By Rowena Feng
Below we highlight the 4 main differences between working with a PA and MD/DO in the ED.
The type of patients you’ll see vary from age, medical history, and acuity.
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.
As a scribe, you’ll be able to see providers do a variety of different procedures in the ED.
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.
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:
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