Physician Assistant
Physician assistants are critical to bringing high-quality health care to communities across North Carolina but are especially important for service in rural communities. Pirate PAs are trusted members of health care teams taking on outsized levels of patient care responsibility.
Physician Assistant Program Overview
Do you have a genuine desire to help people? Are you interested in working as a front-line primary-care provider in an evolving profession?
The goal of the physician assistant program is to provide a primary care-oriented, rural-based training program for entry-level health-care professionals. You must have a bachelor's degree before entering the intensive 27-month PA professional track which begins in August of each year.
As a physician assistant (PA), you will provide health-care services under the supervision of physicians. PAs take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, make diagnoses, and prescribe medications. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting.
In most states, including North Carolina, PAs have the delegated authority to write prescriptions. Physician assistants' job descriptions may also include patient education, medical education, health administration, and research.
You will study a wide variety of topics related to the profession to prepare you for a hands-on career. Physician assistants do not have to complete a residency or internship.
ECU Advantage
ECU offers the only state-supported physician assistant program in North Carolina. The College of Allied Health Sciences is the largest university-based allied-health provider in the state. The college has eight departments: Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, Biostatistics, Clinical Laboratory Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Health Services and Information Management, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant , and offers degrees on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.
Delivering a comprehensive professional education that will prepare allied-health graduates to make a difference in the health of the region, state, and nation was the primary reason for the creation of the College of Allied Health Sciences and its departments. Fueled by the growth and aging of our population, the demand for these highly skilled specialists is expected to greatly increase as health care continues to be a priority for our citizens.
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