Specifically, what is the difference between a physician assistant and a medical assistant?

Whats the difference between a medical assistant and a physician assistant? or are they the same thing?

• i was wondering what the difference is between a medical and physician assistants? from their schooling, to how much they make, and what they both do on the job. or are they the exact ...show more

• Answer:

  Medical assistants do just that: they are a relatively short training program (often un certified and they are un-licensed) that assist the doc. They do front office as well as back office. They file, make appointments, take vital signs, put patients in the room, assist with procedures, take blood, give medications, etc--they follow the doc's orders in his office. The pay is around 10-15 $ per hour. Physician assistants: they have a MASTER's degree after a bachelors and health care experience (typically). They see patients, make diagnoses, order & interpret lab tests, radiology tests, etc, order medications, write Rxs, give medications, do procedures such as chest tubes, lacerations, intubations, fracture reductions, reduce dislocations, CPR, wound care, minor surgery, first assist in the OR, pre & post op care, admit to hospitals, essentially function as the health care provider. They function anywhere and in any specialty that there is a MD specialty. They have a wide range of responsibilites. They're average yearly salary is about $85,000.