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Exploring a Health Career: Physician Assistant

Laura Adame

California State University Channel Islands 

Health 101;  Community Health Organizations and Their Functions

Professor Gutierrez

October 10, 2021

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Exploring a Health Career: Physician Assistant

Everyone, I believe, has a calling in life. People will give their best not just because of

their passion, but also because it is an inspiration for them. For me my passion is to help those in

need, particularly in low income areas. My dream and goal is to become a Physician Assistant.

PAs are another term for physician assistants, they work together as a team to perform medicine

under the direction of a physician. PAs are considerably more than simple "assistants," as the

term implies. They've been trained to diagnose injuries and diseases, treat patients, and examine

individuals. PA’s get the opportunity to work in all areas of medicine and get the opportunity to

change specialties whenever they choose. I enjoy change and constantly learning, so this is

something that really stood out to me, constantly learning new things and being in a new

environment whenever I choose sounds like a dream. PA’s work in a variety of settings,

including pediatrics, dermatology, and urgent care, as well as with a variety of health care

professionals, including medical assistants, surgeons, and physicians. 

Becoming a physician assistant takes a lot of school, time and dedication. According to

AAPA, PAs must have a bachelor's degree in a science-based subject such as biology, health

sciences, or chemistry, in addition extra courses required by the PA program of choice must be

taken prior to applying. The prerequisites for a PA program vary depending whichever one is

chosen. For example, I'll base my requirements on Cal State Monterey Bay's Physician Assistant

program, since it is the one I'd wish to attend. CSUMB's admission criteria, according to their

website, are as follows, a bachelor’s Degree in a health or science based field along with

completion of any prerequisite coursework required. This includes, general biology, general

chemistry, microbiology, physiology and anatomy. Aside from academic curriculum, a minimum

of 1,000 hours of direct patient care experience is necessary. This includes working as an EMT,
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CNA, scribe, physical therapy assistant, or counselor can count as patient care, but the most

essential thing is that experience with patients is gained. In addition to direct patient care

experience, community service activities are required especially from underserved or low-

income communities that must add up to 500 hours of community service. On top of community

service and patient care experience, shadowing a physician assistant is essential to gain a sense

of the work environment and determine if the job is a suitable fit for the candidate. Finally,

letters of recommendation are required and encouraged to be more competitive.

Volunteer work is crucial to gain admission to this program. I have not yet started my

volunteer work but have applied to a couple of places as of last week. The reason I have not

started volunteering was because I didn't know what it was that I wanted to do with myself career

wise. I am excited to start volunteering and experiencing some patient care as well. I applied to

St. Johns hospital, specifically the mother infant unit or urgent care. I also applied to Big

Brothers Big Sisters, where they focus searching for mentors for young children. Developing a

network of professional relationships can start by interacting and setting time to talk to

counselors or professors, they can provide insight and even become a potential mentor since they

are more experienced. 

Challenges will be faced in everyday life especially in the work environment. As a

physician assistant there will be lots of challenges faced that being mentally or externally with

patients. According to Aureus medical group, they touch on the tight HIPAA regulations PA’s

having to stay up to date on the HIPAA regulation in order to protect their patient’s privacy right

as well avoid legal trouble. Aureus notes,

“The Health and Safety Authority highlighted a number of these risks,

including potential exposure to infectious bodily fluids, contact with chemically

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contaminated patients, electronic shock due to improper equipment training, and

even hearing loss from ambulance sirens.” 

With this being said exposure to hazards will be exposed to a PA or any health care

practitioner. Overall I believe the most common challenge faced would be burn out,

especially when it comes to work life balance being overwhelmed. It might become hard to

maintain a healthy work-life balance, especially when you're dealing with massive

workloads and multiple responsibilities, but at the end of the day I believe that these

challenges can be overlooked by seeing how many lives have been impacted positively at

the end of every shift and by walking away knowing you have done everything you could

with the best of your abilities to be the best physician assistant for your patients. When it

comes to medical education, I believe that patient-centered care should be prioritized. It is

critical to establish a trusting relationship between the PA and the patient, as well as to

demonstrate empathy and understanding for the patient. I feel it is critical to learn how to

integrate medical knowledge with emotions. Personally, I feel at ease and comfortable when

a medical professional exhibits a little bit of their softer aspect, not just their medical side.

Recognizing that not everybody has the same financial position is something I will

carry with me on my journey as a PA, my major focus is to work in low-income

communities, in clinics, and to serve people who are less fortunate. My family has

encountered difficulties in the past, including being unable to afford surgeries and health

insurance and also seeing nurses treat my parents disrespectfully because of their race. I've

witnessed firsthand the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with a patient.

Nowadays, I feel that some people go into medicine with income and money being their

main motivation.. Treating low-income families and children, regardless of ethnicity or

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origin, is important to me. Becoming the medical professional, they can trust and confide in,

as well as someone they can approach and communicate with knowing that they can obtain

health treatment without putting their life and health complications on hold due to their

financial situation. It is critical to develop more robust, patient-centered, and long-term

health-care systems and I hope to one day provide a positive impact in the healthcare system

as a Physician Assistant. 
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References

6 steps to become a PA. AAPA. (2021, June 1). Retrieved September 25, 2021, from 

https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/08/6-steps-become-pa/. 

Says:, P. R., Says:, P., & says:, A. C. (2019, July 8). Challenges of physician assistant

jobs: Aureus medical healthcare blog. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from

https://www.aureusmedical.com/blog/4-challenges-of-physician-assistant-jobs/. 

Bay, C. S. U. M. (n.d.). College of Health sciences and Human Services. Master of

Science Physician Assistant | California State University Monterey Bay. Retrieved September

25, 2021, from https://csumb.edu/mspa/.