BSc Physician Assistant Course Details — 10 Steps to Obtain a Job

Apollo University
4 min readDec 26, 2022

Physician assistants (PAs) work under the supervision of a medical physician to diagnose and treat illnesses. They are currently ranked as one of the top positions in health care by US News & World Report. These professionals could even usually prescribe medication and even help with the surgery.

Physician assistants are extremely common professionals in the medical field. They use their medical knowledge and qualifications to examine, diagnose, and treat patients, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to provide patient care as a team.

If you are interested and want to become a physician assistant, you’ll need a science background to get into one of the nation’s over 260 competitive physician assistant programmes. Let’s discuss all BSc Physician Assistant course details in this article, including what physician assistants do, how to get into the course and finish your training so you can begin your exciting career in health care.

BSc Physician Assistant Course Details — Overview

BSc Physician Assistant is a three-year undergraduate programme that prepares students to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical services in all medical specialities. Introduction to Computers, Technical Writing, In-service Training, Surgery Anesthesiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Medical and Pharmacology, Neurology, Nephrology, Paediatrics and Geriatrics, Clinical Microbiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Gastroenterology, and other topics are covered in the course syllabus. After completing the course, aspirants are prepared to assist doctors by taking medical histories, performing initial examinations on patients, and assisting doctors with diagnosis and treatment.

BSc Physician Assistant Course Details — Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must have completed 10+2 (any stream + English) or its equivalent from a recognised board of education with a minimum of 60% overall.

BSc Physician Assistant Course Details — Fees

BSc Physician Assistant Course fees vary depending on the university. However, the estimated yearly course fee ranges between INR 1,000,000 and INR 4,000,000.

Why Should You Pursue BSc Physician Assistant Course?

Students with a BSc Physician Assistant degree have numerous career options. The following are some of the advantages of pursuing this degree:

  • This course has excellent career prospects. A Physician Assistant’s important job is to provide therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventive health care services.
  • Students can learn the intensive cure and preventative measures for multiple health issues, as well as the diagnostic tests and treatment of that illness by suggesting the appropriate treatment.
  • This course’s placement service in India is excellent. There are numerous private healthcare facilities and government hospitals where students can gain experience and become Physician Assistants. The pay packages for Physician Assistant jobs are satisfactory.
  • After completing this course, you will gain some good fundamental knowledge and will be able to pursue Master’s, M.Phil, and PhD degrees.

10 Steps for Obtaining a Job After a BSc Physician Assistant Course

Is becoming a physician assistant a career path that interests you? These 10-pointers will take you in the right direction.

  1. Ensure that you have the necessary workplace skills

Formal education isn’t the only requirement for becoming a physician assistant. You’ll need the appropriate and relevant people skills and personality for the job.

2. Enrol in a variety of science courses

A strong scientific background is required before enrolling in physician assistant school. Science courses can be taken as early as high school. If you’ve already graduated from high school, enrol in a few college courses, either online or in person.

3. Think about taking non-science courses as well.

Calculus, Algebra, and Statistics are all required to improve your maths skills. Courses in English, speech and technical writing can help you improve your communication skills. Psychology and sociology can help you better understand your patients’ lives.

4. Gain experience in working in health care

Most accredited physician assistant programmes require at least three years of prior medical experience. This entails working with patients on a daily basis. As a result, many PAs begin their careers as registered nurses, certified medical assistants, EMTs, paramedics, medical technicians, or lab assistants. You can also acquire medical experience by serving in the military.

5. Earn a bachelor’s degree.

A bachelor’s degree in science or health care isn’t required for admission to physician assistant school, but most accepted students have one. This enables you to obtain or improve on the two years of science curriculum required by most programmes.

6. Apply to physician assistant school when you’re ready.

You can apply to a physician assistant programme once you have completed all of your prerequisites, which include a science background, a bachelor’s degree, and a few years of health care experience.

7. Get ready for your interview.

If a school is assessing and admitting you, they will interview you to ensure you are a good fit for the programme

8. Understand what to expect if you are accepted.

Prepare to study and work hard once you’ve been accepted. Most programmes last three years, and you will graduate with a master’s degree.

9. Pass the National Recertifying Examination for Physician Assistants (PANRE).

After completing physician assistant school, you will have to become certified as a physician assistant. Following initial certification, physician assistants must pass the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination (PANRE) every ten years as part of their certification maintenance requirements.

10. Obtain your state’s licence.

The final stage toward becoming a PA is to obtain state licensure. Each state has its own set of requirements.

Conclusion

A BSc (Bachelor of Science) in Physician Assistant is a professional degree program that prepares individuals to work as physician assistants, providing healthcare services under the supervision of a licensed physician. The program typically lasts for around three years and includes coursework in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, medical ethics, and clinical skills.

Students also complete clinical rotations in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Upon graduation, students must pass a national certification exam in order to become licensed physician assistants. In most cases, physician assistants are required to complete continuing education credits in order to maintain their licences and stay up-to-date with the latest advances in the field.

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