It’s vital for those interested in becoming a PA to possess a heavy aptitude for science.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Ashley L. Volles had known from a young age that she wanted to work in medicine.
Shadowing various medical professionals while in high school led to her current designation as a doctor of medical science, physician assistant (PA) and assistant director of Advanced Practice Services at Upstate University Hospital.
“While I was shadowing with a physician, he introduced me to his physician assistant,” Volles said. “I was able to spend some time with her and she explained her role, scope of practice, and relationship with the care team, and I found it intriguing.”
That encounter caused her to narrow her options to physician and physician assistant. She took all the required college courses for both and took the MCAT, but ultimately decided that becoming a physician assistant aligned more closely with her professional and personal goals.
She also liked the notion that she has so much hands-on care with patients.
“I’m a fixer, and I take great pride in helping patients, my team, and anyone I can,” Volles said. “Being a PA allows me this opportunity and I am so fortunate.
“My role as a PA is fulfilling to me because I come to work every day with the opportunity to advocate for my team, advance our profession on a departmental and institutional level, and hopefully, make everyone’s life just a little bit easier.”
PAs can switch their specialty without major educational pursuits. The position’s on-the-job training helps PAs segue into a different specialty. PAs practice under a supervising physician, but still experience a great deal of autonomy.
Sometimes it’s challenging feeling like someone’s overlooking one’s work as a PA. Over time, PAs and their supervising physicians build a relationship based on trust and the autonomy increases.
Patients asking for “a real doctor” is still a challenge PAs occasionally face, even though they can do nearly everything a physician in primary care can do, including treat and diagnose patients, prescribe medication—even narcotics—and read tests such as X-rays. Practicing independently is one of the few things PAs can’t do.
With the current physician shortage, it’s little wonder that PAs are often call “physician extenders,” along with nurse practitioners.
Selma Mujezinovic, Rochester Regional Health’s vice president of Advanced Practice Providers, sees extenders as a means of helping meet the healthcare provider crisis.
“Physician assistants are trained in a medical model,” Mujezinovic said. “They enter the educational programs straight out of high school, generally as a first career.”
At entry level, PAs have a master’s degree, similar to a nurse practitioner, although trained in a medical model rather than a nursing model.
She believes that the science of medicine and innovation is what draws many to the career, along with the desire to help people.
“There’s passionate care delivered by PAs,” Mujezinovic said. “While they might not be interested in becoming a MD and going through that training, they can contribute to the wellness of their patients.
“They can impact patients’ wellness and healing. It’s a very rewarding job. They can educate their patients and families about how to improve health and aid in pain management. It has a lot of flexibility. They have a lot of flexibility for their hours and whether in person, hybrid or home. It’s a very enticing profession.”
It’s vital for those interested in becoming a PA to possess a heavy aptitude for science. Demonstrating a commitment to academics and volunteering in a healthcare program can also help prospective PAs enter the programs which Mujezinovic said can be as vigorous and competitive as medical schools.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for a physician assistant in the Syracuse area is $123,850