview and examination.  For PAs the highest yield specialty is Family Practice or Internal Medicine (you can also try pediatrics).\n\nGood luck.
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Many people think that becoming a doctor is difficult. Others have some sense that becoming a physician takes many years and is expensive. Most people realize that being a physician is difficult yet rewarding. All these people are correct. Becoming a physician is a long, arduous, expensive process that can only be accomplished with great dedication. \nBefore starting the process of becoming a physician (or any profession) you must do some honest soul searching. First of all you must be aware of the time commitment involved in becoming a physician. Medicine is a career that requires many years of preparation. Generally most people graduate college at age 22 and medical school at 26. Then after 3 years of internship and residency, many physicians begin their career at age 29. However, the training for some specialties can last until the physician's early to mid 30's. Obviously this can delay plans for marriage and starting a family. Some people begin their medical education after pursuing other careers, which can further delay the completion of their medical training. You must decide early on if you are willing to dedicate the time it takes to become a physician. As you can see, this is not a decision to be made lightly. \nMore importantly, you must decide if medicine is a field that is right for the kind of person you are. I believe that there are three cornerstones of a successful career in medicine: \n\nA love for learning in general \nA true intellectual curiosity about medicine in particular \nA strong desire to help others. \nBeing smart and doing well in the sciences are obviously important components of being a successful physician. However, do not fall into a medical career because you have done well in the sciences. Although this is a necessary requirement, you must also be able to relate well with people. \nAs a physician you have an opportunity to help others. Wanting to help others and enjoying helping others are necessary attributes of a good physician. This is something that cannot be taught. However, there are many other professions that can help others. Politicians, religious leaders and social workers all have the opportunity to help others, perhaps in larger numbers. \n\nMedicine is a career filled with choices. In what other career can you choose between delivering babies, taking care of children, handling emergencies, removing someone's cancer, or talking to someone who needs psychiatric help? Better yet, you can teach others any of these specialties, and while teaching have the opportunity to both practice your profession and teach it. Alternately, you can do research in whatever specialty you choose, with the potential to make a real breakthrough in preventing or treating illness. In addition medicine is a career that is honorable and is held in high esteem, allows you the ability to live just about anywhere, and provides job security (unfortunately, illness is something that will be around for the foreseeable future). \n\nHowever, all of this comes at a price. The many years of preparation, the discipline, the awesome responsibility, the worry about malpractice and the long hours can take their toll. Medicine is a unique field and it demands a unique person. \n\nOne word about money. Please don't let this be a driving factor in your decision, for the sake of your patients and yourself, because it will not sustain you. There are other careers in which you can make more money without the responsibility and the effort it takes to be a physician. \n\nIT IS VERY SATISFYING, make sure you have the grades and the personality to match it thought. GL
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First you will need to be trained in Medical Billing.  Try Brighton College, they have a great program.
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First, off you will need to graduate High school or get a GED. I suggest you start off at a Community College and ask them at the career center. Also do you want to be a doctor or a assistant? Because you can easily become a assistant in 9 mos through private schools like Bryman College.
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You would need a degree in either Math or Science.  That's three years.  Then you'd need to upgrade to teaching certification or a degree in Education.  Also, keep in mind that many areas base salaries on years of experience AND years of post-secondary education.  By the way, does an online Teaching Assistant course include any time spent interning in a real classroom?  If not, I can't imagine it's worth the paper it's printed on.
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Start by becoming a M.A.N
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I do know that a physician goes through a lot more school and gets paid very well.  BUT at the same time a physicians assistant does not have to be in school well into their 30's, they still make a very excellent paycheck AND they don't have to deal with all of the lawsuits that physicians have to deal with.  Your best bet is to be a PA.  Good luck!
