Physician's Assistants: How did this garbage get started?

Now! Now! Now! NOW!

They are all cunts!

Without judgment.

We already have paralegals, paramedics, parasailors, and Paralympians, so why not paradoctors?

Because more and more doctors are specialists.

They take six years of school.

You are confusing physician's assistant with medical assistant. A physician's assistant requires a bachelor's degree and completion of a two-year graduate program. It's similar to a nurse practitioner. Google it.

That being said, I agree with your general sentiment. I have seen some incompetent PAs , and I don't like when they aren't clear that they aren't a doctor (yes, if I'm at urgent care and the nurse says, "The doctor will be with you shortly" and a person comes in and starts examining me, I think that's the doctor. Just be upfront about it.)

OP is senile.

It's okay OP, relax and have a cookie.

I've had many fantastic Nurse Practitioners, while every PA has been an utter waste of time. There's one in town who I went to high school with, didn't know him then and barely recognized him when I saw him years later, but he's at the local hospital in the ER. We've been twice for my partner (work injury and bad allergic reaction, respectively) and the PA has been rude, lazy, has yelled at the nurses, refused to treat him, etc. Absolutely loathe this guy and the cheap-ass hospital who uses him instead of an actual doctor.

"I went full Shirley MacLaine and screamed bring me the doctor. "

Until you post a video where you're dancing like Irma La Douce, I don't think you ever came close to the full Shirley MacLaine.

Lies. It's all lies with you.

PAs are supposed to work under the direct supervision under a doctor. If the one you're assigned to tries to diagnose you or prescribe medicine without a consult with the real doctor, demand to see the actual physician. NPs on the other hand have much more training and experience. I taught the children of one who had a PhD in medicine as well as a ton of clinical experience. In some cases, I'd rather have a nurse practicioner than a doctor.

OP, the detail about the retainer is priceless.

OP I love the retainer comment. Every time I have an appointment at my medical clinic, I see a PA. I haven't seen an actual medical doctor in about three years.

OP talking to himself. Such a bogus thread ...

R11 there is no PhD in medicine.

[quote] If the one you're assigned to tries to diagnose you or prescribe medicine without a consult with the real doctor, demand to see the actual physician.

Seriously? Because the asshole PA we had diagnosed then refused to treat my partner when he had a reaction to a sulfa antibiotic. He had huge blisters on his torso, like one enormous one that went around almost all the way (I'd say 36 inches by 18 inches) plus dozens of others and the PA just yelled at me when I asked if there was anything to be done.

When I yelled back that he hadn't even examined my partner, he finally took a look, and literally stepped backwards in shock. Then still refused to do anything.

I had no idea he was supposed to be answering to a doctor right then. I thought he was basically the physician on duty.

For r15:

One more for r15:

The PA started because you had all these medics serving in Vietnam for long stretches often 10 years or more. When they got out they had all this battlefield medical experience and in many cases no college education.

So a degree and job was made for these people and others. Physicians did not like this and fought against it because it takes away from them. Contrast this to a NP (nurse practitioner), in which the nurses association FOUGHT FOR, the speciality. Today the NP and PA are basically equivalent, it depends on state laws, to the amount which they can practice medicine.

I have been very happy with the PA's and NP's I've gone to. They spend more time with you and are far less condescending, dismissive and rushed. I've found them to be very competent.

There is no PhD in Medicine in the US. The Stanford link is for degrees in health-related sciences, not specifically Medicine as we refer to in the US. St George is in Grenada.

R11 may be thinking of a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), a clinical-based doctoral program somewhat similar to the PsyD (Doctor of Clinical Psych), PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), or a DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy). These clinical doctoral programs have developed in the past 2 decades and are grounded in the application of recent health research to clinical practice in the respective disciplines.

Thank you r21. Clearly the person posting about a PhD in medicine doesn't understand post-secondary education or Health Care education. And posting about an offshore school as if that's a legitimate degree is always a little concerning.

A PA gets paid (per the AMA link) 85% of what the supervising physician would be paid.

Would you want someone who wasn’t a fully trained mechanic to, say, fix the brakes on your car if the shop gave you a 15% discount?

