Mastersoldier13 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Im always hearing people ask just what does a PA do, and all the time people usually answer with the most simple and broad way of saying "yea like 80% of what doctors do", this or that... We can prescribe and so on blah blah blah. AND finally all I see happening is another student who is still in undergrad keeps asking to themselves is "SO WHAT DO THEY REALLY DO SPECIFICALLY?" I've heard it a million times and now I just want to ask everyone what they do/what they are allowed to do in their specialty. If you could please be as specific as possible and also mention your specialty, that would be best. Thanks.:=D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted September 21, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 21, 2011 emergency medicine. I work in several different places: solo inner city job: full scope practice. see everything and do everything(codes, intubation, IO's, MI's, etc) level 1 trauma ctr: both fast track and main patients. pretty much everything except significant traumas(which are handled by the trauma team) level 2 trauma ctr:fast track + intermediate(basically everything except major traumas/strokes/mi's) rural level 4 ER pretty much everything. a few docs like seeing the critical patients with others we just see whatever is next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted September 21, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 21, 2011 primary care / urgent care in a doctors office see and manage 28 patients per day 100% alone Dx mostly URI stuff but also get anything and everything that walks in the door - Lung Ca, Brain CA, pneumonia, gastro/enteritis, ER follow up, Discharge from hosptial F/U. As well will go to the local Nursing Home for about 30 patients I am respsonible for - I manage all complaints and do all ordering for these patients. In my world I do EXACTLY the same as a primary care doc - including all the call, the BS and the paperwork.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phooey Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Occupational Medicine. I see new/acute injuries ranging from amputated fingers, fractures and lacerations to sprained ankles, skin infections and foreign bodies of the eye. I also manage chronic injuries, mostly of a musculoskeletal and neurological nature. There is a ton of underlying psych to deal with. I order imaging, specialist referrals and therapies and Rx mostly NSAIDs, with a health dose of cyclobenzaprine and some Tramadol. I will write for Vicodin or Percocet on occasion but nothing stronger than that. Most patient encounters are longer than 15 min as our approach is closely manage our patients. I may see 6 to 22 patients per day. Additionally, many of my patients do not speak English, let alone Spanish and a lot have little education beyond grade school. 1/4 of my patients use an interpreter and I've heard Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Carini, Chineese and French spoken in the clinic. I deal with language, cultural and basic educational issues on a daily basis. Many of of my clients have a lawyer before they see me and a few are under survillance by the insurance companies. There is, in my opinion around a 2-5% rate of malingering in my patients. I have to remind them to go to PT and to take their meds and do their exercises at home. Since I am the PA and my "SP" is not, I come in on time, work over lunch and stay late to see the many walk-in patients our clinic attracts. My "SP's" schedule is somehow more relaxed and the clinic serves as daycare on occasion for their kid(s). I only see work related injuries however so not just anyone can walk-in with a boo boo. I also perform DOT and work physical and perform respirator physicals. My "SP" is there for questions but I try to keep them to one a day on average. Other than rating someone for disability or handling legal queries, I do the same thing as my "SP". In some ways I feel undervalued and unappreciated by my "SP" but my patients are, for the most part, very grateful and want to get better. To them I am "doc", and as much as I think that galls my 'SP", in their eyes there is no difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookspa Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 ED anything that walks in the door. Solo provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpayne2 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I've started a series of blog posts entitled "Being a Physician Assistant" that goes into much greater detail about what it's like to be a PA. In fact, this is how I start the series: I’ve written this series of blog posts to help you learn more about the Physician Assistant profession. But I must warn you… my goal is not to merely echo what you’ve heard before! No, that kind of information can already be found in multiple other places, like here and here. You know what I’m talking about. It usually states something along the lines of the following... I've written 8 posts so far and plan to write another 4. Feel free to check it out starting with the introductory post: http://physician-assistant-ed.com/2011/08/being-a-physician-assistant-1-introduction/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ankasny Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I'm a First Assist Surgical PA, employed by a Hospital's OR. General, Ortho, Plastics, GYN, ENT, Ophthalmology,Vascular, Podiatry - to name the subspecialties; very min. Neuro and no Cardiac. Occasional H&P's on admit ( mostly for emergency surgeries, or if a Pt didn't make it to PAT)- will order labs or tests in accordance with the Anesthesia protocol. Pretty much stay within the OR, no PT f/u or rounds, no office visits, paperwork, etc. Anyone else with similar jobs out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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