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In the US, to become a physical therapist, you now need to obtain either a masters of doctorate level degree.  Your bachelor's degree should encompass many of the classes that are prerequisite courses for entrance into the professional phase of the program including at least\n1. A year and a half of biology\n2. Anatomy and physiology\n3. Statistics and trigonometry or calculus\n4. Basic, lifespan, and abnormal psychology\n5. A year of chemistry\n6. A year of physics\n\nThis may vary from school to school...\n\nYou will also want to have all  your general education requirements completed by the time you apply for admission to the professional phase.  \n\nThe structure of programs vaires...some are direct admittance...admitting you as a freshman and garauntee a spot in the professional phase of the program as long as you maintain a certain GPA.  Others require you to complete your bachelor's degree and admit you as a grad student to the DPT...some admit you as a senior, you complete your BS degree after the first year and then finish the the master's degree by the end of the third year...it all depends on the school.  \n\nOne place to get started is to visit the APTA website at www.apta.org and view what schools are accredited PT schools.  Then, review which ones you may potentially wish to attend and investigate that program's requiements and structure.  \n\nGood luck!
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I'm a CNA right now.... I've been trying to figure out the same question. Should I become a nurse??? Well, I'm not. I'm enrolled in a 2 year course to get my associates degree in medical assisting. you get to help the doctor in the office or run the paperwork part of the office. I'm doing that then going for my physicians assistant which is bacholers degree.... good luck :o)
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To work as a psychiatrist, you must:\n\ncomplete a bachelor's degree\ngraduate from medical school\ncomplete an internship\npass a state licensing exam\ncomplete a three-year residency program in psychiatry\npass additional exams to become board certified\nhave strong interpersonal skills; and\nbe self-motivated.\n\nFormal Education\nTo become a licensed doctor, you must complete medical school. Medical schools grant a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.M.) degree. You spend the first two years of medical school in classrooms and labs. You study anatomy, biochemistry, and different medicines. You also learn how to take a medical history, examine patients, and make a diagnosis. During the next two years, you work in hospitals and clinics under the supervision of physicians.\n\nYou usually need a bachelor's degree to get into medical school. While you do not need to be a pre-medicine or science major, these programs are good preparation. If you earn a liberal arts degree, be sure to take courses in physics, biology, and chemistry.\n\nOn-the-job Training\nWhile in medical school, you spend two years working as an intern in a hospital or clinic. As an intern, you rotate through internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics, oncology, and other hospital departments.\n\nAfter medical school, you complete a residency program in a specialty of medicine. Depending on your specialty, your residency lasts from three to five years. Residents usually work in hospitals. After your residency, you take additional exams to become board certified.
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Look up a college you'd be able attend, \nyou'd need CPR for the healthcare professional first, and then EMT-Basic, those will get you there.\nAlso you could look up your local fire department, ask if they dispatch ambulances, if they do, askl if they are looking for EMT's. \nChances are good they will send you to school for EMT, so you can work for them.\nDon't be intimidated about asking them any questions you have, it will pay off.\nGood luck getting there, I enjoy working as an EMT, I hope you do too!
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You seem to be a bit confused about Physicians Assistants vs. Surgical Technician ("Scrub Tech")\n\nA physicians assistant needs to be a college graduate.  I think most PA programs are Masters studies (you finish college, then go another 2 years).  PA's make $35-90k per year, depending on the type of work they do.\n\nPA's practice medicine under the supervision of a doctor.  There are limits on what they can do, but they can do quite a lot!\n\nScrub techs go through a 2 year associates degree program, but I think there are hospitals that will train techs.  It helps to have the degree, though.  Because the training involved is far less, scrub techs make a lot less than PA's, about $28-38,000/yr.\n\nScrubs assist in the operating room, mainly handing instruments to the surgeon, but they can also hold retractors, suture, and assist in other ways.\n\nHere are the websites for the professional associations for both:\nhttp://www.aapa.org/\nhttp://www.ast.org/ \n\nThey should be able to help you with your other questions.\n\nGood luck!
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Why would an MD or a DO want to become a PA?  An MD, or a DO are suprior positions to that of the PA... \n\nI supose that an MD or a DO COULD simply take the licensing exam to become a PA - becouse the education requuuuuuired to be an MD is so much more advanced than it is to become a PA - but why would any MD or DO do that?  Are tehy tired of beeing in controll and making decent money?\n\nYour question makes no sense.
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im thinking medical assistant, my best friend is a physicians assistant at a hospital and shes getting paid pretty well. Also i think medical assistant and physicians assistant is the same.
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look on their website and get the details from there. it should tell you all the qualifications you need in order to become one. You can also talk to them at job fairs everywhere. the website to look on is http://www.cbp.gov/