For my pre-internship class we researched an occupation that interested us. I choose PA because it is my long-term goal to further my education and attend PA school.

1. {
Physicians Assistant
Megan Pazdersky

2. WHAT IS A PA?
-Are health care providers
who practice medicine
-Can diagnose, treat and
prescribe medicine for
patients under the
supervision of a licensed
physician

3.  Began in the mid-1960’s once the shortage of primary care
physicians was recognized
 Eugene A. Stead JR., MD of the Duke University Medical Center, put
together the 1st class of PA’s in 1965. That graduated on Oct. 6th 1967
 The American Academy of Physicians Assistants was established
and incorporated in the state of North Carolina in 1968
 As of July 2007 there are 141 accredited PA programs throughout the
country
 Today PA’s can practice medicine in all 50 states
History of Physicians
Assistant’s

4.  Take’s your medical history
 Conduct physical exams
 Diagnose and treat illnesses
 Order and interpret tests
 Develop treatment plans
 Counsel you on preventative care
 Assist in surgery
 Write prescriptions
 Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
How does a Physicians
Assistant practice
medicine?

5.  Most programs are 26 months in length
 Most require the same prerequisites as medical school
 More than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations
 Students take basic courses in science, behavioral sciences
and clinical medicine
 Anatomy
 Pharmacology
 Microbiologuy
 ect
What are the educational
requirements of a PA?

6.  PA’s must graduate from an accredited
program
 Pass the Physician Assistant National
Certifying Exam
 Get licensed by the state
 In order to maintain the certification
 Complete a recertification exam every 10 years
 Complete 100 hours of continuing medical
education every 2 years
How are Physicians
Assistants certified and
licensed?

7.  Active listening
 Critical Thinking
 Speaking skills
 Service oriented
 Deductive reasoning
 Calm demeanor
 Energetic
 Patience
Skills That I Possess That
make A Great Choice for
Physician Assistant School

8.  Median annual salary in 2013 : 92,970
 Lowest 10 percent made about 62,030
 Median wages in 2014 : 46.07 hourly, 95,820 annually
 Projected growth (2012-2022) much faster than average (22
percent or higher)
Potential Growth/ Salary
Range

9. {
Getting into an
accredited PA
program
Schools I'm interested in
Prerequisite course work
Why I'm a good candidate

10.  General Microbiology with lab ( 4 credits)
 Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab (4 credits)
 Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab ( 4 credits)
 General Chemistry 1 with lab (4 credits)
 General Chemistry 2 with lab ( 4 credist)
 Organic Chemistry with lab OR Biochemistry
 Intro to Psychology
 Developmental Psychology
 Elementary Statistics
 Nutrition
 Genetics
General Prerequisite
Course Work (each PA
program can be different)

11.  Bachelors degree prior to admission
 Minimum 3.0 GPA
 Minimum of 800 ( 1600 preferred) documented hours in
patient contact or medical related experience
 Completion of prerequisite math and science courses with
a “ B” or better
 3.0 or higher science GPA
 GRE scores
 26-month program
 Estimated In-state tuition : 33,016.00
 Estimated In state ( in county) tuition:26,123.00
Towson University/ CCBC
( on accreditation
probation)

12.  Apply through the Central Application Service for Physician
Assistant
 Submit GRE scores ( no older than 5 years)
 Complete a Bachelors degree
 GPA higher than a 3.00
 Cumulative GPA higher than 2.8
 Criminal Background Check
 Minimum of 300 hours of health care experience, 40 hours
under the supervision of a certified PA
 No history of drug abuse or conviction of a felony
 Estimated Tuition for a Maryland resident : 28,960.00
 Application date November 1st
University of Maryland
Eastern Shore ( on
probation)

13.  I scored highest in Social,
Enterprising and Investigative in my
O*net report
 I current have above a 3.0 GPA
 I’m well on my way in terms of
logging hours and passing my
prerequisite course work
 I went on a medical mission trip to
Guatemala this summer where I
learned that I really enjoy hands on
interaction with patients
 Traits
 Detail oriented
 Compassionate
 Hard- working
 Interest in continual learning
 Critical thinking skills
Why should I
become a PA?

14.  I was originally drawn to PA school
after witnessing my cousin go
through medical school and
residency. I want to be able to have a
family and a career and I feel as if PA
school is best for me.
 I’ve known since I was a little girl
that I was going to do something in
the field of medicine when I grew
up.
 I plan to keep up my grades, log
more hours and finish my
prerequisite course work so that I am
able to apply to PA school and be a
competitive candidate
 I'm not sure which specialty I want
to go into. But I'm hoping to find that
out in the future.
What does my
future look like

15.  https://www.aacc.edu/physassist/file/2WebPrer
equisites2015.pdf
 https://www.aapa.org/become-a-pa/
 http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-
1071.00
 http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/past-
ms/files/ProgramInfoBooklet.pdf
Sources