According to MONEY magazine and U.S. News, physician assistant is one of the top jobs in America.
The physician assistant role developed in the mid 1960's to address the shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians in the United States. Duke University graduated the first class of PA's in 1967 — mostly military corpsmen with extensive medical experience gained during the Viet Nam war. Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed, or in the case of those employed by the federal government credentialed, to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions. PA programs have the advantage of requiring only two years of study after Hamilton, if all the prerequisites have been completed. Recent Hamilton graduates have attended PA programs at Duke, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, LeMoyne College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Upstate Medical University, among others.
The prerequisites for PA programs vary from school-to-school but Hamilton students should plan:
For more information about the PA profession visit the American Academy of Physician Assistants Website.
Many PA schools use a common application. The CASPA Website provides links to all the common application PA schools and much useful information on requirements.
Look at Ms. North's appointment calendar to identify a mutually convenient meeting time; then call 859-4584 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are available M-F on the hour: 9, 10, 11, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Please note: the Health Professions Advising office is located in Bristol #304.
