Education Requirements

Program details NPs typically choose a specialty area and need to complete didactic hours and between to clinical hours 1, for DNPs. PAs are trained as generalists and typically need to complete about 1, didactic hours and more than 2, clinical hours. Licensing Agency NPs seek licensure through a state board of nursing or board of medical examiners.

The AACN provides links to the licensing agencies. PAs seek licensure through a state medical board, board of medical examiners or similar.

What Is the Difference Between a Nurse and a Physician Assistant?

Re-certification NPs must be re-certified every five years or less, depending on their population focus and credentialing entity. They may sit for the appropriate exam or complete a minimum 1, hours of clinical practice and 75 to continuing education units in their NP specialty. PAs need hours of continuing medical education CME hours every two years and an exam every six years. View state-by-state NP practice authority status. BDU Bradley University nosp 3.

Career Advancement: Registered Nurse to Medical Doctor

Education plays an important role in the differences between medical assistant and nurse. Medical assistants generally attend an MA program for two years, one year or nine months. An Associate of Applied Science degree in medical assisting takes two years, and is the most in-depth option for medical assisting training.

Diploma and certificate programs are also available and take 12 or 9 months to complete. Medical assistant programs are similar to a first-year nursing program.

What Is the Difference Between a Nurse and a Physician Assistant? - Best Colleges Online

Both teach anatomy and physiology, biology or chemistry, lifespan and disease and pharmacology, depending on the program. Medical assisting programs also include broad administrative training, whereas nursing school does not.

Why I Chose to Be A Nurse Instead of A Doctor

MAs learn to handle medical insurance claims, file medical records and make appointments. Nurses usually have the option to complete one year of nursing school and earn their licensed practical nurse LPN degree. If desired, students may then complete an additional year of schooling to earn the registered nurse designation RN. A Master of Science Nursing degree allows an RN to teach nursing at colleges and universities, and also take additional courses to become a nurse practitioner.


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Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. She has been a licensed health care provider since , with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. She has been writing since and has been published both on-line and in print. Everyone knows it is very hard to take care of your children and also balacne that with taking care of your parent as well, but it can be done. I am the LORD. Impersonating a nurse is against the law.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Alas, we are not recognized in monetary compensation. Additionally, we are trained in an actual Law and Ethics course unlike nurses about laws such as the legalties of practicing outside of our scope of training. I so wish, nurses would get off their high horse and stop feeling threatened and realize they are not the only ones that can give high quality care. I work with some wonderful nurses with educational degrees that actually recognize me as an equal and we teach together, however we still have the sows that think they are better. Yes, you can go back to school and obtain additional degrees or take certification classes to expand your knowledge and potentially your scope of practice.

Patient Care

My eldest sister is taking the medical assistance program and says I should just drop my pre-nursing classes and transfer to the medical assistance ones. A medical assistant certification holds practically no value. Amd you will make less than half of what a nurse does. If you want to be a MA, then just walk into the employer n ask to be one. The issue is you can make nearly as much being a cna. I take my credentialing seriously and non CMA workers make our credentialing look bad for the lack of education and skills they have.

This has been a hot topic at multiple state House of Delegates meetings. This has been a very frustrating topic in CMA circles around the country. No previous work experience, fresh out of school. Most students take the MCAT in their last semester of undergrad and prepare extensively in classes. Some major universities even offer students review courses. Nurses would be required to find their own study programs. This could be a disadvantage to some nurses. After sitting for the MCAT, scores are reported to the medical schools that were applied to.

Some schools prefer nurses because of their prior experience in the healthcare field while others see it as a hindrance. Medical schools look at undergraduate grades, coursework, the university the individual graduated from and the MCAT scores. Medical school is two years in the classroom setting and two years in the clinical setting.


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Regardless of prior healthcare experience and training becoming a medical doctor still take four years. Being a nurse does not cut this time down. After medical school, new physicians attend a residency program that is between two and four years. If an individual wishes to specialize in a specific field, a fellowship is required. Fellowships can be up to five years in length. The more specialized the field, the longer the post graduate training. Once all is said and done it could be almost ten years i. This figure was much higher for private universities.

As seen in the table below, these low-cost medical schools are also ranked as some of the lowest, or not ranked at all in medical and osteopathic schools.