Physician assistants are healthcare professionals that have gone through a generalist’s medical education and usually work alongside doctors and physicians in health facilities to provide healthcare. Physician assistants normally work under medical supervision but are able to work independently with appropriate support.
They may be heads of various health facilities in the absence of a medical doctor. As such it is one of the career options you should be looking at if you are interested in venturing into the healthcare profession.
Who is a Physician Assistant?
A Physician Assistant is someone who has been well trained in medicine-related health care and has successfully completed a Bachelor degree in Physician Assistantship. They are well equipped to assist medical doctors in their work and even to take up most of the roles of medical doctors in places where Medical doctors are lacking.
They are able to diagnose, create and manage treatment plans and prescribe medications. Thay are commonly referred to as PAs.
What do Physician Assistants do?
Just like medical doctors, Physician Assistants are trained to:
- Make diagnosis of patient illnesses
- Come up with Treatment plans for patients
- Prescribe medicines
- May also perform some surgical procedures in the presence of a supervising physician
- Request and interpret various laboratory investigations
How do I become a Physician Assistant in Ghana?
To become a physician assistant in Ghana;
- You will need to first of all obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Physician Assistantship
- After successful completion of your academic degree, you will have to sit for the licensure examination
- On passing the licensure, you would have to pay for your registration fee in order to finally get a license to practice as a Physician Assistant in Ghana
What qualities do I require to become a great Physician Assistant?
Since your practice involves human lives and everything you do may affect the lives of people, there are a few qualities that you are required to possess if you want to become a great Physician Assistant.
Some of these qualities include:
- You must be someone who pays attention to details
- You must be able to work with little or no supervision
- You must have a good interpersonal relationship with others
- You must have good communication skills
- You should be able to articulate your thoughts and reassure people
WRITTEN AND EDITED RESPECTIVELY BY:
Dr. Ehoneah Obed is a registered pharmacist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana. He has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and has experience working in a Tertiary hospital as well as various community pharmacies. He is also a software engineer interested in healthcare technologies.
His love for helping others motivates him to create content on an array of topics mostly relating to the health of people and also software engineering content.
He is knowledgeable in digital marketing, content marketing, and a host of other skills that make him versatile enough to uplift any team he joins.
MPSGH, MRPharmS, MPhil.
Isaiah Amoo is a practicing community pharmacist in good standing with the Pharmacy Council of Ghana who has meaningful experience in academia and industrial pharmacy. He is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, England, UK and currently pursuing his overseas pharmacy assessment programme (MSc) at Aston University, UK. He had his MPhil degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He has about 5 years’ experience as a community Pharmacist and has also taught in academic institutions like KNUST, Kumasi Technical University, Royal Ann College of Health, and G-Health Consult. He likes to spend time reading medical research articles and loves sharing his knowledge with others.
I studied general science in secondary school and had Cs and Bs in my subjects
I have also attended Medicine Counter Assistant for Six month and a Health facility Assistant for one year
Please is there a chance that I can be admitted to offer PA in the university?
It depends on the requirements of the school. Check the various schools’ website out for details on admission requirements