Career Exploration Series: Physician Assistant

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Anne Dang, PA Interview

Welcome to Young Women in Business Toronto’s New Career Exploration Series! Over the next few months, we’ll be interviewing young professionals about their roles and sectors, education and skills required, and their advice for others. We hope this series will expose our community to less widely-known career options as they plan for the future.

Anne Dang, Canadian Certified Physician Assistant

Tell us about yourself and your career!

I graduated from the McMaster Physician Assistant Education Program back in 2011, and have been working as a PA ever since.

Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care providers educated in the medical model and practice medicine in collaboration with physicians, within health care teams.  

Our scope of practice mirrors the physicians we work with, we can:

  • conduct histories,

  • perform physical examinations,

  • order and interpret imaging, blood work and other tests, 

  • perform interventions and procedures, such as joint injections, skin biopsies lumbar punctures, reducing fractures, casting and splinting,

  • diagnose and treat illness, 

  • formulate treatment plans and do patient education,

  • assist in surgery, and

  • prescribe medications.

Procedures we perform must fall within the PA scope of training and experience, and is within the scope of their supervising physician.

[Editor's Note: Learn more about what PAs are and what they do here: https://canadianpa.ca/whatisapa/]

What is one misconception people might have about PAs?                       

A big misconception about the PA profession is with the name "Physician Assistant". Usually the term "assistant" may conjure images of someone who helps answer phone calls, take the blood pressure, or put the patient in the room. It would be more accurate to say that PAs are physician extenders. We extend the work that physicians are able to perform. 

Also, The PA role is a career in its own right, and is not a stepping stone or a "doctor-in-training" program. There are more similarities to the PA role with Nurse Practitioners (NPs) than there are to other roles. 

Why do you feel it’s important to support other young professionals as they study to be PAs and as they start their careers? 

It can feel intimidating to embark on a new profession, that unlike other long-standing health care careers, is not as well established in Canada. Which is why connecting with other PAs, especially mentors and colleagues you can look to for help and support, is important.

Thankfully, PA who go back to teach often mentor PA students or younger professionals, take on PA students for shadowing or clinical rotations, and help to model what PAs do in their practice. This helps PA students to reflect about what they hope their practice will look like in the future, and understand what’s possible in patient care, medical education, patient education and advocacy. 

Although the PA profession is growing in Canada (we're seeing more examples of a practice having several PAs instead of just one!), in circumstances where you may be the first PA in a hospital, department, or clinic has ever hired, this support helps inspiring PAs feel supported and less alone. Plus, it's motivating and helps build a sense of community!

What types of interpersonal skills do you feel are important in your sector?

This is easy. They're outlined in CanMEDS-PA - a PA must be a:

  • Medical Expert (able to acquire knowledge and problem solve)

  • Communicator (able to help facilitate patient-centered care and be proficiency in written, verbal, and non-verbal communication)

  • Collaborator (able to work within a healthcare team, be a team member, respect and acknowledge roles of others to optimize patient care)

  • Leader (able to prioritize & time manage, participate on decision making and make choices based on sound medical ethics)

  • Health Advocate (able to use expertise and influence to improve the health of your patients and community)

  • Scholar (able to engage in lifelong learning and reflective practice, evaluating evidence-based medicine in the application and translation of medical knowledge for patient care)

  • Professional (able to maintain professionalism when interacting with patients, their families, and the health care community).

Have you noticed any shifts or trends in terms of who is applying for/graduating from PA programs? 

General health care programs in Canada are competitive regardless you apply to MD, dentistry, pharmacy, occupational health, physiotherapy, etc. Similarly, as the PA profession gains awareness, the biggest trend I've noticed is the increasing number of candidates applying to the PA programs. 

When I applied in 2009 there were only 150 students vying for 24 spots. More recently, there may have been 700 Pre-PA candidates vying for those same spots at McMaster's PA program!

What resource or tip would you have for individuals who are considering or new to this medical field?

I would recommend speaking to or shadowing a PA or health care provider. Learn about why they chose to pursue the profession, what they like or didn't like, or have them walk you through their day-in-the-life. This is one of the most helpful things you can do to help you decide if pursuing a career path is the right decision for you!

I actually interviewed over 20 Canadian Physician Assistants and PA students across different Canadian PA programs as I realized not everyone has access to a PA. I tried to ask the questions that I thought Pre-PAs would like to know, e.g., What did you do before becoming a PA? What made you stand out as an applicant? How was your experience in PA school? What's a day in the life of working in your PA job? Tell me about the specialty you work in? 

How has COVID-19 impacted your work?

I was hired in the middle of the pandemic at a new PA position in Orthopaedic Surgery and  had been working as a PA eight years prior to COVID-19 hitting. These are some of the things that I noticed: 

  • Postponement and delay in elective surgeries, specially orthopaedic surgeries. However, as restrictions lifted, hospitals started to ramp up the number of surgeries done per day. 

  • A transition to Telemedicine/Telehealth. There was a short period where we did not see patients in person, and did strictly telemedicine/telehealth visits. Now at the fracture clinic at the hospital I work at we are doing 50% in-person visits and 50% telemedicine visits. This reduces the volume of patients coming through the hospital, causes less foot traffic, and lets us space patients in the waiting area to maintain social distancing.

  • Patients were hesitant to come in for acute injuries. Some of my PA colleagues mentioned that we are also seeing patients who have acute injuries (e.g., fracture or dislocation) will wait to seek treatment due to fears around COVID-19 - instead of coming to the ER immediately or seeking treatment. Sadly, this can lead to progression of symptoms or worsening of the condition they may have.

Who/what has been your biggest source of inspiration and strength?

The PA and Pre-PA Community have been my biggest source of inspiration and strength. 

My PA colleagues are probably some of the most phenomenal health care providers I have ever met, and when I spoke with many of them between clinic days or at conferences, I realized that a lot of their amazing work and care with patients were going under-recognized. Which is why part of my efforts with my blog and Youtube Channel are around highlighting the great work that they do and increasing awareness in the PA profession. 

Pre-PAs are also a huge source of inspiration. There's something about being at the beginning of your journey in pursuing a career where although there's a lot of uncertainty, there's also a lot of passion, resourcefulness, and desire to find a vocation that matches your skills, values, and goals. Being a PA isn't right for everyone, but a huge part of building up the PA profession in Canada is attracting candidates such as this who are passionate about patients and medicine and really believe in the PA role.

How to get in touch with me: anne@canadianpa.ca

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CanadianPA

Youtube Channel: http://youtube.com/CanadianPA

Instagram: http://instagram.com/canadian.pa

Facebook http://facebook.com/CanadianPA

Canadian Pre-PA Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/canadaprepa