A health care Provider is someone who helps to identify, treat, and prevent illness. At Kids Plus, we employ four different kinds of Providers: Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and two types of Physicians (M.D.s and D.O.s).

Physician Assistants complete, after college graduation, a formal secondary training program accredited through the Accreditation Education Commission for the Education of Physician Assistants. If done full-time, this training program can be completed in 2 years. Training ncludes classroom work and rotations in various medical specialties, including Pediatrics.

PAs must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam before they’re eligible to practice, and are required to re-certify by exam every 10 years. PAs practice under the guidance of a Physician. They do many of the same things a Physician does — including take histories, examine, treat, and prescribe medications.

Nurse Practitioners complete a Bachelors degree in nursing, then complete a Masters Degree as well. Because individual states have different licensing requirements, a nurse who earns a state license and has completed the required training courses is eligible to apply for national certification through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

After completing education and certification, Nurse Practitioners can take histories, examine and treat, prescribe medications, and follow patients long-term.

DOs are Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. Similar to MDs, DOs attend an Osteopathic Medical School for 4 years after completing their pre-medical courses in college. After that, they participate in a 1-year internship to learn more about the core specialties. Once they’ve completed their internship, DOs enter into the residency of their choice. DOs are required to renew their license every 7-10 years.

MDs, otherwise known as Medical Doctors, complete their pre-medical requirements in college, then go on to attend medical school for 4 years. Following med school, they serve a residency before going into practice. MDs are also required to renew their licenses every 7-10 years.