Most of us are familiar with MD after a doctor's name. This stands for doctor of medicine and signifies that this person has completed four years of medical school. But would you know if your doctor is a DO? And what about the other people checking vitals, writing prescriptions, and filling in charts—PAs and NPs—what type of training do they have and what services can they offer?
MDs and DOs Are Similar
A DO is a doctor of osteopathic medicine. According to the American Osteopathic Association, approximately 5% of physicians in the US are DOs.
MDs and DOs are similar in many ways. Here are some requirements that both MDs and DOs must complete:
MDs and DOs Differ
There are also some distinctions between these types of physicians:
A physician assistant (PA) is a health professional who is licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. A PA can do the following:
A PA can work in any area of medicine, but the majority of PAs work in primary care medicine (pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics/gynecology, and internal medicine). About 19% of PAs work in surgical-related fields.
Education for PAs
To become a PA, one must complete an accredited PA educational program and pass a national certification exam. Once certified, PAs take continuing medical education classes and are retested on their skills regularly. The typical PA program is 24-25 months long. Entry requires at least two years of college and some healthcare experience. The majority of students have a BA/BS degree and 3-4 years of healthcare experience before admission to a PA program.
PA education is designed to complement physician training. Education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences as well as clinical rotations in primary care fields, surgery, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) with a master's degree in nursing and clinical training in a health care specialty area. The services a NP can provide vary depending on each state's regulations. In general, NPs can do the following:
Nurse practitioners can work in primary care (pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics/gynecology, and internal medicine) or specialty areas of medicine, such as emergency medicine, oncology, and psychiatry.
Education for NPs
The path to becoming a NP usually begins with nursing school, followed by licensure as an RN. After a few years of work experience, an RN can apply to a master's degree program in nursing (generally 1-2 years of school and a supervised internship). Most NPs are nationally certified in their specialty area.
While PAs and NPs can perform many of a doctor's functions, an essential part of their training is knowing when to defer to a physician. Exactly what a NP or PA can handle and what they pass onto the physician varies greatly with training, experience, state law, and the supervising physician's practice. Generally, a physician handles patients with complicated medical issues or problems outside of the PA's or NP's scope of knowledge.
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
http://www.aanp.org/
American Academy of Physician Assistants
http://www.aapa.org/
American Osteopathic Association
http://www.aoa-net.org/
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
http://www.napnap.org/
Last reviewed May 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2007 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.