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Chapter 13
Physician Assistant
PA Work Description
• A Physician assistant (PA) is formally trained to provide routine
diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services under
the direction and supervision of a physician.
• They take medical histories, examine patients, order and interpret
laboratory tests and X-rays, and make preliminary diagnoses.
• They treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting.
• PAs can prescribe many prescription medications in all 50 states
(and the District of Columbia)
• PAs can work in family practice or specialties (including surgery)
• https://www.aapa.org
Work Environment
• Although PAs generally work in a comfortable, welllighted environment, they often must stand for long
periods and do considerable walking.
• Some emergency room PAs work 24-hour shifts twice
weekly, and others work three 12-hour shifts each
week.
• The workweek of PAs who work in physicians’ offices
may include weekends, night hours, or early morning
hospital rounds to visit patients.
• PAs in clinics usually work a 5-day, 40-hour week.
Employment Opportunities
• Physician assistants held about 74,800 jobs in
2008. About 15% of actively practicing PAs work
in more than one clinical job concurrently.
• More than 53% of jobs for PAs were in physician
offices
• About 24% were in public or private hospitals.
• The rest: outpatient care centers, HMOs, the
federal government, and public or private
colleges, universities, and professional schools.
• Very few PAs were self-employed.
Educational and Legal Requirements
• Physician assistant programs usually last at
least 2 years
• Admission requirements vary by program, but
most require at least 2 years of college before
you can apply and healthcare experience.
• All states require that PAs complete an
accredited, formal education program and pass
a national exam to obtain a license.
Education and Training
• Physician assistant education 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 4year colleges; a few are in community
colleges, the military, or hospitals.
• Many accredited PA programs have clinical
teaching affiliations with medical schools.
Licensure
• All states and the District of Columbia have
legislation governing the qualifications or practice
for Pas
• PAs must 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 PA education programs.
• To remain certified, PAs must complete 100
hours of continuing medical education every 2
years.
Other Qualifications
• Physician assistants must have a desire to
serve patients and be self-motivated.
• PAs also must have a good bedside manner,
emotional stability, and the ability to make
decisions in emergencies.
• Physician assistants must be willing to study
throughout their career to keep up with
medical advances.
Advancement
• Some PAs pursue additional education in a
specialty such as surgery, neonatology, or
emergency medicine.
• PA postgraduate educational programs are
available in areas such as internal medicine,
rural primary care, emergency medicine,
surgery, pediatrics, neonatology, and
occupational medicine.
Employment Trends
• Employment of physician assistants is
expected to grow 39% from 2008 to 2018,
much faster than the average for all
occupations.
• Job opportunities for PAs should be good,
particularly in rural and inner-city clinics, as
these settings typically have difficulty
attracting physicians.
Earnings
Median annual earnings of wage-and-salary physician
assistants were $81,230 in May 2008.
– update 2014: about $97,000 per year
• The middle 50% earned between $68,210 and $97,070.
• The lowest 10% earned less than $51,360 (update
2014: $64,100)
• The highest 10% earned more than $110,350 (update
2014: $134,720)
• Income varies by geographic location and specialty
Related Occupations
• Other healthcare workers who provide direct
patient care that requires a similar level of skill
and training include audiologists, occupational
therapists, physical therapists, registered
nurses, and speech-language pathologists.