| If you have decided to become a Physician Assistant, | | | | the area few times a week. This is normally the case |
| then you should have already known what the job | | | | when the PA is assigned to a remote or rural area, |
| entails. Basically what you will be doing is practicing | | | | where the Physician will remain at their main place of |
| medicine, but you will be under the supervision of | | | | work. During this time, PA's will have to consult their |
| physicians and surgeons. This job is different from | | | | physician or other medical professionals as required |
| being a medical assistant whose job function is doing | | | | by the law. As it is required by the law, the said |
| routine clinical and clerical tasks. Physician assistants | | | | Physician must be contactable at all times to provide |
| (or PAs) diagnose health related problem, provide | | | | insight and guidelines. If a PA's has to make house |
| therapeutic and preventive services under the | | | | calls or visit other health care establishments in order |
| delegation of a physician and are formally trained. | | | | to check on a patient, then upon their return, they |
| They do a variety of work such as diagnosing a | | | | will need to report back to the Physician. The actual |
| problem, providing treatments, carry out tests and | | | | job scope or description will normally depend on the |
| should also be able to interpret these tests and | | | | Physician and is governed by the State law. |
| x-rays. PAs jobs also includes treating minor injuries, | | | | Therefore, PA's must always have knowledge of the |
| prescribe medication and in some places are required | | | | law in order to determine their limits and boundaries. |
| to do managerial work as well such as ordering | | | | The working hours will of course depend on the |
| medical supplies and supervising other staffs. | | | | practice they are in. A job at the hospital might |
| As PA's work under the supervision of a Physician, | | | | include working weekends, nights, early mornings or |
| they will need to consult them in situation where PAs | | | | during public holidays. A job in clinic on the other hand |
| are the sole care giver and the Physician only visits | | | | might just involve working 40 hours a week. |