Physician Assistant (PA) Jobs

Physician Assistant is a rapidly growing career choice for those pursuing medical professions, with an estimated growth of 38 percent between 2012 and 2022. PAs see patients under the direction or supervision of a doctor and his or her team. Physician’s assistants can be found in a variety of medical facilities, ranging from OBGYN offices to emergency rooms, and everything in between.

States with the highest employment level of Physician Assistants are New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. The median annual wage for a physician assistant is $90,930, with hospitals, outpatient care centers, offices of health practitioners, educational services, and government being the top industries for a physician assistant.

Often, physician assistants are the primary care providers in rural areas. Some physician assistants also make house calls and provide care in nursing homes, before reporting back to the primary care physician. P.A.s are on their feet the majority of the day, making rounds and evaluating patients.

All states also require a physician assistant to be licensed. To become licensed, one must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. To keep a certification, P.A.s must complete 100 hours of continuing education every two years.

Physician assistants practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons and are formally educated to examine patients, make diagnoses, and provide treatment. Typical duties of a physician assistant include reviewing patients’ medical histories, conduct physical health exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, educating and counseling patients, recording patient’s progress, assisting in surgery, writing prescriptions, and diagnosing patients.

To become a physician assistant, one must obtain a master’s degree from an accredited educational program, after earning a bachelor’s degree and having some healthcare-related work experience. Usually, these degrees have a focus in science, and many applicants have prior experience as a registered nurse or paramedic.

Some ideas for healthcare industry experienced include a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, paramedic, Peace Corps volunteer, lab assistant, registered nurse, emergency room technician, surgical tech, or a certified nursing assistant.