Last Updated on October 21, 2021 by admin
How to Become a Physician Assistant in Utah
With a promising job growth in the PA field until 2020, physician assistants in the state of Utah have a bright future ahead of them if they have decided to pursue a career in this medical branch. Having said that, the physician assistants who work in Utah should expect a median yearly wage of around $85,000, although this can slightly vary depending on the work environment, as those from the private sector tend to make more than those who work in the public sector.
The career path one needs to take in order to become a certified and licensed physician assistant and in order to be able to work legally in Utah is relatively simple: these professionals must firstly enroll in a Bachelor’s degree-level PA training program that has been reviewed and accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on the education of PAs, then they must enroll in a Master’s degree for PAs which will allow them to sharpen their skills and knowledge in the medical and the surgical industry, as well as to expand their horizons and to increase their chances of getting a job. After they graduate, these professionals must pass the NCCPA national examination (the famous PANCE examination, which if passed will result in the PA-C designation, or Physician-Assistant Certified) and then they must pursue a PA licensure provided by the Utah Physician Assistant Licensing Board.
Both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degree-level training programs may require some pre-requisite courses in chemistry, physiology, biology and lab courses, in addition to a medical experience of at least one year.
Physician Assistant Job Description
Physician assistants, simply known as PAs, are skilled and highly trained medical professionals who often handle duties that range from basic administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments or updating the patient’s medical file to the most advanced tasks, such as performing injections and immunizations, assisting the licensed physician or surgeon in the operating room and even performing minor surgical interventions – everything must be performed, however, under the close supervision of a licensed physician.
Even though physician assistants are allowed to order tests, to diagnose patients, to perform physical examinations as well as to prescribe medications, their entire medical activity is still supervised by the licensed physician in question. Depending on the specialization each physician assistant can opt for, it is not uncommon that in addition to the tasks and medical duties described above, some physician assistants also have to take care of strains and sprains, to prepare casts or splints, and even to suture and to clean small wounds, as well as to change the dressing whenever needed.
Physician Assistant Certification In Utah
The second major step every PA must take in the state of Texas is to apply for the PANCE examination, which is administered by the NCCPA or the National Commission on the Certification of PAs in Texas, and to pass it. If the PAs manage to gain the PA-C credential, then these professionals are officially certified on a national level and they will be able to pursue their licensure. The Physician Assistant license is offered by the Texas Licensing Board, and the application packet must include the PANCE pass score, an application fee and a prescription capability fee, a drug screening, as well as the official transcripts provided by the candidate’s ARC-PA approved PA degree program and a criminal background check.
Both the Utah PA license and certification are subject to renewal, but at different pace: the license expires every two years, and the certification is set to expire every 10 years. Both the renewal of the license and the renewal of the certification requires the completion of a certain number of continuing medical education courses that will show the physician assistants are up to date with the latest discoveries and medical techniques in the field.
Salary and Career Info
The interactive chart above is a visual representation of the annual salary of Utah 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 Utah
There are currently two reputable physician assistant schools in Utah that you can enroll in, if you have decided to take this career path. One PA training programs is offered by the Rocky Mountain University located in the city of Provo, while the other one is provided by the University of Utah, which is located in Salt Lake City. Both universities require non-native English speakers to pass the TOEFL examination with a good score in order to be accepted.
List of All Accredited PA Programs
As of November 2014, the accrediting agency is ARC-PA and they have 1 fully accredited AL programs.
1. University of Utah
Initial Accreditation Date: November 1, 1972
Next ARC-PA Review: March 2016
Website: http://medicine.utah.edu/physician-assistant-program/
