What is a Physician Assistant?

What are the responsibilities of a Physician Assistant?

A physician assistant is an allied health professional who is certified to practice medicine under a physician's license. The physician-PA relationship is vital to the role that the PA plays in health care systems. PA's diagnose and treat illness in much that same manner as physicians. However, when patients present with more complicated diseases or illnesses, physician assistants consult the physician that they are working with very closely while determining the most effective health care plan for that particular patient. Physician assistants are trained using the same medical model that physicians are trained with. As a result, physician assistants have similar responsibilities as physicians, and complement the work of the physicians they are practicing under.

• Conducting physical examinations
• Diagnosing and treating illnesses
• Ordering and interpreting test results
• Assisting in surgical procedures
• Suturing small and large wounds
• Prescribing medications (in all of the 50 states in the U.S., the District of Columbia, and Guam)

Goals of the Pre-Physician Assistant Club:

Next Meeting:

• Establish and maintain contact with physician assistants from Lafayette and the state of Indiana.
• Educate members on the roles that Physician Assistants play in the medical field.
• Help members prepare for their role in health care.

Good luck on finals and have a great summer.  An e-mail will be sent out at the beginning of the Fall semester for the first meeting.  Thank you for all of you who participated in the Club this year.

Some important information from last meeting:

EMT Class: Andy King, EMS Instructor; 1508 Tippecanoe Street, Room 4-4910, Lafayette, IN 47903; 765-423-6635                                                   $495 (tuition) + $100 (books)

CNA Class: Shiela; Tippecanoe School Corporation; 21 Elston Road , Lafayette, IN 47909;                         765-474-2481 ext. 121                                          $300