Not sure which flair to use but I was wondering what the difference between the two is. I understand the academic background is different but if both can diagnose, prescribe, and treat patients, what’s the difference in terms of scope of practice?
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This is for what I know about how it works in the US; Idk how it works in other countries. And as a disclaimer, I go to med school and never really considered NP or PA school so what I know is from what I hear from people that did those things/what I’ve read when I looked it up (out of curiosity).
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced certification beyond nursing that trains them on some basics of the doctoring side of medicine. I believe they typically have their nursing degree (which is a bachelor’s), and then go to NP school which is a 2 year, masters level degree. I believe some NP schools require the GRE, but there are no entrance exams beyond that. They have to maintain their certification via either continuing to practice or retaking the certification exam if enough time has passed since they last practiced.
Physician Assistants (PA) is another kind of mid-level Healthcare worker. They typically need to have a bachelor’s as a prerequisite before applying to PA school, which is also a 2 year masters level course. I believe that PA school typically goes a bit more in depth in how they teach, but I could be wrong Idk I’ve never been to either of these. They have their own entrance exam called the PA-CAT. PA recertification works similarly to NPs iirc. Idk if they need extra training for certain specialities because I’ve read different things. Hopefully someone else in the comments can fill in some details.
Physicians also need a bachelor’s as a prerequisite. MD and DO schools are typically 4 year, doctorate level course. The first two years are largely in a classroom where you learn the basic science behind medicine in addition to how to treat some conditions, and you take the USMLE Step 1 afterwards. The second two years are clinical where you’re learning more about how to actually apply the stuff you learned to patients that they see in the hospital. They rotate through different specialties to gain a more broad medical education. At the beginning of the 4th year, you take USMLE Step 2. After that, you go to residency, which is basically an “on the job” training program. Residents are full physicians but are new to the field so they practice under the guidance and supervision of more experienced physicians (these take anywhere between 3 and 7 years depending on the field). At some point during this, you take USMLE Step 3. Afterwards if you wish to specialize further, you can do a fellowship (~1-2 years). Only then will you look for jobs. On top of all of that, physicians have to take certification exams every 10 years whether they practice or not to prove that they have up to date knowledge. Essentially, doctors have the most schooling and should be the most knowledgeable.
However for many, typical cases, an NP or PA should be enough. I still think it’s important to have an MD/DO sign off on their work, though, just in case. They’d likely be able to pick up on atypical cases that a mid-level may not have ever learned about in addition to understanding more of the nuances in medicine.
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