Are physician assistants blue collar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HELL NO!

It requires a bachelor of science degree, followed by P.A. program.


Blue collar = construction, restaurant, dry cleaner, gas station

Grey collar = plumber, electrician

White collar = my job is at a desk or required a bachelor's degree

I think of blue collar as being construction, plumber, electrician, etc. Something skilled and respectable and a good living
Restaurant staff (unless at a high end restaurant) at a Applebee’s type place is usually uneducated and unskilled and low class. Dry cleaners or gas station owners are good for the small business owner/immigrant—can be a good living (staff not so much). People who are personal trainers with only high school education and a two day certification are usually losers.

I never heard of gray collar.


Never heard of gray collar.

I’ve heard of pink collar like secretary. They can be very responsible and integral to the people they serve. Requires organizational skills and executive function. Blue collar jobs are great too. The only ones I wouldn’t respect are the ones that are unskilled like waiter at a chain restaurant or a fitness trainer who has only a high school degree and 2-day “certification” or some other low class job for losers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference in job function between a nurse practitioner and a PA? We have seen some great nurse practitioners who seem to have lots of knowledge and experience but they seem to be lower in the hierarchy than the young PAs.

PAs are ‘higher’ than nurses in that they have their own patients and can diagnose and write prescriptions. I used to think they were ‘assistants’ to doctors but that’s not really the case at all. A good friend is a PA and she sometimes consults with the doctors in her practice for certain things but she has nurses that assist her.

[Anonymous]

I'll take a nurse practitioner any day over a pa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll take a nurse practitioner any day over a pa.

I find either of these have better bedside manner than most MD’s. They spend more time listening and both can prescribe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference in job function between a nurse practitioner and a PA? We have seen some great nurse practitioners who seem to have lots of knowledge and experience but they seem to be lower in the hierarchy than the young PAs.

NPs can “practice” independently, write prescriptions (prescribe). PAs can’t practice nor subscribe medications. Both require masters degrees and rigorous
training abs state licensure. I’m not in the medical field but would prefer to be an NP over PA, primarily because NPs can operate independently and write RX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference in job function between a nurse practitioner and a PA? We have seen some great nurse practitioners who seem to have lots of knowledge and experience but they seem to be lower in the hierarchy than the young PAs.

NPs can “practice” independently, write prescriptions (prescribe). PAs can’t practice nor subscribe medications. Both require masters degrees and rigorous
training abs state licensure. I’m not in the medical field but would prefer to be an NP over PA, primarily because NPs can operate independently and write RX.

I’ve been to PA’s who prescribe. This is in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference in job function between a nurse practitioner and a PA? We have seen some great nurse practitioners who seem to have lots of knowledge and experience but they seem to be lower in the hierarchy than the young PAs.

PAs are ‘higher’ than nurses in that they have their own patients and can diagnose and write prescriptions. I used to think they were ‘assistants’ to doctors but that’s not really the case at all. A good friend is a PA and she sometimes consults with the doctors in her practice for certain things but she has nurses that assist her.

PP is asking for the difference between a PA and a nurse practitioner (NP), not a PA and a nurse (RN). Nurse practitioners can diagnose and prescribe. Nurses can not.

[Anonymous]

PA have it way better than MDs. Way way better.

[Anonymous]

No way. They get paid 100k. But some people may want to be seen by a doctor and hire a doctor so there are limitations.

[Anonymous]

I always request the np or pa over the md for routine check ups. I’d want to see an md if I was having a heart attack or like being treated for stage four cancer or having spine surgery.

[Anonymous]

We often see the PA instead of the doctor when we go in for pediatric sick visits. PAs often know a LOT. It’s a good profession!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its too late for me to be an MD (I'm 31)

would being a PA be too embarrassing?

An annual salry of $100,000 is not blue collar. I will say, however, that I find PA's even more arrogant that doctors and refuse to see them
I do not feel the same about nurse practitioners as their undergrad degree has to be a BS.
A PA can have an undergrad degree in tiddlywinks.











weeinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its too late for me to be an MD (I'm 31)

would being a PA be too embarrassing?

An annual salry of $100,000 is not blue collar. I will say, however, that I find PA's even more arrogant that doctors and refuse to see them
I do not feel the same about nurse practitioners as their undergrad degree has to be a BS.
A PA can have an undergrad degree in tiddlywinks.

Sadly, I agree with this post. I've had very good experiences with NPs. PA's not so much. To be an NP, you must have a BSN and then you go for the extra certifications and master's degree. There are significant educational requirements and clinical experiences that NPs must go through to be certified. Also, many programs are now DNP (Doctor of Nurse Practitioner). PAs do two years of education/training in a medical school and yes, they can have an undergraduate degree in tiddlywinks. I'd like to see PAs have more of a science/medical background prior to going to PA school.









weeinks.

[Anonymous]

So here's the deal:

PAs must take several prerequisites to enter PA school which is usually 2-3 years. They must also do 2000 hours of clinical work. So its not like they don't do anything. They also take a general board exam every 10 years. They do not specialize and can work in various fields. Pay is fantastic! Truly the best profession in medicine hands down (I say this as a med student who sometimes regrets not doing PA).

Doctors have to take prerequisites as well then 4 years of med school, which includes several board exams (step 1+ step2). After med school, one cannot practice independently (like a PA) without at least 1 year of residency and another board exam. But for the majority, physicians do about 3-9 years of residency training, which is low pay and involves many many hours in the hospital. After that, the pay can range from 150-500 depending on specialty.

As one poster mentioned, most people are comfortable with PAs because most people do not value years and years of training. A poster said they like PAs over a pediatrician for sick visits. When you think about it- it doesn't make much sense since the PA has alot less experience (only about 4 weeks of peds training in their program) vs a pediatrician who spent 4 years of med school plus 3 years working intensely at a children's hospital.

But, most patients value personality over those years so in the end, its not really worth it to be a physician since most people are fine seeing a PA anyway, making the 3-9 years of training not worth it, especially since during those years you miss out on PA income during those years.

Long story short: I'd argue that PAs have it better than doctors and more students are interested in this path now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its too late for me to be an MD (I'm 31)

would being a PA be too embarrassing?

An annual salry of $100,000 is not blue collar. I will say, however, that I find PA's even more arrogant that doctors and refuse to see them
I do not feel the same about nurse practitioners as their undergrad degree has to be a BS.
A PA can have an undergrad degree in tiddlywinks.

Sadly, I agree with this post. I've had very good experiences with NPs. PA's not so much. To be an NP, you must have a BSN and then you go for the extra certifications and master's degree. There are significant educational requirements and clinical experiences that NPs must go through to be certified. Also, many programs are now DNP (Doctor of Nurse Practitioner). PAs do two years of education/training in a medical school and yes, they can have an undergraduate degree in tiddlywinks. I'd like to see PAs have more of a science/medical background prior to going to PA school.









weeinks.

you do NOT need to have a BSN to become a nurse practitioner. My niece couldn't get into the BSN program at her university so she majored in "human development and family studies", graduated, applied to an NP program through one of those for-profit schools (walden university, I think?) a lot of which was online..and voila. Nurse Practitioner.

Direct entry MSN programs are actually a big and controversial issue within the profession, a lot of people with no bedside experience entering these programs and it often does not end well...