Physician assistants have been part of the health care system in United States since the 1960s. In recent years, this job has gained tremendous popularity among the nations. However, there are still many people who do not have thorough understanding of the nature of this job. In fact, these personnel are health professionals licensed by the states to practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians.

They assist the physicians for many tasks that traditionally have been performed by the doctors except for some complicated cases. They can generally provide about 75% of the services that a physician can provide but they must work under the supervision of a physician.

First of all, we have to understand that the precise job scope of physician assistants is not universal for all practitioners. It varies from one to another in the aspects of training, experience and state laws. Their scope of practice is spelled out in their practice agreement and they are strictly prohibited to practice in a manner other than prescribed by their supervising physicians.

Let’s take a look at the general duties of these personnel:

• taking the patients’ medical histories
• conducting physical exams on the patients
• diagnosing illnesses
• treating minor injuries or sicknesses
• developing and carrying out treatment plans
• providing injections
• counseling patients on preventive health care
• providing assistance and support in surgery
• interpreting laboratory tests
• ordering and interpreting lab tests
• performing therapies
• refer patients to specialists as required
• writing prescriptions (at present, 39 states allow these personnel to write and sign prescriptions without the physicians’ cosignatories)

In addition, besides being educated as generalists in medicine, the physician assistants are also trained to work in specialty fields such as cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics and emergency medicine. Their scope of practice corresponds to the supervising physician’s practice. For instance, if the assistant is working with a surgeon, he or she would most likely be very skillful in surgical techniques in the operating room and they are able to perform pre and post operative care.

All these while, physical assistants have been recognized as quality healthcare providers. A hallmark of their practice is that the assistants work as a member of a team, with their supervising physicians as the leaders of the team. As members of the medical team, the assistants diagnose and treat illnesses in order to meet the needs and requirements of patients in a variety of clinical and hospital settings.

Currently, the vast majority of states do not require both physicians and their assistants to work at the same location. This is to allow the teams to be more efficient in providing health care to patients, especially in rural areas and inner cities.

The assistants may just make phone calls or travel to hospitals and other facilities in order to check on their patients and report the progress to the physicians. However, all state laws require the supervising physicians to be available, either in person or by telecommunications when their assistants are providing treatment to the patients.

In short, a physician assistant can do whatever task which is delegated to him or her by the supervising physician under the state laws. Isn’t it a challenging and great career?

Other Physician Assistant Guide Guides and Tips:

• What are the Main Duties of a Physician Assistant
• How To Earn A Physician Assistant Degree With Ease?
• Simple Way To Obtain Physician Assistant Certification Through Online Study
• Step By Step Guide To Pass Physician Assistant Training Successfully
• Best Ten Physician Assistant Schools in US