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Physician Assistant Education in Washington - WA
By Jennifer Williams, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 8th, 2010
It is vital to understand how important it is to attend accredited physician assistant schools in Washington, and exactly why it is important. You also must understand that there are only two types of educational degrees offered by physician assistant schools in Washington, which are sufficient to obtain licensure in this state. Those degrees include the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Both types of degree programs are extremely comprehensive in nature and will cover all of the basics needed to gain entry into this particular profession.
The bachelor’s degree usually takes about 3 to 4 years of full-time study to complete and covers the core general education requirements, as well as specific medical courses designed to educate you about using, administering and understanding medicine in your field.
The master’s degree will certainly cover general education, but it is slightly more intense in that it requires 5 to 6 years of schooling to complete. This type of degree is great for those students who are possibly thinking of transitioning into an all out physician later in the future; or possibly students who may want to expand on their career further down the road.
Physician assistant schools in Washington are both campus-based and online study programs. Online study programs tend to fit students who are strapped for time or those who enjoy the ease and convenience of not having to leave home to attend school. Still the most important thing to keep in mind is that the school you do attend should be accredited by one of the three groups laid out by the Washington State Department of Health.
Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Physician Assistants in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and Bellevue, Washington may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the University of Washington Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center.