Are there other EMTs here who have become or are becoming PAs? PA is Physician Assistant and are licensed, quasi-autonomous medical professionals. I have been an EMT for a few years and am applying to PA school now. Have any former EMTs who became PAs continued to be involved in EMS?
Pa - Physician Assistant
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ca11metdub
Forum Ride Along
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In the end, I want to be a PA.
I was a chemist for awhile then realized I wanted to pursue medicine. I did get interviewed the first year I applied but not having patient care experience really didn't make me a competitive applicant. So I volunteered for a year at a hospital while taking the EMT course.
I just recently passed the NREMT so I hope I can work in the ER room and meet some fellow PA's there that can teach me, and maybe even let me shadow. I've shadowed here and there, but will have to look for someone more reliable now. So in the meantime I'm studying for the GRE, applying for jobs, and most likely will do some volunteering at ARC.
I was a chemist for awhile then realized I wanted to pursue medicine. I did get interviewed the first year I applied but not having patient care experience really didn't make me a competitive applicant. So I volunteered for a year at a hospital while taking the EMT course.
I just recently passed the NREMT so I hope I can work in the ER room and meet some fellow PA's there that can teach me, and maybe even let me shadow. I've shadowed here and there, but will have to look for someone more reliable now. So in the meantime I'm studying for the GRE, applying for jobs, and most likely will do some volunteering at ARC.
VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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I would advise talking to the admissions department at the school because I know a lot of places do not consider volunteering as patient care experience.
Direct patient care experience: This experience varies and can be acquired on a full or part-time basis. Direct patient care experience requiring certification and providing monetary compensation is most competitive (e.g., CNA, EMT, Patient Care Technician, etc.). Shadowing a PA is important and can enhance your application, however shadowing is not considered health care experience. Also, clinical hours obtained while fulfilling the required components of an educational program do not count towards healthcare experience. Volunteer hours are not considered competitive health care experience. An applicant needs to have acquired a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience at the time of application. The admissions committee is able to consider only the hours that are complete at the time the CASPA application is submitted.
Direct patient care experience: This experience varies and can be acquired on a full or part-time basis. Direct patient care experience requiring certification and providing monetary compensation is most competitive (e.g., CNA, EMT, Patient Care Technician, etc.). Shadowing a PA is important and can enhance your application, however shadowing is not considered health care experience. Also, clinical hours obtained while fulfilling the required components of an educational program do not count towards healthcare experience. Volunteer hours are not considered competitive health care experience. An applicant needs to have acquired a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience at the time of application. The admissions committee is able to consider only the hours that are complete at the time the CASPA application is submitted.
Ewok Jerky
PA-C
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I just got accepted to a PA program, will be starting in January! woo!
i think my 2+ years as an EMT was a factor in the decision.
i think my 2+ years as an EMT was a factor in the decision.
ca11metdub
Forum Ride Along
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nice congrats! which program if you don't mind me asking?
VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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Please say that it is a Masters level PA program....
Ewok Jerky
PA-C
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It is indeed a masters program.
Why do you say this?
VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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I saw that a few people who posted were from California which allows Physician Assistants to practice with a bachelors degree which I think is absolutely crazy. I am a strong advocate for education, especially in the medical field, and I do no think that any mid level provider should be allowed to practice with a masters degree.
So would you argue that someone who applies to a Masters program with a degree in underwater basket weaving and no patient care experience will be a better practitioner in 2 years time then someone who meets the same prerequisites (minus the degree) but instead has minimum 2000+ hours of patient care?
Also in California, 10% of the PA programs are at the BS level, 40% are at the Certificate/AS level and the remaining 50% are at the MS level. The majority of the current PA workforce in California hold a certificate as the academic credential awarded from their PA program. What you need to get a job in California is the PA-C and a license.The difference is 6,000-7,000 dollars vs 70,000-110,000 dollars.
most masters ones require 1000 hours of patient care. At least the ones Ive looked at.
Jambi
Forum Deputy Chief
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You do realize that the ARC-PA keeps a tight reign on all PA programs and that regardless of the degree conferred, the standards are the same. There is only one accrediting body for PA programs, thus there is no variability in the educational content.
RN education? No difference between cert, AAS, and BSN?
Jambi
Forum Deputy Chief
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I believe there are many different accrediting bodies for nursing, but I really don't know enough to comment.
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Each state has their own standards, but they all use the NCLEX for testing. In effect, there is one minimum standard, but multiple licensing bodies with their own educational standards that must be met before they'll authorize an applicant to take the test. What makes things more interesting is that a diploma nurse, ADN nurse, BSN nurse, and ELMSN nurse all take the same NCLEX-RN and all have the same basic scope of practice, initially. The BSN may also be certifiable as a public health RN because of some additional education, and may be more desirable as a management candidate than an ADN. As to nursing school accreditation, there's a couple different bodies that accredit the schools.
My understanding matches yours in that there is only one accrediting body, therefore the content of PA school should be darned near identical from school to school, regardless of "level" of degree/certification.
JPINFV
Gadfly
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However, with PAs the scope of practice is set by the supervising physician. Just because a certificate and a masters both get a PA-C doesn't mean that both have an equal chance of being hired... and when they do that they're physician will allow them to practice with the same amount of leeway.
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I think you meant: "...and when they do, that their physician will allow them to practice with the same amount of leeway."
I was hoping you weren't using "they're" as "they are"...
Now I'm sure you also recognize that it's highly possible that your Certificate PA and your Master's PA could actually have the same educational preparation going into the PA program... but I'm sure you'll also discover the actual performance differences in your PA as time goes on, and adjust their scope of practice accordingly. It would be a big disservice to yourself as a physician and your PA if you restricted your PA to a minimal scope for the duration of their employment with you simply because of your own bias about where they got their education and not actually upon what they know and their performance...
Only having a certificate certainly does not seem to hinder anyone from getting a job...