PA Programs in Michigan > MI Physican Assistant Information

Last Updated on October 21, 2021 by admin

How To Become A Physician Assistant In Michigan

Physician assistants are highly appreciated in the medical industry in Michigan, given the fact that providing people with medical care of the highest quality is an aspect of utmost importance, and only a health care professional with stringent educational requirements can rise up to that. Having said that, if you have decided to pursue a career as a physician assistant in Michigan, then you should know that you need at least a master’s degree in the field, which typically takes two years of full time study to complete. Nonetheless, given the fact that not all physician assistant schools may rise to the same high standards of quality, it is highly recommended to do your research before you apply to one – make sure only to opt for ACR-PA training institutions.

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The master’s degree has become a common requirement for most physician assistants these days, and after earning their Bachelor’s Degree in the field these professionals will get a deeper insight into fields like pathology, anatomy, physiology, disease prevention and pharmacology. Starting with the second year of the master’s degree, future physician assistants will start to gain some clinical experience in primary care medicine that will greatly benefit them in the long run – they will enjoy clinical rotations in fields like paediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, surgery, inpatient medicine and so on and so forth. There are some accelerated four-year training programs that allow you to get your PA-C designation a lot faster!

Physician Assistant Career Description

When it comes to the job duties and requirements of physician assistants, it must be said that these health care providers typically get to perform the same functions as a doctor – they can diagnose patients, they can prescribe treatments and various laboratory tests and they can also handle even the most complex cases. In addition to this, it is not uncommon for physician assistants to also treat minor injuries, to analyze the x-ray results or the MRI scans and such.

These health care professionals can be found in a variety of different health care settings, ranging all the way from home health care agencies and prisons to public health clinics, schools, private practice offices, private physician clinics and such. These professionals always work under the close supervision of a licensed physician or surgeon, and it is their responsibility to constantly update the patient files and their medical records.

Licensing And Certification For Physician Assistants In Michigan

As you may already know, all physician assistants in Michigan and all the other 49 states of the US must pursue their certification in order to work legally in the medical industry. After graduating from the ARC-PA accredited physician assistant school, these health care professionals must pass the PANCE examination, or the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam. If they manage to do so, they will receive their certification and they will have to maintain it active by completing 100 hours of continuing medical education every 24 years – six years from the moment they received their initial certification, these physician assistants must sit for the PANRE examination, or the re-certification examination.

Salary and Career Info

The interactive chart above is a visual representation of the annual salary of Michigan PA’s compared to the national annual salaries, all based on the latest May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Physician Assistant Programs In Michigan

There are several reputable physician assistant programs and schools in the state of Michigan that are worth looking into, if you consider pursuing a lucrative career in this field. For instance, you can obtain a MS degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the Central Michigan University, which is known to provide a 27 month-long ARC-PA physician assistant training program. In addition to this, the Grand Valley State University located in Allendale also has a reputable Master of Physicians Assistant Studies Degree that is ARC-PA accredited, while the University of Detroit features an advanced five-year training program that awards students both with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology and with a Master’s of Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies.

The Wayne State University is yet another ARC-PA accredited physician assistant training school that can offer high quality, professional programs that can be completed within as little as 24 months, and that are enough for those who want to obtain an entry-level position in the medical industry. Last, but not least, the Western Michigan University offers a Master’s of Science in Medicine degree program that consists of two-year full-time study courses. This program is also ARC-PA approved and it receives hundreds of applications on a yearly basis, out of which only several tens are being approved.