dsta Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I've been reading a lot lately about HCE and there really seems to be a lot of debate about what kind/how much a person should have in order to prepare one to be a PA. I am wondering about the following professions: CNA, mental health technician, and mental health counselors. Do these roles really give someone skills that they will draw upon as a PA? I'm not talking about getting into pa school, but actually practicing in the profession. Thanks very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 My school gave me incorrect information.... they said that 80% of family practice patients will have some aspect of behavioral/mental health component. I swear they lied. It has got to be 95%. In my 3rd week of family practice rotations, am in a rural clinic where most of our patients are state Medicade/federal Medicare or uninsured. We see about 25 patients a day. 80% are on some sort of SSRI or similar and the other 15% would benefit from being on them. 5% are ok but that 5% are usually toddlers or younger. am I being a little dramatic? Perhaps but Holy Cow I wish I had more skill in negotiating the mine fields these patients present to me. Keeps it interesting for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsta Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Thanks for the reply. My main reason for posting this is I am just wondering if my HCE is enough to really help me out as a PA. I am a music therapist (yes that is a real profession) and I've worked in various psych hospitals for five years, I've worked with people who have developmental disabilities such as autism and CP, and I've also worked as a personal care aide for a home health agency. From reading through these forums, there seem to be a lot of people who think you need to be an EMT or nurse or something similar in order to prepare you to be a PA. I've always thought that PA school is what really prepares you to be a PA, regardless of your background, but others seem to think your prior medical background is of utmost importance. I've already been accepted into PA school, and start next summer. Is there anything else I can do to get experience that would benefit me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Most PA programs have a focus of primary care. This entails being able to gather history, evaluate data, formulate a plan, and deliver a treatment regiment that is most appropriate based on "best practices"...sometimes for several chief complaints that may or may not be related. The provider will need to prioritize/triage and balance the care with available health care dollars. RN, EMT, EMT-p, CNA, military medic/navy corpsman...all of these roles involve the act of asking "what is going on today and how can I help you?" It is a comprehensive approach that is then quickly distilled down into a focused approach. The investigative process is part script and part intuition. School teaches the script. Experience develops the intuition. Since PA school is relatively short, the amount of experience a student can gather is fairly limited. Hence, the desire for previous experience so there is a strong intuitive base to build upon. This produces a more well rounded provider, faster. Having a solid base of experience also allows a more accelerated educational experience. If you have learned the top 5 or six meds that treat HTN, IDDM, major depressive disorder, hyperthyroidism ect then your energy can be diverted to learning other things, faster and easier. If you show up at clinic already being comfortable with working a scalpel, suturing, casting then you can blast through those time sucks and focus on the the more difficult cases. The above is just an opinion and is not based on any views other than my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcdavis Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 ^^^^ this is an excellent answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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