Barrington is a wonderful friend and an excellent practitioner. He is very unique in that he decided to go back to school to become a Physician of Osteopathic Medicine after he was a successful practicing Physician Assistant in surgery. It is amazing how hard he works in every aspect of his life. I knew from working with him how hard and dedicated he was, but after hearing his stories, I have even more respect for him. Thanks for your time, Barrington!

Physician Assistant Stats:*
Physician Assistants practice medicine on teams with physicians and other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients autonomously and as part of a team in all various specialties of medicine. 

2017 Median Pay: $104,860 per year ($50.41 per hour)

Educational Degree: Masters Degree

Number of US jobs in 2016:106,200

10 Year Job Outlook: 37% growth, much faster then avg.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physician Assistants, (visited August 5, 2018).

Physician and Surgeon Stats:**
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancers; and deformities, such as cleft palates. They work in all fields of medicine.

2017 Median Pay: Greater then $208,000 per year ($100 per hour) ***

Educational Degree: Doctoral Degree

Number of US jobs in 2016: 713,800

10 Year Job Outlook: 13% growth, faster then avg.

**Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physicians and Surgeons,
on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm (visited August 26, 2018).

***Other publications list Orthopedic and Cardiac Surgeons as making around $500k/yr

Terms Covered in Episode

Cradle to Grave – Caring for patients from Neonatal to Geriatric population.

OB/GYN (Obstetrics/Gynecology) – Medical field that deals with pregnancy, labor, post partum care, and women's health specialties.

MA (Medical Assistant) – A health professional that works along side a medical team in an inpatient or outpatient setting.

EKG (Electrocardiogram) – Graph representing the electrical conduction of the heart to determine cardiac disease or injury.

Phlebotomy – Drawing blood from patients in an outpatient or inpatient setting.

CASPA

LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine)

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) - Standardized examination for prospective medical students

Academic Index – Tool used by some colleges to summarize the academic performance of students

AACOM (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine)

Manipulation – Applying pressure to a person's spine or other parts of their body to adjust and correct alignment to reduce pain and improve function

Cervical Strain – Strain of the neck

Muscle Relaxer – Prescription medications used to relax muscles during acute phase of healing

NSAIDS (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) – Motrin/Advil (Ibuprofen), Aspirin, Aleve (Naproxen) used to treat acute and chronic pain and inflammation injury and disease related

Muscle Spindles – Stretch receptors within the body of a muscle that primarily detects length of the muscle. It has both sensory and motor components.

Appendicitis – Infection and inflammation of the appendix requiring surgical intervention

Visceral vs Somatic Pain – Visceral neurons transmit information from the organs and somatic pain comes from the skin or skeletal muscles

Dermatome – Area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve

Cholecystectomy – Surgical removal of the gallbladder

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) – Chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes shortness of breath among other pulmonary symptoms further divided into Chronic Bronchitis or Emphysema

Pre/Post Op – The phase just prior to or after surgery for a patient

Atelectasis – Complete or partial collapse of lung space, occurs when tiny air sacs called Alveoli become deflated

Lymphatic System – Network of vessels in which lymph drains from tissues into the blood

Lymphedema – Swelling in an extremity caused by lymphatic system blockage

Tension Headache – Headache triggered by physical and/or emotional stress

Fascia – Thin sheath of fibrous tissue over a muscle or organ

Myofascial Release – Therapy used to treat pain and immobility by relaxing contracted muscles

Muscle Energy – Therapy using gentle muscle contractions to relax and lengthen muscles to reduce pain and improve function

Primary Care – Day to day healthcare given by a provider including health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, and patient education

HVLA (High-Velocity Low-Amplitude) – Chiropractic thrust used to adjust patients

Sacrum – Triangular bone in the lower back inferior to the lumbar spine between the hip bones of the pelvis.

Each and every episode of Maybe Medical is for educational purposes only, not to be taken as medical advice.  The opinions of those involved are of their own and not representative of their employer.