That said, some of the most useful medical advice I’ve ever gotten was from a Nurse Practitioner.

They’re for “the ”the poors” dear, we don’t ever have to be touched by them!

Physicians Assistants have more training than Nurse Practitioners do, I don't know why posters are fawning over NPs, you can become an NP online. There are no real standards.

It it’s some sort of urgent care situation, it’s fine. We’ve had them for ear infections or to put in a few stitches, sprained ankle, etc. In my experience, they are upfront about their title and always advise to follow up with a primary care physician or specialist.

I wouldn’t want one diagnosing me with anything serious, though.

[quote]I had no idea he was supposed to be answering to a doctor right then. I thought he was basically the physician on duty.

PAs function basically at the same level as residents. On paper, they don't have any autonomy, although in practice, the attending physician supervising may be more inclined to let more experienced ones take point and just distantly keep an eye on things. They also don't make 85% of what regular doctors do, it's probably closer to 50-60%.

I've worked with some good PAs and some shitty ones. I just have a problem with them graduating from PA school and boom PA, without having to at least spend 6 months or a year in some kind of internship at least.

[Quote]I had no idea he was supposed to be answering to a doctor right then. I thought he was basically the physician on duty.

He was. A physician glances over their files every so often to technically "supervise" but really the PA/NP acts basically independently.

And yes most MDs are specialize in their residency, most general practice type care is now being taken over by PAs/NPs.

NPs do have to complete a standard educational program (usually a masters degree) and pass a certification exam.

Some NP programs are really lax. There are a number of programs that can be completed online, a fact that chills me to the bone. Of course, they still have to have clinical exposure, but in the same vein that I wouldn't trust an RN who did a degree from the University of Phoenix, I have issues with it. But I've worked with terrific NPs as well. Their good:lousy average is tilted much further to the good end of things than PAs.

PAs do have their own certification exam, called PANCE.

R25

Sadly even those with top tier coverage are having more difficulty accessing care. In Massachusetts, Romneycare preceded Obamacare. Guess what happens when you give a million more people coverage in a state with about six million residents and don’t add any more physicians?

Everyone should have healthcare. No one should have to book a specialist visit a year in advance. The docs here (in what has long been considered medicine’s Mecca) are leaving because the patient numbers have grown beyond the systems’ abilities to treat them properly and on a timely basis.

I’m fine with them as long as they let me call the shots. They are often more willing to listen than a doctor who has a know it all attitude. I feel they work harder in general and are more attentive. I generally just use my primary doctor for referrals anyway so as long as I walk out with a federal, goal accomplished. All primary docs are useless so my preference is someone who can write a referral or a script at my command - which PAs are more likely to do in my experience.

Agree with R33. My PA refers anything serious to the appropriate specialist. I'd rather have a specialist than a GP anyway for anything beyond basic care for common ailments.

Ok so this clinic I go to, I always have to see the PA who is always condescending and in a rush, and won't prescribe what I ask for. At that point can ask to see the supervising doctor on duty??

What if there is no doctor on duty???

I do not think they are quite up to speed, and they are even more hesitant to give you opioid pain meds than MDs are. I have a hellacious oral abscess now and she won't give me anything. My lymph node is the size of a baseball and the pain from that alone is killing me. Then add in the pain from the pus in my gum attached to the root of the tooth.

Fucking shoot me.

Erik, the virgin of Survivor: China, is a PA. I still think he’s one of the best looking male contestants on that show ever.

More recent photo of Erik.

[quote]I have a hellacious oral abscess now and she won't give me anything. My lymph node is the size of a baseball and the pain from that alone is killing me. Then add in the pain from the pus in my gum attached to the root of the tooth.

You really need to go to the Emergeny Room. And infected oral abscess can quickly develop into a brain abscess and much worse. You likely need to be on IV antibiotics.

Seeing a PA who won’t give you opioids is about to become the least of your problems.

Nurse Ps and good doctors have given me some of the best medical care. PAs and DOs (whatever they are) always make me feel like they just weren't smart enough to get into med school.