Differences Between Working with a PA and MD/DO in the ED

By Rowena Feng

Below we highlight the 4 main differences between working with a PA and MD/DO in the ED.

Differences Between:

PA

MD/OD

Patient Demographic

The type of patients you’ll see vary from age, medical history, and acuity.

Differences between PA and MD/DO is patient demographic
  • children
  • adults with no medical history
  • lower acuity
Differences between PA and MD/DO is patient demographic
  • mainly adults
  • patients with extensive medical histories
  • mid to high acuity

Reason for ED Visit

Physician Assistants and Doctors will see patient with a wide-range of medical complaints. PA’s tend to see patients with lower acuity medical complaints that can be treated directly in the ED. Doctors tend to see patients that require more intensive care, including further labs/imaging, possible admission, and immediate medical interventions.

Differences between PA and MD/DO is reason for ED Visit
  • viral URI/flu/cold symptoms
  • minor fall/injuries
  • non-life threatening complaints
Differences between PA and MD/DO is reason for ED Visit
  • cardiac related complaints
  • psychiatric/in-custody patients
  • life-threatening emergencies

Procedures

As a scribe, you’ll be able to see providers do a variety of different procedures in the ED.

Differences between PA and MD/DO is reason for procedures
  • laceration repair
  • incision and drainage
  • splinting
  • would/burn care
Differences between PA and MD/DO is reason for procedures
  • CPR
  • intubation
  • central line placement
  • lumbar puncture
  • paracentesis

Charting

One of the key differences is charting. PA patient charts are usually shorter, whereas charts for patients seen by a doctor are typically more extensive.

Differences between PA and MD/DO is the charting
  • shorter charts
  • higher patient volume = more charts per shift
  • typically include procedure notes
Differences between PA and MD/DO is the charting
  • extensive charts
  • usually include calls/consults
  • often have critical care time, procedures, and observation time

 About the Author

Rowena graduated from Loyola Marymount University, majoring in Health and Human Sciences, in 2019. Since graduating, she has been working as an emergency department medical scribe and is getting ready to apply to medical school this summer.

As a scribe in the ED, you get the opportunity to work with a variety of different providers, ranging from physician assistants to doctors. Ever wondered about the different patients seen by different providers? Take a look below:      

Contents




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