Physician’s Assistants–The Designer Knockoffs of the Medical Field? Oops Unfortunate Wording

Seems I’m not the only one put out about physicians’ assistants in doctor’s offices. My favorite talk show host was talking about it today and it reminded me that this is something I want to find out more about. I want to know things like when it was decided that you don’t have to be an actual doctor to practice medicine, little things like that. Several of my co-workers go to the doctor constantly. Me, not so much. I’m afraid they’ll tell me something I don’t want to hear so I avoid them.

I don’t know the last time I’ve heard about my friends and family members seeing anyone other than the PA when they go for any type of medical exam. It’s like, once again, we got eased into something without any mutual agreement in tact. People used to get arrested for practicing medicine without a license. Suddenly, it’s like you’re asking to see Santa Claus in July if you want to actually see your doctor.

I’m told the PA’s are required to spend four years in college and two in the PA program which includes rotation duty, kind of like an internship or residency. But still. They are not doctors. And if this is the maximum education required to treat people medically, they’re missing something–two years. With all of the medical malpractice activity lately, you’d really think this would be a complete no brainer. And how is it that doctors became so busy they can no longer see the patients they accepted to begin with?

In my opinion, people run to the doctor too often. Give someone a $10 co-pay and a cold and they’ll beat down the door to be seen for a Z-pac, a heavy dose of anti-biotics. Well, call me crazy but I thought anti-biotics did not cure colds and you can buy zinc and vitamin C all day long at any grocery or drug store.

I know more people who squire their kids to the doctor with every sniffle and sneeze. Again, they want anti-biotics. The makers of Amoxicillin must be rolling in cash and laughter. So it has become nearly impossible for people who are REALLY sick to get in for a visit any time before their symptoms, and possibly their vital signs, cease. Hence, I guess, the need for help but why not bring another actual doctor into the practice? I think I have the answer to that too: greed.

A PA at my husband’s physician’s office insisted he needed to be on blood pressure medication for the rest of his life. “What if I quit smoking, exercise, and cut back on salt?” my husband asked. “Nope,” said the PA, “You’ll be on it for the rest of your life.” Well, my husband did all of the things he had proposed to the PA and his blood pressure dropped to near perfect. He finally insisted on seeing the doctor and was taken off the medication. What if he had taken the PA’s word as so many are inclined to do and developed kidney problems or worse from being on high doses of blood pressure medication for years?

Anyway, what we need are professional busybodies to research how these things get snuck through the back door and become accepted practice without any say from the public. Obviously it’s legal but why? Was legislation passed or did it just happen because there was no law preventing it? Except, as I said, it isn’t legal to practice medicine if one is not a doctor. So they tell the doctor what they’ve seen and shove a prescription pad under his nose for him to sign. I’m just not comfortable with that. And, above all, we need to stop letting things just happen to us, not accept the status quo and go with the flow, especially when what’s at stake is our health and ultimately our lives.