A New Kind of Care:
Shaping the Role of a Physician Assistant in Rural Health Care – Physician Assistant Day with Heidi Wilson
Heidi Wilson ruled out veterinary school, athletic therapy, and eventually medical school on her journey toward becoming a physician assistant (PA) more than a decade ago.
“I wanted to do more,” she explained when asked about her choice. “There’s so much you can do with this job. It’s an intense two years to become a PA but a huge advantage is having the ability to cover and apply for different specialties.”
Today, Wilson spends most mornings in the operating room at Portage District General Hospital where she works in both general surgery and ENT (ear, nose and throat) procedures.
“I was the first PA in Southern Health. None of the physicians here had ever worked with PAs. We all had to learn together,” she said, explaining that her afternoons vary depending on her case assignments, which come from the site’s general and ENT surgeons.
“I love surgery and doing procedures, that’s my forte. I could do that all day long,” she said. “I truly love being able to help people – there’s nothing better.”
As a rural PA, Wilson has had the opportunity to expand her role across the two specialties, (ENT and general surgery), giving her more variety in her skills and her average day.
PAs are able to learn on the job, Wilson explained, selecting and applying to a specialty that interests them. They then hone their skills in the clinical environment, under the guidance of a supervising physician.
“You are kind of like a ‘permanent resident’,” she added. “As a graduate, you have a baseline of skills but as soon as you go into a specialty – the work is hands on, alongside a physician and the rest of the team. There is a lot of learning on the job.” The training received by PAs through the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree offered through the University of Manitoba, that offers graduates stability, flexibility and endless opportunities grow their career.