Medical Careers NICOLE SCHNEIDER, MSPAS, PA-C OCTOBER 28, 2015

A short list of medical careers ▪ Physician (doctor) ▪ Physician Assistant ▪ Nurse Practitioner ▪ Registered Nurse ▪ Nurse’s Aide (CNA) ▪ Ultrasound Technician ▪ X-Ray Technician ▪ Emergency Medical Technician ▪ Paramedic Respiratory Therapist Physical Therapist Occupational Therapist Surgical Tech Phlebotomist

More Choices… ▪ Family Practice ▪ Internal Medicine ▪ Pediatrics ▪ Obstetrics/Gynecology ▪ Neurology ▪ Cardiology ▪ ENT ▪ Pulmonology ▪ Gastroenterology Urology Nephrology Dermatology Endocrinology Psychiatry Surgery (General, Orthopedic, Vascular, Cardiothoracic, Pediatric) Oncology Hematology Emergency Medicine

Physician Assistants ▪ The profession was started in 1965 at Duke University by Dr. Eugene Stead ▪ Dr. Stead recognized the skills that Vietnam War veterans obtained as medics on the battlefield and the need for primary care providers in the USA. ▪ 4 Navy Corpsmen were the first PA graduates ▪ Since 1965, over 200 programs have been created in the US, totaling to more than 100,000 licensed PAs in the country. ▪ Forbes Magazine ranked MSPAS as the #1 Masters’ degree in 2014

What can a PA do? ▪ The PA profession is designed to work in collaboration with a physician to provide medical care. ▪ All PAs have a supervising physician ▪ The supervising physician does not have to be in the same building as the PA ▪ PAs can see patients, order tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery. ▪ Work in all types of settings- hospitals, outpatient offices, nursing homes, emergency rooms ▪ PAs are not certified to perform surgery on their own or open their own practice.

Path to becoming a PA ▪ There are 2 paths to becoming a PA ▪ 1. Attend a university which offers guaranteed admission into the PA program following obtaining a Bachelors’ degree. ▪ Ex: Quinnipiac (6 year program) ▪ Ex: DeSales (5 year program) ▪ Must maintain a certain GPA to maintain seat in PA program (but no GRE!) ▪ 2. After completing a Bachelors’ degree, then apply to PA schools. ▪ Ex: Yale ▪ Must take GRE (Graduate Record Exam) before applying ▪ Programs vary in length from months ▪ Both require prerequisite courses such as Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Statistics, and Anatomy ▪ Programs are often set up as one year of classroom learning and one year of clinical rotations

Clinical Rotations ▪ Required for certification as a PA ▪ Must include Family Practice, Psychiatry, OB/GYN, Surgery, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine ▪ There are often elective rotations as well

Nurse Practitioners (NP, APRN) ▪ Nurse practitioners complete additional education (Masters’ degree) beyond nursing school. ▪ Often 2 year programs ▪ Most programs are focused on a specialty- pediatrics, women’s health, acute care, psychiatry, family medicine etc. ▪ Can prescribe medication, order and interpret lab results, diagnose illnesses, and treat illnesses ▪ Can practice autonomously (on their own) or under the supervision of a physician. ▪ Can work in all of the same settings as a PA besides surgery

Physicians (M.D., D.O.) ▪ Must attend a 4 year Medical School followed by a residency in their chosen field. ▪ Both M.Ds and D.Os are licensed physicians. ▪ D.Os receive additional education in medical school about the muscles and bones (musculoskeletal system) and are taught about osteopathic manipulative treatment.

Physician Assistants and Insurance ▪ Some misconceptions about PAs are do not generate as much revenue and because of insurance rules, a PA can not see new patients. ▪ ▪ “A practice employing a PA pays less in overhead costs for that PA compared to a physician, while having a healthcare provider on board who can provide most of the same services.” ( ) ▪ PAs will generate 85% of what a doctor would generate ▪ But, it is possible for a visit conducted by a PA to generate 100% of maximum revenue if a physician sees the patient after the PA and writes a note ▪ PAs can see new patients ▪ Will again only generate 85% of what a physician would generate ▪ But, every insurance plan is different and has different rules about PAs

What can I do now if I want to go into medicine? ▪ Get good grades in High School ▪ Can observe different jobs as a volunteer in the medical field ▪ Check local hospitals and nursing homes websites ▪ A good way you can see if you can be okay with blood, smells ▪ Try to see surgeries and observe in the ER ▪ Ask medical professionals you meet about their jobs + education ▪ Check out different medical professions’ websites ▪ Take a CPR/ First Aide class ▪ Becoming a lifeguard is a great way to become CPR certified ▪ Look into EMT and CNA courses (must be 16 to be an EMT)

Some Medical Quotes

Medical Spanish ▪ Spanish ▪ Me llamo Nicole. Soy un estudiante con el/ la medico/a ▪ El/la asociado/a medico ▪ El/la enfermero/a ▪ Como te sientes? ▪ Donde esta tu dolor? ▪ Le puedo escuchar a los pulmones/ el corazon? ▪ Ahora, voy a examiner su estomago ▪ Habla ingles? ▪ Voy a llamar un interprete de espanol ▪ English ▪ My name is Nicole. I am a student with the doctor. ▪ Physician assistant ▪ Nurse ▪ How do you feel? ▪ Where is your pain? ▪ Can I listen to your lungs/ heart? ▪ Now, I am going to examine your stomach ▪ Do you speak English? ▪ I am going to call a Spanish interpreter

Works Cited ▪ Google Images ▪ gre=&health_xp=&bach_required=&min_gpa=&start_month= gre=&health_xp=&bach_required=&min_gpa=&start_month ▪ ▪ ▪ questions.page? ▪ ▪ care-prescription/ care-prescription/ ▪ assistant-studies/ assistant-studies/ ▪