National Patient Accessibility Week on November, 2024: Difference between a Doctor and a Physician's Assistant as a Patient?

National Patient Accessibility Week 2024. National Patient Accessibility Week National Patient Accessibility

I am a Physician Assistant. I have national certification and a state license to practice medicine. I have a master's degree in medicine as well. A PA has finished school and has a full degree to practice medicine. Generally, a PA will be able to handle a majority of needs. The more experience s/he has, the more complex cases s/he will be able to treat. Also, there is always a physician who can be consulted for questions. Seeing a PA does not mean you can never see the physician, and viceversa. A good PA will also know when to consult the physician or refer to specialists. Certainly a good PA, just like a good physician, will be able to review all your reports from specialists and coordinate your care. Often times, PAs are easier to schedule with and have more accessibility.

Also, physician assistants can be found in every specialty in every state and in other countries as well. We can prescribe medication, order tests and labs like x-rays and CT scans, diagnose and treat, recommend therapy, discuss surgery, and more. As a PA in orthopedics, I also assist in surgery and am an integral part of surgical care of our patients. I do not do the surgery myself, but do parts of it and work closely with the surgeon to give patients great care. If you want to know more about PAs, here's what the national PA organization says. Best of luck to you in your health care adventure! I hope you have a great experience with a PA and spread the word about what PAs do.