Every year, National PA Week gives us an opportunity to recognize Physician Assistants (PAs) and the important role they play in healthcare. At our pain clinic, we’re proud to celebrate our PA who works alongside physicians and the rest of our healthcare team to provide compassionate, personalized care to patients living with pain.
But what exactly is a PA, and what does it take to become one?
What Is a Physician Assistant?
A Physician Assistant, commonly called a PA, is a licensed healthcare professional who is trained to practice medicine as part of a collaborative healthcare team.
PAs can evaluate patients, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications where permitted by state law, order and interpret diagnostic tests, provide education, and help patients manage ongoing health conditions.
While PAs practice medicine in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals, they are medical professionals in their own right and receive extensive education and clinical training.
PAs work in virtually every area of medicine, including family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, dermatology, and pain management.
How Does Someone Become a PA?
Becoming a PA requires years of education and clinical training.
1. Undergraduate Education
Most PA students first complete a bachelor’s degree and take prerequisite courses in subjects such as biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.
Many programs also look for applicants who have experience working or volunteering in healthcare.
2. PA School
After completing their prerequisites, students apply to an accredited PA program. PA programs are typically rigorous, graduate-level programs that generally take about three years to complete.
Students receive classroom and laboratory instruction in areas such as:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Pharmacology
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical medicine
- Physical examination and patient evaluation
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Medical ethics
The goal is to prepare students with a broad medical foundation that can be applied across many specialties.
3. Clinical Rotations
Education doesn’t stop in the classroom. PA students complete supervised clinical rotations in a variety of medical specialties.
During clinical training, students gain hands-on experience evaluating patients, developing treatment plans, assisting with procedures, and working alongside other healthcare professionals.
Depending on the program, rotations may include areas such as primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health, and other specialties.
4. Certification and Licensure
After graduating from an accredited PA program, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) to become certified.
Certified PAs use the designation PA-C, meaning Physician Assistant-Certified.
PAs must also obtain a state license to practice and meet ongoing requirements for continuing medical education and certification maintenance.
What Does a PA Do in a Pain Clinic?
Pain management is a specialty that often requires a comprehensive approach. Patients may have acute pain, chronic pain, injuries, nerve-related pain, musculoskeletal conditions, or other complex conditions that affect their daily lives.
PAs in pain management may help:
- Review a patient’s medical history and symptoms
- Perform physical examinations
- Evaluate and monitor pain conditions
- Order or review appropriate diagnostic testing
- Discuss diagnoses and treatment options
- Develop individualized treatment plans
- Manage medications when appropriate
- Assist with or perform certain procedures within their training and scope of practice
- Monitor patients’ progress and response to treatment
- Educate patients about their condition and treatment
- Coordinate care with physicians, physical therapists, specialists, and other members of the healthcare team
Most importantly, PAs spend time listening to their patients. Understanding how pain affects someone’s work, sleep, mobility, relationships, and everyday activities is an important part of developing a treatment approach that fits the individual.
PAs and Collaborative Care
One of the strengths of PA practice is collaboration. PAs work closely with physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated care.
In a pain clinic, this team-based approach can be particularly valuable because pain can have multiple contributing factors and may require more than one type of treatment.
By combining medical knowledge, clinical experience, patient education, and collaboration, PAs help patients navigate their care and work toward their individual treatment goals.
Celebrating Our PA
National PA Week is a time to recognize the dedication and expertise of Physician Assistants across the country.
To our PA Brittany Hodorowicz, thank you for the time you spend listening to patients, answering questions, providing care, and helping people navigate life with pain. Your knowledge and compassion make a difference every day.
And to all of the PAs who care for patients in communities everywhere: Happy National PA Week!
If chronic pain is interfering with your life, don’t wait. At Midtown Pain and Spine, we specialize in advanced pain relief options to help you move and live with less pain. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with one of our five pain management providers — Dr. Thomas Weber is board certified, and fellowship trained in Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Dr. Jeremy Naber is board certified, and fellowship trained in Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Brittany Hodorowicz (PA-C), Patricia McGrail (NP), Heather Allen (FNP-C) — self-referrals welcome!
