Nurturing the dream of becoming a Physician Assistant in Alabama is more than just attending college. In other not to make your dreams to be a mere wish, you must get a 2-3 years Physician Assistant program degree from a reputable institution. On this note, we have put down here the best Accredited Physician Assistant PA Schools in Alabama that can help you build an exceptional career as an excellent physician assistant.
These Schools in Alabama can help you acquire not just the certificate, but also all the medical skills you will need for your productivity and competency in the medical field.
In this post, you will get a list of the best-accredited Physician Assistant PA Schools in Alabama, the requirements, and lots more.
You can scroll through the table of contents below to get an overview of all that this post entails.
Table of contents
- Who is a Physician Assistant?
- What are the Roles of a Physician Assistant?
- Where can I work as a Physician Assistant?
- How can I Become a Physician Assistant – PA in Alabama?
- How Long Does it Take to Complete a PA Program in Alabama?
- Why Study Physician Assistant PA In Alabama?
- How Much You will earn as a Physician Assistant in Alabama
- What are the Requirements for PA Schools in Alabama?
- What are the Accredited Physician Assistant PA Schools in Alabama?
- Oakwood University
- References
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Who is a Physician Assistant?
According to Wikipedia, A physician Assistant is a highly qualified physician in medicine. He can be self-employed or in co-operation with physicians, according to local or local lawmaking PAs.
Generally, a Physician assistant works directly under the supervision of physicians in providing support to healthcare teams. Also, they help the Physician during surgical procedures, develop treatment plans, and work in a fast-paced healthcare setting.
To become a PA, you must have advanced education and extensive training in a medical setting.
If you want to study in North Carolina, you can check out these Accredited Physician Assistant Schools In North Carolina 2024
What are the Roles of a Physician Assistant?
As an Assistant physician, your major role will revolve around diagnosing patients and prescribing medications. Moreso, you will have to spend quality time with patients, gather clinical information, and make difficult decisions about patient health management.
However, you can work in a variety of health care services such as an anesthesiologist, assistant physician, assistant physician, assistant physiotherapist, and orthopedic surgeon.
There are other roles that you will be responsible for which include;
- Administering treatment like setting broken bones and immunizing patients.
- Educating and counseling patients and their families—for example, answering questions about how to care for a child with asthma.
- You will also be responsible for checking a patient’s progress.
- Then, Conducting or participating in outreach programs, talking to groups about managing diseases, and promoting wellness.
- Also, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, such as x rays or blood tests.
Where can I work as a Physician Assistant?
Taking up a career as a Physician Assistant opens you to wider job opportunities. These jobs pay very well more than some other medical careers. As a PA you will be working with chief physicians or surgeons and medical staff as a team.
Generally, with your degree, you can work in all areas of medicine, including primary care and family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and psychiatry.
Note, your role will largely depend on your specialty or the type of health services they work in. For example, a medical assistant working in surgery may close the cavity and provide care before, during, and after surgery.
On the other hand, a pediatrician who works with pediatricians can monitor the child and provide regular immunization.
In some areas, especially in rural areas, you may be the primary care team in a hospital where the doctor only has one or two days per week. Here, you will work closely with the physician as needed and as required by law.
How can I Become a Physician Assistant – PA in Alabama?
Becoming a Physician Assistant in Alabama just like in other states requires more than effort. Although this career pays well, if you are desiring to build a career in this field without putting your efforts, time, and resources, your desire will just turn to wishes.
That being said, there are two routes to becoming an exceptional Physician Assistant. First, you must acquire educational qualifications. Then, you must have basic skills.
Now talking about the educational qualification, you must have a master’s degree from an accredited educational program which will take you at least 2 years of full-time postgraduate study.
This how it goes…
- Have Experience in health care
- Enroll in an accredited PA school in Alabama
- Then get Certified
- Go for a state license
- Finally, go for certification maintenance
Now, let’s take a look at the points one after the other
Have the requirements and Experience in health care
One thing about getting into a Physician School in Alabama is that applications are also competitive. First, try making research about the PA Program or programs you want to go for very early to know if you have the requirements.
You must complete coursework in basic and behavioral science which will take you about 2 years to complete.
Talking about the subject requirements, any PA program you want to go for, you be good in Chemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Microbiology, and Biology.
