Physician assistant (PA) is a medical professional who works as part of a team with a doctor. A PA is a graduate of an accredited PA educational program who is nationally certified and state-licensed to practice medicine in a team with a physician. PAs perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret lab tests, perform procedures, assist in surgery, provide patient education and counseling, and make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes.The PA profession is expected to grow exponentially by 2020. CNN best jobs in America rated the PA profession #2 in 2012. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the physician assistant profession is expected to increase 30 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. With the current healthcare climate, there will be a greater need for primary healthcare providers, such as physician assistants. The PA program is modeled after the medical school curriculum – a combination of classroom and clinical instruction. The PA course of study is rigorous and intense. The average length of a PA education program is 24 to 27 months.
The Miami Dade College Physician Assistant program is one of two PA programs in the Miami area. The mission of the program is to provide high quality education and training opportunities in primary care for students from diverse cultural backgrounds interested in providing health care services to the medically underserved. Approximately 80% of the MDC PA program graduates stay in the area to practice in primary care and other various specialties. The Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), has renowned faculty and staff which provide didactic and clinical instruction, and graduates achieve an Associate of Science Degree. MDC also offers a Bachelor’s of Applied Science with an option in Physician Assistant degree, which students are eligible to apply for after completion of the AS degree program.
Once accepted to the MDC PA program, the first year includes didactic work, and in the second year the students are provided with a broad range of clinical experiences in local hospitals, primary care practices, surgical centers, and free standing clinical settings within the State of Florida.
