Physician Assistant

Work Areas

PAs work in most areas of medicine, including: • Primary care • Pediatrics • Emergency medicine • Psychiatry

Tasks and Skills

practice medicine under the direction of physicians and surgeons. They are trained to perform a number of medical functions including: • Perform a physical exam to check patient's health • Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x-rays or blood tests • Diagnose a patient's injury or illness • Provide treatments, including immunizations • Prescribe medicine when needed • Document a patient's progress In some rural and urban areas, physician assistants will provide the majority of health care; the supervising physician will attend 1-2 days per week. As with all medical professions, physician assistants must be good at both listening to patients and explaining health concepts in simple terms. Many PAs are drawn to the field of healthcare by their desire to help others.

Physician Assistant (PA's)

medical professionals that work in a number of healthcare settings, including hospitals, community health centers, physician's offices, and college health centers.

Salary

In 2010, half of all physician assistants earned $86,410. Employment of physician assistants is expected to grow 30 percent between 2010 and 2020.

Education

Physician assistants typically need a master's degree. Most applicants to master's programs already have a bachelor's degree and some work experience. PA programs usually take at least 2 years of full-time study. All states require physician assistants to be licensed. To become licensed, they must pass a national exam. However, physician assistant's specific duties and the extent to which he or she must be supervised by physicians and surgeons differ from state to state. Every 6 years, they must pass a recertification exam or complete an alternative program combining learning experience and a take-home exam to keep their license.