On the other side, you must have health care experience with hands-on patient care in any of the following fields; Medical assistant, Emergency medical technician, Paramedic, Medic or medical corpsman, Peace Corps volunteer, Lab assistant/phlebotomist, Registered nurse, Emergency room technician, Surgical tech and Certified nursing assistant.
Most students have a bachelor’s degree and about three years of health care experience before entering a program.
Students typically need undergraduate coursework in biochemistry, organic chemistry, immunology, pathophysiology, genetics, and molecular or cellular biology for admission to a PA master’s program.
See Also,accredited Physician Assistant Schools in Colorado 2024
Enroll in an accredited PA school in Alabama
Once you have gotten the experience and requirements, you then have to enroll in an accredited PA school for a Physician Program. Some PA Programs may take you 3 years to complete.
These programs can cover the following courses;
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Physical diagnosis
- Pathophysiology
- Microbiology
- Clinical laboratory science
- Behavioral science
- Medical ethics
Moreso, you will also be expected to complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations in areas like Family medicine, Internal medicine, Obstetrics and gynecology, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Emergency medicine, and Psychiatry.
Then get Certified
You can only get certified after you must have gotten a certificate from an accredited PA school. You can then go for PANCE. PANCE means the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam.
Go for a state license
Before you can practice, you need to get licensed in your state. All states require that PAs graduate from an accredited PA program and pass the PANCE.
As a physician Assistant, you can register for this on the NCCPA’s website, and the test itself includes:
- $475 registration fee
- Five blocks of 60 multiple-choice questions each lasting one hour
- 45 minutes in total are allowed for breaks that can be taken between each block
- A total of 300 questions over a five-hour span
Finally, go for certification maintenance
This is the final step to becoming a Physician Assistant in Alabama. You have to have up to 100 hours if you want to maintain your national certification. Note, it will cost you $130. This cost is for the service maintenance fee every two years.
One interesting part of this all is that with your certification, you can become a part of the Alabama medical community which will help you discover opportunities to expand your reputation and contribute to the betterment of your field both statewide and nationally.
Here are some of the well-known Alabama Medical communities you can join:
- Alabama Society of Physician Assistants
- American Academy of Physician Assistants
- Physician Assistant Education Association
Lets now talk about the skills.
Below are the important skills and qualities you must possess if you really want to build an expectational career as a Physician Assistant.
Necessary Skills need for becoming a Physician Assistant
Becoming a Physician Assistant in Alabama requires you to have the following skills;
- Motivated
- A self-starter
- Able to prioritize
- Focused
- Compassionate and committed
- Able to cope with stress
- Persistent
- Flexible
- Able to collaborate
- A critical thinker
- Mature
How Long Does it Take to Complete a PA Program in Alabama?
Just like in other states in the USA, it takes about 2 years to complete a masters degree in a PA program in Alabama.
Why Study Physician Assistant PA In Alabama?
Studying your PA program in Alaska will be a good opportunity for you to start your career in the state. In terms of employment, Alaska has an employment RSE of 11.4% for Physician assistants.
To be more precise, Alaska has the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients and also is among the top-paying states in the USA for the PA profession.
How Much You will earn as a Physician Assistant in Alabama
As a Physician Assistant, the salary you are likely to earn in Alabama on average is $100,689 but the range typically falls between $92,684 and $111,011.
Note, salary at Alabama ranges can vary according to the educational qualification, level, certification, and experience.
Check below to see the salary of physician Assistants based on different levels;
- An entry-level Physician Assistant (PA) earns $86,158 on average (including tips, bonuses, and overtime pay).
- An early career Physician Assistant (PA) with 1-4 years of experience earns $84,580 on average.
- While an experienced Physician Assistant (PA) with 10-19 years of experience earns $94,239 on average.
Read: Best Accredited Physician Assistant (PA) Schools in Iowa 2024
What are the Requirements for PA Schools in Alabama?
Admission requirements for Physician Assistant School will depend largely on the particular program you want to enroll in.
