Digital and Print Resources for Student and Practicing Physician Assistants
- Physician Assistant Life
- Maxwell Quick Medical Reference
- Membership in the American Academy of Physician’s Assistants
- The American Family Physician
- Up to Date
In an age of digital information and interface, it is not surprising that the best resources for physician assistants (PAs) are available as applications for mobile devices. This seems to be the case for students as well as for practicing PAs. Some of the tools are educational and some are for reference, and all but one of them are available on Android or iPhone devices. Here are five great resources for physician assistants.
1. Physician Assistant Life
This is a website that offers helpful tools to students to help them in their degree programs and in passing their board exams. The PANCE Academy is a source of practice tests and thousands of board questions to study. The practice exams are learning tools that link to photos, videos, and other informative sites that expand on the subjects covered. There are virtual flashcards to help students study and even pages that help students prepare resumes and practice for interviews.
2. American Academy of Physician Assistants Membership
The American Academy of Physician’s Assistants is the national professional association for PAs which maintains a website and a journal. The journal examines current professional and medical issues, has online forums and job boards, and sponsors conferences and other events. The “Huddle” is a page on the website that is a source for networking and a platform for asking questions of other professionals in the field. It also features the opportunity to be matched with a mentor.
3. Maxwell Quick Medical Reference
This is the lone print resource listed here, and it is included with an American Academy of Physician’s Assistants membership but is worth mentioning as a stand-alone tool. It is a pocket-sized reference that has color-coded topic pages and is spiral bound for easy access. It allows physician assistants to check on facts and issues that they often need during patient treatments.
4. The American Family Physician
This is another website that contains a plethora of tools for practicing PAs. The journal (offered online or in print) contains educational articles and exams that enable professionals to earn four-to-six hours of continuing education credit in each issue and about 50 credits per year. There are editorials, quizzes, and a library of educational videos as well as a video blog and a podcast.
5. UpToDate
UpToDate features the most current and thorough guidelines on issues such as medications for older adults and information about pharmaceuticals including trials. It offers information about more than 11,600 topics in 25 specialties and can be used at the point of treatment to access accurate and the most current information.
There are many other tools available, but these are representative of what is available for both students and practitioners. The ability to access these great resources for physician assistants quickly through mobile devices is an asset for them and for the patients they treat.
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