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If you are planning to become a physician assistant, you should know that you’ll be trained right as physicians in medical schools. Your work will be assisting a physician: you’ll have to examine patients, take case histories and set fractures. Diagnosing and treating illnesses, providing medical advice, assisting the surgeon, counseling patients and calling for diagnostic tests are among your obligations as well.

Many physician assistants have various backgrounds: some of them used to be radiology technicians, phlebotomists, nurses, or dealing with medical technologies or paramedics, etc. A physician assistant’s didactic training takes 18 months and clinical training – 15 months (for nurse practitioners, this term is reduced).

So what is the difference between a physician and a physician assistant? Physicians have the license allowing them to practice independently. Physician assistants work only under physician’s supervision. Physician assistants work in such areas as Family/Internal medicine, Surgery, Gynecology, Dermatology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics. Most of medical schools provide the degree of Physician Assistant.

Residency program takes a year. During this year you’ll work at the hospital getting clinical experience, usually in obstetrics or surgery. Accreditation is awarded after successful completion. As you will be guided by the doctor, you will obtain the experience and confidence you need so much to work.

To find physician assistant programs search the Internet. This is a great way to know the details.