Kwame E Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 I've been doing an "internship" in outpatient and inpatient rehab for the last few months. I'm an Exercise Science major, and an internship is required for me to graduate. Why is my major exercise science if I want to be a PA and not a PT or OT? Long story lol. Sidenote: Doing this internship and seeing what therapists do all day has confirmed that the therapy field is NOT for me at all. Don't get me wrong, OT/PT/Speech are great careers and I see them as an essential part of healthcare, but watching a stroke patient struggle to pick up a squishy ball for an hour is not appealing to me at all. It's very monotonous and boring. Anyways, at my internship site there is about 6 PTs and 5 PTAs, 3 OTs and 3 COTAs. I don't see many major differences between the therapists and the assistants, they all go through their patients protocols and exercises and write in the charts. A couple times I've seen a PTA ask a PT a question about something, but I've also seen the opposite. These are the only big differences I see: 1. PTAs/COTAs can't do evals or set up the treatment plan (but they probably could, especially experienced ones, but I'm sure this has more to do with insurance and state law than education/knowledge). 2. When a patient is discharged, it has to have the signature of the PT/OT. 3. Progress Notes have to be co-signed by the PT/OT. The assistants can sign them, but the PT has to sign them as well. Oh, and the pay difference is about $20,000 lol. I know there's probably a lot more that I don't see, but do you guys think that their relationship is compared to the PA/MD relationship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 No, PAs start and finish a treatment plan, diagnose, order and interpret lab tests, and do not need the physician to sign off on anything (generally speaking unless it is for a rule that has not yet been defeated by advocacy). PAs are autonomous decision makers and consult with physicians when needed, but are responsible for the disposition of their own patients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will352ns Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Read....please, just read..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cg02186 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Just for the record there are tons of exercise science majors that go PA. I was an athletic training major but obviously took a ton of exercise science classes and a significant number of them went / wanted PA. Our class has several exercise science majors. I also worked in PT as an ATC. PTAs cannot do the initial eval and the PT has to reassess the patient every 5 or so visits. I also think, not positive so someone correct me if I'm wrong, that PTAs can't really deviate too much from a set protocol in terms of being creative with exercises and adjusting without consulting the PT. PAs can see a new patient, evaluate, diagnose, prescribe drugs or do a procedure, follow up with the patient over several visits, and discharge them without the physician ever even saying a word to the patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted November 13, 2015 Moderator Share Posted November 13, 2015 nothing close not even similar PA is just like MD in most instances in the PCP world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBH11 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Read....please, just read..... Oh stop. Asking actual people is a good way to learn about this. At least post a link to an article that directly addresses the question if you're going to tell them to read. Also, it's easy to get that impression. When I worked on a hospital floor before PA schools I often didn't know who was a PT and who was a PT assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBH11 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 And the Godzilla picture doesn't help you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will352ns Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 And the Godzilla picture doesn't help you I found it therapeutic.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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