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Important Career Information
Physician Assistant programs usually lasts at least 2 years; admission requirements vary by program, but many require at least 2 years of college and some health care experience.
All States require a physician assistant to complete accredited education programs and to pass a national exam in order to obtain a license.
Physician assistant careers rank among the fastest growing careers, as physicians and health care institutions increasingly utilize a physician assistant in order to contain costs.
Job opportunities for a physician assistant should be good, particularly in rural and inner city clinics.
How Much Do Physician Assistants Make?
The median annual pay of physician assistants was $81,230 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent of physician assistants were paid between $68,210 and $97,070. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $51,360, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $110,240. Median annual pay in the industries employing the largest numbers of physician assistants in May 2008 were:
General medical and surgical hospitals $84,550
Outpatient care centers 84,390
Offices of physicians 80,440
Federal government 78,200
Colleges, universities, and professional schools 74,200
According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants' 2008 Census Report, median income for physician assistants in full-time clinical practice was $85,710 in 2008; median income for first-year graduates was $74,470. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience. Employers often pay for their employees' professional liability insurance, registration fees with the Drug Enforcement Administration, State licensing fees, and credentialing fees.
What does a Physician Assistant do? Physician Assistant Jobs, Job Description, and Responsibilities
A physician assistant (PA) practices medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. A physician assistant should not be confused with a medical assistant, who performs routine clinical and clerical tasks. A physician assistant is formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members of the health care team, a physician assistant takes medical histories, examines and treats patients, orders and interprets laboratory tests and x rays, and makes diagnoses. A physician assistant also treats minor injuries, by suturing, splinting, and casting. A physician assistant records progress notes, instructs and counsels patients, and orders or carries out therapy. In 48 states and the District of Columbia, a physician assistant may prescribe medications. A hysician assistant also may have managerial duties. Some order medical supplies or equipment and supervise technicians and assistants.
Physician assistants work under the supervision of a physician. However, a physician assistant may be the principal care providers in rural or inner city clinics, where a physician is present for only 1 or 2 days each week. In such cases, the a physician assistant confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as needed and as required by law. A physician assistant also may make house calls or go to hospitals and nursing care facilities to check on patients, after which they report back to the physician.
The duties of a physician assistant are determined by the supervising physician and by state law. An aspiring physician assistant should investigate the laws and regulations in the States in which they wish to practice.
Many physician assistants work in primary care specialties, such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Other specialty areas include general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. A physician assistant specializing in surgery provides preoperative and postoperative care and may work as a first or second assistant during major surgery.
Job Working Conditions for Physician Assistants
Although a physician assistant usually works in a comfortable, well-lighted environment, assistants in surgery often stand for long periods, and others do considerable walking. Schedules vary according to the practice setting, and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The work week of a hospital-based physician assistant may include weekends, nights, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. These physician assistants also may be on call. A physician assistant in clinics usually works a 40-hour week.
Physician Assistant Training, College Programs, and Advancement
All states require that a physician assistant complete accredited, formal education programs and pass a National exam to obtain a license. Physician assistant programs usually last at least 2 years and are full time. Most programs are in schools of allied health, academic health centers, medical schools, or 4-year colleges. Many accredited physician assistant programs have clinical teaching affiliations with medical schools.
Admission requirements vary, but many physician assistant programs require 2 years of college and some work experience in the health care field. Students should take courses in biology, English, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, and the social sciences. Many physician assistants have prior experience as registered nurses, while others come from varied backgrounds, including military corpsman/medics and allied health careers such as
respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
All states and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the qualifications or practice of a physician assistant. All jurisdictions require a physician assistant to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and open only to graduates of accredited physician assistant education programs. Only those successfully completing the examination may use the credential "Physician Assistant-Certified." In order to remain certified, a physician assistant must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every 2 years. Every 6 years, they must pass a recertification examination or complete alternative programs combining learning experiences and a take-home examination.
Some physician assistants pursue additional education in a specialty such as surgery, neonatology, or emergency medicine. A physician assistant postgraduate educational program is available in areas such as internal medicine, rural primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, neonatology, and occupational medicine. Candidates must be graduates of accredited programs and be certified by the NCCPA.
A physician assistant needs leadership skills, self-confidence, and emotional stability. They must be willing to continue studying throughout their career to keep up with medical advances.
As they attain greater clinical knowledge and experience, a physician assistant can advance to added responsibilities and higher salary and pay. However, by the very nature of the profession, a clinically-practicing physician assistant always are supervised by physicians.
Where are the Jobs? Physician Assistant Jobs
Physician assistants held about 62,000 jobs in 2004. The number of jobs is greater than the number of practicing physician assistants because some hold two or more jobs. For example, some physician assistants work with a supervising physician, but also work in another practice, clinic, or hospital. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, about 15 percent of actively practicing physician assistants worked in more than one clinical job concurrently in 2004.
More than half of jobs for physician assistants were in the offices of physicians. About a quarter were in hospitals, public or private. The rest were mostly in outpatient care centers, including health maintenance organizations; the Federal Government; and public or private colleges, universities, and professional schools. A few were self-employed.
Job Outlook and Job Opportunities for Physician Assistants
Besides the traditional office-based setting, A physician assistant should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings such as hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics, and prisons. Additional physician assistants may be needed to augment medical staffing in inpatient teaching hospital settings as the number of hours physician residents are permitted to work is reduced, encouraging hospitals to use a physician assistant to supply some physician resident services. Opportunities will be best in States that allow a physician assistants a wider scope of practice.
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According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the median income for a physician assistant in full-time clinical practice was $80,356 in 2006; median income for first-year graduates was $69,517. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience. Employers often pay for the physician assistant liability insurance, registration fees with the Drug Enforcement Administration, state licensing fees, and credentialing fees.
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Employment of physician assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for all careers through the year 2014, ranking among the fastest growing careers, due to anticipated expansion of the health care industry and an emphasis on cost containment, resulting in increasing utilization of physician assistants by physicians and health care institutions.
Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more physician assistants to provide primary care and to assist with medical and surgical procedures because physician assistants are cost-effective and productive members of the health care team. A physician assistant can relieve physicians of routine duties and procedures. Telemedicine—using technology to facilitate interactive consultations between physicians and physician assistants—also will expand the use of physician assistants. Job opportunities for a physician assistant should be good, particularly in rural and inner city clinics, because those settings have difficulty attracting physicians.
According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the median income for a physician assistant in full-time clinical practice was $80,356 in 2006; median income for first-year graduates was $69,517. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience. Employers often pay for the physician assistant liability insurance, registration fees with the Drug Enforcement Administration, state licensing fees, and credentialing fees.
