Do you stay in Michigan and on the lookout for accredited PA schools in the same state where you can enroll for your program and come out tops? Not to worry, here’s an article to give you a handful of information.
Attending a PA program in a recognized school validates your degree and equips you with the basis of all you need to become a successful physician assistant in 2023.
To understand this article, kindly click on the table of contents below.
Who Is A Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants are essential health care team members in many hospitals and clinical practices. The role of the physician assistant (PA) is to practice medicine under the direction and supervision of a licensed physician.
What Does A Physician Assistant Do?
A physician assistant (PA) provides frontline medical care under the supervision of physicians as part of a team of healthcare professionals.
Working interdependently with physicians, a physician assistant provides diagnostic and therapeutic patient care in almost all medical practices and settings. Also, a PA is expected to perform the following duties.
- Take patient records (present and past)
- Prescribe medications
- Develop patient’s treatment schedules
- Physical examination of the patient
- Request for laboratory and diagnostic studies
Having a job description distinct from the supervisors’, a physician assistant also carries out these responsibilities.
- Clinical practice
- Team leadership
- Medical education
- Health administration
- Research
- Patient education
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Where Can I Practise As A Physician Assistant?
Luckily, a physician assistant is open to various opportunities, from primary care to surgery. Also, below are some areas where a physician assistant can practise perfectly.
| Traditional Practices | Hospital-Based | |
| Internal Medicine Primary Care Family Medicine | Residency Support Hospitalist Rapid Response Teams | |
| Subspecialties | Non-Traditional Practices | |
| Surgery Pediatrics Women’s Health Emergency Medicine | Plastic Surgery Transplant Neurosurgery Critical Care Medicine |
What Is The Average Salary For A Physician Assistant?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual salary for a PA is $108,610. Truthfully, a PA who works in an educational setting tends to earn less, bringing in about $102,870 annually.
Those PAs who work in outpatient centers most likely earn the highest salaries of around $115,560. It is, however, essential to note that salaries differ by state and industry.
How Do I Become A Physician Assistant?
It takes a great deal of dedication to becoming a physician assistant. However, to be successful, exhibit some skills listed below to a greater percentage.
Clinical competence
A physical assistant should be able to address the needs of patients in hospitals, emergency care facilities, and other medical settings. Also, the basic knowledge of how to handle many patient needs and situations promptly and effectively.
You can acquire these skills through continuous training and hands-on experience gained during clinical rotations and managed practice.
Effective Communication Skills
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Communicating clearly and effectively is a crucial ingredient of success in this field. In training, a physician assistant can address patients’ needs and promptly deliver relevant information.
Operational Management
Besides providing help during a procedure or treatment, a physician assistant is also responsible for handling clerical tasks and overseeing operations. These fundamental, organizational, and operational management skills will be developed during the degree program.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Often, a physician assistant deals with stressful and unpredictable situations in a coordinated manner. This means that you will be adaptable and can work efficiently regardless of the form in which it comes in.
Service-Oriented
Finally, a PA is trained to give out the best service within his or her capability. They must approach daily with a service-oriented mindset while you carry out your duties independently or on team levels.
Clinical rotations and hands-on work experience groom these skills and encourage you to seek opportunities to help others actively.
Schools With Accredited PA Programs In Michigan
In Michigan, it offers physician assistant programs at the master’s degree level and takes approximately two years to complete. Basically, students complete clinical rotations in the second year of their master’s program.
As an applicant, there is a need to have a bachelor’s degree with completed coursework in subjects as anatomy, biochemistry, chemistry, biostatistics, and psychology. You must also have 500-1,000 hours of health care experience working directly with patients.
However, admission into most of this physician assistant programs is limited.
#1 University of Detroit – Mercy
As one of the accredited PA schools in Michigan, this institution’s PA programs prepare you to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination PANCE. Also, the program is accredited by the ARC-PA.
Additionally, the program is part of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs, and in the study, students can join the school’s chapter of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
#2 Central Michigan University
Students in this PA school (Central Michigan University) can earn an MS in Physician Assistant Studies degree after completing the 27-month ARC-PA-accredited program.
Admission into the program requires that you have a bachelor’s degree and complete at least 500 hours of direct patient care experience, 100 hours of which must be paid.
Additionally, you must have completed specific coursework in biostatistics, organic chemistry, biochemistry, general psychology, and anatomy.
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#3 Grand Valley State University
To be granted admission into any of this school’s PA program, you must have the following in your possession.
- A bachelor’s degree
- Completion of prerequisite coursework
- Clinical rotations
- 500 hours of approved experience
Upon admission, be prepared to dissect corpses to study anatomy and physiology, judge clinical problems and solutions, study clinical pathophysiology, and conduct research.
#4 Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is recognized as a PA school because of the in-depth research it is known for conducting.
To be eligible for admission into the PA programs, applicants need bachelor’s degrees, the completion of 6 prerequisite classes, and at least 1,000 hours of relevant direct-to-patient healthcare experience. It might interest you to know that standardized test scores are not required.
The first year’s coursework involves you completing 48 credits of classroom-based work and 47 credits of clinical training as the second year’s coursework. Some courses you will likely encounter are patient evaluations, research methods, diagnostic methods, healthcare promotion, anatomy, and integrated medicine.
#5 Wayne State University
This ARC-PA-accredited, entry-level professional program can typically be completed in 2 years. Admission requirements into the PA program include a bachelor’s degree, prerequisite coursework, and 500 hours of patient care experience, among other criteria, including GRE scores.
First-year students may take anatomy, patient assessments, pathophysiology, and pharmacology classes. The second-year is dedicated to clinical rotations in internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and family medicine.
Conclusion
I hope you find this information as a guide to achieving your academic cum professional dream.
References
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