A Guide On How To Become A Physician Assistant
Thursday, January 26th, 2012The admission requirements vary depending on institution. The majority of the institutions will only accept students if they have a college degree that relates to science but some will allow students to enroll if they have worked in a job in the healthcare industry in the past. If you have a science degree and some experience, the admissions committee will welcome you with open arms. The time that is necessary to get you into the school should then include all time working in the healthcare industry as well as the time spent in school.
Here is one very important piece of advice: if you are serious about getting into the school, spend some time doing some research to learn the history involved in the physician assistant position and speak to someone in the healthcare industry that can help you to be more prepared during the interview. You need to find a source that can tell you what the likely questions will be during the interview. If your application is rejected by the admissions committee, you have to take the time wasted into account just in case you don’t get admission in another college.
As you consider signing up for a physician assistant class, keep in mind that a twenty six month accredited course must be taken prior to beginning to practice according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, or AAPA. This will put an additional twenty six months onto the time that it will take to begin working, and be sure that you are enrolling at a school that is accredited. The exams are administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants’ (NCCPA). There may be a brochure or packet available from the school so be sure to ask.
In order to comply with the admission process that is required for a physician assistant, each student must have an active account with CAPSA, or Central Applications Service for Physician Assistants. It can take a considerable amount of time for CAPSA to process the applications that they have. You will need to make sure that your application is reviewed and approved prior to starting the classes so send in the application as early as you can. You must ensure that you do not lose any time. Sometimes the college will mandate the students be enrolled in an affiliate university as part of their application processes. If you consider the factors stated above, you will realize that becoming a Physician Assistant is a long process and requires a few years of study and experience, and very careful planning and preparation.
A test is given at the end of the physician assistant course and this will determine if they are able to begin practicing. Different states have different testing guidelines and exams. Each state is the same in their requirement for a graduating physician assistant to take a licensing exam that the state gives. Some states allow Physician Assistants to start practice after passing the license exam, while some states don’t. You should factor this time into your calculations as well. The official title of Physician Assistant – Certified, or PA-C, is only earned once the physician assistant has passed the NCCPA exam, or National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants’ exam. The final title of PA-C can only be maintained if the PA is able to complete at least 100 hours in continuing education classes within each two year time frame and if they get their skills tested once every six years; this will earn them the – C at the end of their title.
As stated earlier, becoming a Physician Assistant is a long process and therefore one must be sure of what one does every step of the way when considering how long does it take to become a physician assistant. Calculate the time that will be taken before enrolling for the course and you will find that careful planning and timing can lead you to success in the profession.