Physician Assistant Careers Information
As the healthcare system continues to evolve to try and find more effective ways to serve patients, new professions have emerged to fill new patient needs. One of the most striking of these new developments is the emergence of a class of highly-trained physician assistants.
Physician assistants often act as stand-alone care providers in their own right, and perform many duties traditionally reserved for doctors. Although responsibilities vary depending on the state and the particular facility, physician assistants–either on their own or under the supervision of a licensed doctor–engage in a whole host of health care activities.
Physician assistants are especially important in primary care. On a given day, a physician assistant might write out prescriptions, set broken limbs, and even diagnose illnesses.
Because the educational pathway is less steep than for fully-licensed physicians, a career in physician assisting can be a quicker-to-market solution for job seekers looking for in-depth clinical involvement, especially for those already holding Bachelor’s degrees.
Physician Assistant Careers Path
Physician’s Assistant’s usually complete Bachelor’s programs in disciplines related to healthcare, especially in the biological sciences. However, some programs will admit students with two years of college coursework, and grant a Bachelor’s degree as part of the training.
Far more common, however, is for program graduates to enter with a Bachelor’s degree and graduate with a Master’s degree. Either way, physician assistant programs are intensive, two-year programs which focus on the medical, scientific, and clinical skills needed to become a primary healthcare provider. This means training in areas as diverse as ethics, surgery, and pharmaceuticals.
Following completion of an accredited program, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, after which they are considered licensed and ready to practice.
Physician Assistant Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Patient, intelligent, perceptive, practical, caring, committed, alert, focused, compassionate, authoritative, steadfast.
Physician Assistant Careers: Salary Expectations
Although not necessarily as strong as the salaries received by MDs, physician assistants make very good money, especially considering the amount saved in education costs over fully licensed doctors. The median starting salary for Physician’s Assistants is $69,509 a year.
Physician assistants with 1-4 years of experience make $72,047, whereas those with 5-9 years of experience make a median salary of $79, 860. According to the Department of Labor, the median salary for all physician assistants is $81,230.
Physician Assistant Careers: Job Outlook
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve and try to develop new ways of reaching and treating more patients in a cost-effective manner, physician assistants should play increasingly larger roles in front-line care. As such, physician assisting should see fantastic job growth over the next several years, with employment expected to grow by 24% by 2016.
Physician Assistant Associations and Resources
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
Slightly Off the Footpath
Source: Payscale.com/research/US/Job=Physician_Assistant_(PA)/Salary
