How To Become A Physician Assistant In Ghana

A Physician assistant (PA) is a licensed medical professional who holds an advanced degree and is able to provide direct patient care.

Below is How To Become A Physician Assistant In Ghana

What Does a Physician Assistant Do?

What is a physician assistant, anyhow?

As the name suggests, a physician assistant helps doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals with a wide variety of tasks. They serve multiple functions that help the hospital or clinic continue to move forward efficiently. To help the doctor perform their work, a physician assistant will review patients' medical information, conduct basic examinations, give treatment, and educate or counsel patients according to their needs.

While doctors commonly perform the diagnosis and create a treatment plan, PAs may be required to conduct these tasks depending on the specific job. In rural areas, a physician assistant may be the primary care provider and merely communicate with a physician when needed.

They will work in all areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and psychiatry. The amount of work they put in, and the amount of oversight needed from physicians, will vary depending on the job and state or regional regulations.

Should I Become a Physician Assistant?

To become a physician assistant, you need the right formal training and experience. However, there are certain traits and characteristics that will make you more successful and allow you to have a long, rewarding career.

First of all, you must be emotionally stable, as you will deal directly with illness, death, and high-stress situations. Maintaining a calm demeanor will help you get through the emotional rigors of a physician assistant career. You should also be detail-oriented and work well with little to no instruction. However, you must also work well in groups, as you will need to collaborate with doctors, nurses, patients, patient's families, surgeons, and medical professionals of all types.

Throughout your career, a strong sense of compassion will help you be the best physician assistant possible. You need to help solve people's medical problems, and being able to listen with genuine kindness will help you clearly diagnose and treat patients.

Add in a strong dose of problem-solving and you have the makings for a world-class physician assistant.

Physician Assistant Education

We briefly explored a physician assistant education path, but now we'd like to take a deeper look at this topic to help you understand the details of getting the right education to become a PA.

Step 1: Four-Year Science or Medical Degree

Almost all prospective physician assistants will have completed a four-year (bachelor's) degree in a related science before entering a PA degree program.

Technically, a prospective physician assistant can have a four-year undergraduate degree in any field, but you will be better served if you choose something that closely relates to medicine or science.

Ensure your bachelor's degree is regionally accredited in order to make your application to graduate school as seamless as possible.

Common undergraduate degrees for physician assistants include:

Biology

Psychology

Sociology

Nutrition

Step 2: Physician Assistant Program

You must ensure that your physician assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). 

Most programs will take two to three years to complete. During your years of study, you will learn more detailed and focused information about health, medication, anatomy, and the health care industry. Throughout your classes, you will get both medical science and clinical experience, with courses covering diagnosis techniques, emergency medicine, pharmacology, and pathology, and well as many other topics.

Around the second year of studies, you will begin to focus on even more detailed topics, such as general surgery, gynecology, and behavioral medicine.

Once you complete the physician assistant education, you should be well prepared to pass the licensing exam and become a full-fledged PA.

Online Physician Assistant Programs

One of the best options is to seek your education online. There are many top-notch online programs that can prepare you for this rewarding career, and most are built to fit the busy schedule of a working professional or single parent.

Admission requirements will vary depending on the specific program. However, you can expect the programs (at least the high-quality, ARC-PA accredited programs, which is what you should be seeking) to require at least a 2.75 GPA from previous studies, if not a 3.0.

Other admission requirements will include some or all of the following:

Pre-requisite courses in 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

Patient care experience gained via work or volunteer time as a CNA, EMT, CMA, medical technician, or in hospice care

Shadowing of a physician assistant

Community service

GRE scores

Admission essay

In-person interview

Letter(s) of recommendation from previous instructors or medical professionals

Previous experience in the medical profession

Basic life support certification

Background check

Drug screening

Requirements to Become a PA

Because the word “assistant” is in the job title, it can be easy to assume that physicians assistants don't need a whole lot of education. Maybe a two-year degree, right?

In most cases, a physician assistant will need a master's degree from an accredited institution (two years of post-graduate education after completing a four-year degree). Essentially, you're looking at six years of rigorous education in total to become a physician assistant.

Most applicants to PA education programs will not only have four years of education, but they will also have at least a year of medical experience. Admission requirements will vary depending on the specific program, but you can expect to need two to four years of undergraduate course work with a specific focus on a related science.

For work experience, many people entering a PA program will have worked as a registered nurse, an EMT, or a paramedic.

Generally, there are five steps to becoming a PA:

Complete your bachelor's degree (a science or healthcare related major is usually best);

Gain experience either working or volunteering in a healthcare setting;

Apply to ARC-PA accredited programs;

Complete a 2-3 year, master's level program;

Pass the PANCE licensing exam.

How many years does it take to become a PA in Ghana?

PA programs typically take between 24 and 27 months to complete. So, it will take you about two years to become a physician assistant.

If you want to work during your PA program, some schools offer a three-year part-time option.