Physician Assistant Career Paper

Throughout history, one of the most respected careers around the world has been that of physicians and nurses. They are the people that sacrifice a majority of they lives studying to save lives on a daily basis. However, in the 1960’s the concept of having an assistant to a physician, who was not a nurse, was introduced and thus, the new and continuing growing field of Physician Assistants was born. Choosing any career in the medical field is challenging and tough, and for Physician Assistants it is no less so as it demands several years of education, certification and of course, passion for the field.
Physician Assistants have various responsibilities in their job and in the care and service they provide. According to the AAPA (2014) they

As far as national associations, the AAPA, the National Academy of Physician Assistants is a renowned association for any P.A’s in the Unites States to join and have support throughout their careers. One can join as a licensed P.A or even as a P.A student. The membership is $295 and includes access to “over 450 CME activities, clinical tools and career resources.” (AAPA 2014) There are also several other associations depending on the specialty; for example, the Association of Family Practice Physician Assistants, or The American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants are available for those in those specific specialties. There are also state associations, such as the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants (FAPA) which keeps Florida P.A’s up to date on laws, rules and regulations and continuing education credits; cost is $60 for students and $185 for fellow P.A’s. In order to maintain certification, Physician Assistants must complete Continuing Education Units, either through the facility at which they work, or through any of their pertaining associations such as the AAPA. P.A’s have to earn CME credits every 2 years along with self-assessments and performance improvements CME, as well as taking a recertification exam every 10