PA schools that don’t require direct patient care: Are you interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant?
Whether you know it or not, many schools require that applicants in PA programs have experience working with patients directly.
As a result, you may not be able to apply to any physician assistant programs unless you have a substantial amount of prior healthcare work experience.
However, a few institutions in each region of the country accept applications from PAs who have never worked in a hospital or clinic.
Programs for physician assistants that do not necessitate prior patient care expertise tend to prefer those with experience in the field.
Even if the school you’re interested in doesn’t require prior patient care experience, obtaining some experience in that field is always a good idea before applying.
This article provides tips on the PA schools that don’t require direct patient care, the processes in being a PA, and many more.
What is Direct Patient Care?
Direct patient care refers to the delivery of health care services to persons who are being treated for or suspected of having diseases.
Direct patient care consists of both in-person and telehealth-based preventive care and first-line supervision.
DPC includes taking vitals, washing patients, helping them shift to a bedpan or toilet, walking patients, drawing blood, providing diagnostics, delivering therapy, and counseling.
Applicants without health care experience can gain DPC experience as a medical or nursing assistant or helper.
Who is a PA?
A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed medical worker with an advanced degree who can take care of patients directly.
They work with people of all ages and in almost every specialty and primary care area. They diagnose and treat common illnesses and do small procedures.
Is being a PA worth it?
There is no such thing as a job in healthcare that isn’t going to be there for you at some point. That must be an exhilarating experience.
You’ll never have a shortage of work as a medical assistant. Job prospects for a medical assistant are quite good according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
By 2029, employment in this field is predicted to rise by 31%. Thus, this is a profession that is growing at a quicker rate than most others.
More so, as a physician assistant, you have the option of working in any of a variety of specialties. You have a plethora of options when it comes to fields of study.
For instance, you could be a physician assistant in pediatrics, oncology, or orthopedics, to mention a few specialties.
So, being able to choose and work in a profession that you are enthusiastic about can make your employment more pleasurable and boost your overall job satisfaction.
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How do PAs learn to do their jobs?
PAs are trained in recognized programs that often extend about 25 months or more. A lot of time is spent in the classroom and the laboratory in the first year.
Several clinical rotations in various medical and surgical specialties are thoroughly monitored during the second year of training. As with most PA programs, the emphasis is on learning about primary care.
PA Schools That Don’t Require Direct Patient Care:
1. The Butler Institute of American History:
The PA (Physician Assistant) program at Butler University is the oldest in the state of Indiana. It is one of the PA schools that don’t require direct patient care.
Their 24-month program will get you ready to take the national certification exam, apply for a license from the state, and care for patients in different medical or surgical settings.
They are in the middle of Indianapolis and work with all the major health care systems in the state and many outside of Indiana to give students the best clinical experiences possible.
2. University of Wichita:
Wichita State University’s physician assistant program is highly competitive, with a 20:1 applicant-to-professor ratio.
Preference for direct patient care experience is strongly recommended, although it is not necessary.
The WSU Department of Physician Assistant offers a 26-month graduate program that leads to a Master of Physician Assistant degree.
As one of the PA schools that don’t require direct patient care, applicants who want to compete for one of the 48 spots available each year have a strong background in the natural and clinical sciences to back up their bachelor’s degrees.
More so, in the selection process, candidates are screened based on how well they did in school, if they have worked in health care before if they took an orientation to service, and if they were interviewed on-site.
3. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC):
UMKC’s central location means that its PA students have easy access to community health centers, academic medical affiliates, and outlying rural areas, all serving diverse patients.
There is no requirement for direct patient care experience, but it is a plus.
The program requires that you spend at least 8 hours shadowing a Physician Assistant, but spending more time in healthcare or shadowing is recommended.
Due to the diversity of each year’s application pool, direct patient care experience also varies considerably.
Past examples of direct patient care experience include CNA certification/experience, EMT certification/experience, and work as a Medical Assistant, Nurse’s Aide, or Technician (in varying medical fields).
UMKC is one of the PA schools that don’t require direct patient care.
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4. The University of Baldwin Wallace:
Admission to the Baldwin Wallace University PA program is extremely hard due to the university’s emphasis on small classrooms.
It is desirable, but not required, that applicants have some experience working with patients and that Ohio citizens and Baldwin Wallace University graduates apply.
On top of that, PA students accrue well over 2,000 hours of clinical experience during their time in the school, spread across 11 clinical rotations.
Various settings are available for BW PA students, ranging from major research institutions to clinics and long-term care facilities throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond.
More so, as one of the PA schools that don’t require direct patient care, students can also collaborate with their clinical advisors to locate additional clinical assignments for fields of interest.
5. Toledo State College:
The Physician Assistant Program (UTPA) at the University of Toledo is a 27-month graduate program that leads to a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) with a Physician Assistant focus.
Patient interaction hours or shadowing of PAs or other medical professionals are not necessary. The curriculum expects no “required” amount of hours of shadowing.
Even if you elect to shadow a PA for a shift, this is not a requirement for admission to the program and will only serve to reaffirm your interest.
Frequently Asked Questions on the PA Schools That Don’t Require Direct Patient Care:
Barry University Physician Assistant School
Loma Linda University Physician Assistant School
Marquette University Physician Assistant School
Midwestern University Physician Assistant School
Missouri State University Physician Assistant School.
The average length of a PA program is 24 to 27 months. As a result, becoming a medical assistant will take you around two years of full-time study. Some PA programs allow students to work part-time for three years. More so, preparing for your PA education in advance is critical to your success.
Use considerable caution when working with your program. As an accelerated version of medical school, PA school is more demanding than most first-year students imagine.
There is a short timeframe of only two years for PA programs. It is, however, difficult to keep up with the vast volume of information and the rapid rate of learning.
Conclusion:
Because direct patient care has its prerequisites and not everyone wants to partake in it, the colleges mentioned above would do justice to physicians who do not wish to attend a school requiring direct patient care.
Re-read this post to ensure you’ve selected the ideal school for your needs.
Awesome one; I hope this article answers your question.
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