First, you must have at least a 2.75 or 3.0 GPA from previous programs you have done. Other admission requirements you will be expected to meet up with includes;
Secondly, you must meet up with the following courses;
- General Chemistry I with lab
- General Chemistry II with lab
- Organic Chemistry with lab
- Human Anatomy or Anatomy and Physiology I
- Human Physiology or Anatomy & Physiology II
- General Biology with lab, Biochemistry
- Microbiology with lab
- College Algebra or Statistics
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Anthropology or Sociology
- Medical Terminology
The following documents are required;
- GRE scores
- Admission essay
- In-person interview
- Letter(s) of recommendation
- Previous experience in the medical profession
- Basic life support certification
- Background check
- Drug screening
What are the Accredited Physician Assistant PA Schools in Alabama?
At Alabama, there are three (3) accredited physician assistant schools where anyone interested in studying a physician assistant program in Alabama can go in this 2024.
These schools offer different PA programs at different levels. Another interesting thing about these schools is that they are globally recognized.
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of South Alabama
- Oakwood University
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (School of Health Professions)
Address: Administration Bldg Suite 1070, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0110
Graduation Rate: 16% (Full Time) 40% (Part Time)
Student-teacher Ratio: 17:1
Retention Rate: 82% (full time) 57% (Part Time)
Established in 1936, the University of Alabama is one of the prestigious public research universities with over 22,080 students as of 2019. This university is made up of 12 accredited schools with more than 140 programs in bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees.
The Physician Assistant program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the best that any student who wishes to build a career as PA can actually go-to for a PA degree program.
Generally, the UAB PA program provides an educational experience in hospitals and clinical care, medicine, and surgery. The school only awards Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) with a very low acceptance rate of 8% yearly which makes it to be highly competitive.
To apply, you must have a GRE or MCAT score and a minimum GPA of 3.0 and ready to pay $77,535 as a resident student or $146,959 as an international student as tuition fees for 27 months. Note, this school program was accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
If you want to study in Indiana, you can apply for any of these accredited Physician Assistant PA Schools in Indiana 2024
University of South Alabama
Address: 5721 USA Drive North HAHN 3124 Mobile, AL 36688 United States
Graduation Rate: 44%
Student-teacher Ratio: 18: 1
Retention Rate: 74% (full-time), 47% (Part Time
The second in our list of the best accredited PA Schools in Alabama is the University of South Alabama. This University Physician Assistant Studies program was formed in 1966 with the aim of helping students who hold a baccalaureate degree in any field to get a master’s degree.
Basically, the PA program offers opportunities for students in the medical field with comprehensive medical knowledge, skills, and attitudes. With these skills, they can get involved in clinical practice
Also, as a student, you will be exposed by the school to a variety of learning strategies, ranging from, formal lectures, practical laboratory classes, clinical education to clinical research.
When you will graduate, you will be sure of acquiring develop advanced clinical problem-solving skills aside from the certificate. Moreso, you will be technically proficient in areas related to professional practice.
It is important to note that, before you can apply, you must have an Entrance Exam GRE score, a high General Test, and must have undergone 121 hours of externship consisting of 73 credit hours of didactic course work and 48 hours of clinical work.
In addition, you must have an overall GPA of 3.0 and three letters of recommendation.
About the tuition fees, as a Resident student, you are likely to pay $62,832. On the other hand, if you are applying as a Nonresident, it will cost you $116,435, for 27 months.
Note, this school was accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
Oakwood University
Address: 7000 Adventist Blvd NW, Huntsville, AL 35896, United States
Graduation Rate: 40%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 : 1
Retention Rate: 70.0%
Oakwood University is a full-time college-affiliated college that is affiliated with the Seventh-day campus in Huntsville, Alabama. The University is ranked among the top 20 institutions of higher education in the United States providing medical education to African American students.
The university is not only known as a historically black university but it is also known for one of the best universities in the south and one of the best universities.
Basically, Oakwood offers a variety of bachelor programs that can help students prepare for graduate programs in medicine, dental, and other related sciences.
Also, the curriculum is provided by the university’s Department of Biological Sciences, which includes Biology, Biology, and Science. Most educational programs at many colleges offered by the Department of Chemistry are designed to help students prepare for graduate education and training opportunities.
Moreso, its curriculum is designed to promote a healthy and healthy lifestyle, as well as the development of knowledge and skills.
References
- https://www.aapa.org/career-central/become-a-pa/- Become a PA
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician_assistant
- https://www.universities.com/find/alabama/best/physician-assistant-degrees
- http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/
- https://collegegrad.com/careers/physician-assistants
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