Are you living in Hawaii and wishing to pursue a medical science career that allows you to work in healthcare settings and interact closely with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers? Then a career as a physician assistant is what you may need to consider.
In this article, you will discover all there is to this profession and the best PA Schools in Hawaii where you can acquire your training.
Part of the job description of a physician assistant is to provide certain kinds of medicare to patients who don’t require the attention of a doctor.
These services may include performing physical examinations, ordering tests, diagnosing injuries and illnesses, administering treatment, prescribing medicine, and monitoring the progress of a patient’s recovery.
Physician Assistants are not nurses, but they work side by side with medical doctors to discharge their duties. So if you think becoming a physician assistant is the same as being a nurse, the two are not the same. Nurses are also a different component of the standard healthcare team.
So in this article, you’ll learn all you deserve to know about this career.
Meanwhile, look at some of the things you’ll find in this article in the table below.
Table of contents
Who is A Physician Assistant?
I already explained this in my opening words. Nevertheless, I will add more flesh to what I already told you.
I first told you a physician assistant or PA as some may choose to call it, is a member of a medical team that usually works with doctors, surgeons, nurses, public health professionals, medical laboratory scientists, and other healthcare experts. This could either be in a healthcare setting or population-based outreach.
They are neither doctors nor nurses. Yea, sometimes people may make the mistake of calling them doctors, Just know they are not. A PA provides primary care to patients when needed and is usually supervised by a licensed physician.
A physician assistant’s title is usually derived from the field of medicine in which he or she specializes. A typical example is this: If Lisa is an assistant to Rob, who is an orthopedic surgeon, then Lisa is an orthopedic physician assistant.
I hope this is clear enough to help you understand who a physician assistant is.
You should read this: 15 Top PA Schools With High Acceptance Rates
What are the duties of A Physician Assistant?
Part of what a Physician Assistant does is record patients’ medical histories and physical examinations. This is on a general note. However, the duties of a Physician Assistant are described according to what specialty they want to focus on or their supervising physician is focused on.
For instance, a physician Assistant under the supervision of an orthopedic surgeon will definitely have the task of conducting bone surgeries even when the supervising surgeon is not around.
In the same vein, a physician assistant working under a pediatrician will be responsible for carrying out what duties the supervising pediatrician does, whether he is around or not. These are dependent on the premise that the mentor has properly trained the assistant physician.
However, on a general note, Physician Assistants perform the following functions.
- Physician Assistants order tests to ascertain the nature and extent of illnesses and injuries of patients.
- They also prescribe medications and help develop therapeutic plans to remedy medical problems.
- Physician Assistants may also take the responsibility of stitching wounds and setting bones. This is if they have this training.
- Physician Assistants Administer immunizations in healthcare centers.
- Another important role physician assistants play is following up with the patients throughout their treatment to ensure strict adherence to treatment plans and recommended regimens.
What Requirements do I need for PA School?
If you must practice as a physician assistant, you must meet a certain number of requirements. That is what I want to show you in this section.
Usually, after your bachelor’s program, you will require a minimum of a master’s degree at the entry-level into this career. And it must be from an accredited institution ( In short, you are looking for a total of six years of intensive training to become a treating physician.
Most employers would not only require that you complete a master’s degree program, but they would also require that you also have at least one year of medical experience.
There are usually five steps to becoming a Physician Assistant:
- Complete your bachelor’s degree (a science or health course is usually best);
- Gain experience in a healthcare setting( You could do this as a volunteer)
- Register for healthcare programs approved by ARC-PA;
- Complete a PA program at the master level of 2 to 3 years;
- Pass the PANCE license exam.
See also: List Of PA Schools With Low GPA Requirements
How long does it take to complete a PA program?
It takes approximately 8 years of training to become a certified physician assistant. The 8 years are spent learning various skills required to become a PA.
Firstly, one must earn a bachelor’s degree, which takes roughly four years to complete. You must also have completed your high school education with relatively good grades.
The bachelor’s degree you must have could be in any course, provided it is related to the medical profession.
Acquiring a bachelor’s degree alone does not qualify you to become a Physician Assistant. You’ll need to get health training to broaden your healthcare knowledge further. The health care training could be in the area of paramedics or any other medical-related course. Usually, this training takes about three years to complete.
After you have completed the health care training, the next thing will be to acquire a master’s degree. The master’s program does not take so much time to complete. On average, it will cost you about two years to complete a master’s degree program, leading to a career as a Physician Assistant.
One more thing will be left for you to do after your master’s degree. That is sitting for the Accreditation test. Only those who graduate from the ARC-PA program (the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant) can qualify to write this test.
One can attempt this test up to 6 times in 6 years after which he will need to wait for some time before trying again.
In addition, a person who has completed all the rigors and has been licensed to practice as a physician assistant will still need to take council exams periodically to maintain their licensure.
What schools offer Physician Assistant Programs?
Only 2 notable schools in the whole of Hawaii offer Physician Assistant programs. So, if you live in Hawaii and you are looking to enroll in PA school soon, here is a list of PA schools where you can pursue PA programs in Hawaii.
Take your time and surf through the schools. You can also visit the schools’ official websites using the links provided.
List of Best PA Schools in Hawaii
- University of Hawai’i Manoa
- University of Hawai’i Kapi’olani Community College
Let us look at the schools more closely.
#1. University of Hawai’i Manoa
The MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program at the University of Hawai’i is a budding PA program that seeks to provide the option to complete the Masters of Clinical Health Services degree in Hawaii at the Kailua-Kona campus.
Currently, the program is subject to approval by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
#2. University of Hawai’i Kapi’olani Community College
University of Hawai’i Kapi’olani Community College provides one of the best PA schools in Hawaii.
The Medical Assisting curriculum is designed to prepare students to assist physicians in private medical offices and clinics and hospital outpatient clinics.
They assist with patient care, routine office laboratory, and diagnostic tests (clinical medical assisting).
In addition, students are prepared to perform administrative medical office and business practices and procedures (administrative medical assisting).
University of Hawai’i Manoa Physician Assistant program is accredited by ARC-PA.
Take a quick flight to the school.
See also: Physician Assistant PA Schools In San Diego | 2023
Frequently Asked Questions on Best PA programs in Hawaii
The average salary for a Physician Assistant in Hawaii is between $77,000-$120,000.
According to a report by the BLS, the employment of physician assistants is expected to grow by 31 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the demand for healthcare services grows, physician assistants will be needed more to provide care to patients.
The Hawaii Medical Commission charges a non-refundable application processing fee of $510.
The lowest GPA to be considered for PA schools in Virginia is 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
The Hawaii Medical Commission charges a non-refundable application processing fee of $510.
Conclusion
Pursuing a career as a physician assistant is a very demanding but lucrative one. You’ll get to spend so much time in school completing your training. It takes about 6 years without healthcare training while it takes 9 years plus with healthcare training.
But is it really worth all the stress? I think it is worth all the stress and even more! An average salary of $100,509 isn’t just huge but promising that more will come. Additionally, you’ll get to work with specialists in your chosen specialty.
References
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