Physician Assistant
Spotlights
Job Description
Physician Assistants provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. They conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients.
Rewarding Aspects of Career
- Helping people get better and be healthy
- Good pay
- In high demand
- Good work / life balance
$108,610
The Inside Scoop
Job Responsibilities
- Take or review patients’ medical histories
- Examine patients
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x rays or blood tests
- Diagnose a patient’s injury or illness
- Give treatment, such as setting broken bones and immunizing patients
- Educate and counsel patients and their families—for example, answering questions about how to care for a child with asthma
- Prescribe medicine
- Assess and record a patient’s progress
- Research the latest treatments to ensure the quality of patient care
- Conduct or participate in outreach programs, talking to groups about managing diseases and promoting wellness
Physician assistants work on teams with physicians or surgeons and other healthcare workers. Their specific duties and the extent to which they must be supervised by physicians or surgeons differ from state to state.
In some areas, especially rural and medically underserved communities, physician assistants may be the primary care providers at clinics where a physician is present only 1 or 2 days per week. In these locations, physician assistants collaborate with the physician as needed and as required by law.
Click here to read a Day in the Life of a Neurohospitalist PA
Different specialties
Like physicians, physician assistants can specialize in medical specialties:
- Pathology
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Surgical Subspecialties
- General Surgery
- Adolescent Medicine
- Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Obstectrics
- Anethesiology
- Family Medicine
- Hospice / Palliative
- Preventative
- Psychiatry
- Urology
- Pain Management
- Internal Medicine
- Occupational Medicine
- Physical Medicine
- Radiology
Skills Needed
- Patient and care team communications: Communicate clearly and compassionately with patients and their colleagues within often stressful settings.
- Analytical skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Technical skills
- Detail-oriented
- Strong math and science background
- Life-long learner
- Strong work ethic
Different places of employment
- Offices of physicians
- Hospitals
- Outpatient care centers
- Educational services; state, local, and private
Expectations and Sacrifices
Work on your feet for extended periods of the day
What kind of things did people in this career enjoy doing when they were younger…
- Loved to help people
- Liked talking with people from a wide range of backgrounds
- Was interested in health and wellness topics
- Liked math and science classes
Education and Training Needed
- Education
- 2 to 4 years of undergraduate coursework with a focus in science
- Need patient care experience for admission or to be competitive in entering the programs.
- Accredited Master’s Degree in a Physician assistant education programs (~2 years)
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) in 2017 - Click here for accredited programs
- Classroom and laboratory instruction in pathology, human anatomy, physiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, and medical ethics.
- Training
- Clinical rotation in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and pediatrics. Under supervision of a physician.
- License
- Pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). A physician assistant who passes the exam may use the credential “Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C).”
- Must complete 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years. The recertification exam is required every 10 years.
- State licensure laws require physician assistants to hold an agreement with a supervising physician.
Typical Roadmap
How to land your 1st job
Many times clinical rotations lead to permanent employment.
Recommended Resources
Websites that give you tips on applying to PA School and Applying for Jobs
- https://beaphysicianassistant.com/blog
- https://www.thepalife.com/
- https://www.thepaplatform.com/
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Source: Interview, Bureau of Labor Statistics
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