Physician Assistant (PA)

Physician Assistant (PA)

Specializations

Surgeon Assistant – assists surgeons in the operating room.
Anesthesiology Assistant – assists the anesthesiologist with duties.
Neonatology – assists neonatologists (specialists in diseases and care of newborns).
Emergency Medicine – assists emergency room physicians.
Family Practice
Internal Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Pediatric Medicine

Work Activities/Work Locations

Physician Assistants work in primary, specialty, and long-term care, providing patient services under the supervision of a licensed physician.
They handle common problems and educate patients, allowing doctors to concentrate on the more difficult cases. They can treat cuts and burns, apply and remove casts, give injections, and take blood samples. They perform minor office surgery and give emergency care, as well as assisting doctors in major surgeries.
Their scope of practice include performing routine examination, diagnostic tests, rehabilitative and preventive healthcare, health screenings management or therapy for chronic health problems, minor surgical procedures, assisting with surgery and issuing prescription orders and medications.
They support and consult with physicians regularly.
Laws and regulations vary for practices of physician assistants.
PA’s work in a variety of settings including physician’s private offices, hospitals, clinics, public health clinics, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Physician Assistants enjoy working in the field of medicine. Their responsibilities can be emotionally and physically demanding but also challenging and rewarding.
They always have physicians to consult with, which removes some of the stress of working in the medical field.
They also have more flexible hours than physicians do.
Some would like to work independently instead of always for a doctor.

Education: 6 years

Patient Interaction: High

Physical Activity: High

Salary: $91,993

Job Growth: High

Related Careers

Podiatrist

Physician Assistant (PA)

Physician

Getting Started

High School Courses

Students should take a college preparatory curriculum.
UW-Madison requires algebra, plane geometry, college preparatory math, and 2 years of single foreign language.

Education and Training

Most PA’s hold a bachelor’s degree and then complete an accredited formal physician assistant program (2-3 years). Currently (2015) there are about 156 accredited training programs in the nation. Physician Assistant Education Association
Students take classroom courses in anatomy & physiology, clinical medicine, biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology, pharmacology, geriatric and home health care, disease prevention, and medical ethics.
Clinic training rotations are also included in a variety of specialty areas such as family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, prenatal care, gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics.
Some PA’s pursue additional education in specialty areas such surgery, neonatology, emergency medicine, etc…
PA postgraduate Residency training programs are available in areas such as internal medicine, rural primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, neonatology, and occupational medicine.
Most programs now award a Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA)/ (MS PAS) thru graduate school.

Educational Institutions

Carroll University
Concordia University
Marquette University
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
University of Wisconsin – Madison

Collaborative Physician Assistant Program

UW Department of Family Medicine

Pre-Professional Programs

Hospitals with Associated Educational Programs

Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee
Gundersen Lutheran, La Crosse
Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield
Mayo School of Health Sciences, Eau Claire
Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Milwaukee

Method of Entry

All states and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the qualifications or practice of physician assistants. All jurisdictions require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physical Assistants (NCCPA) and open only to graduates of an accredited PA education program.
Admission into an accredited PA program requires a multi-step application process. This could include a resumé, personal statements, and letters of recommendation. Some require taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Although minimum admission prerequisites states one must complete at least 2 years of college, most PA programs require a bachelor’s degree.
Prerequisites courses vary with schools. Generally, 6 semester hours in biology, 8 hours in chemistry, 4 hours in anatomy & physiology all with laboratory components. Also 6 hours of English with 3 hours in composition and 6 hours of psychology/sociology, or behavioral science. Courses in statistics, physics, and/or organic chemistry are highly recommended.
Some schools require clinical experience prior to admission.
A few universities still offer a bachelor’s degree in this field, using the two year minimum prerequisite. (UW-Madison…they are phasing this out)
The majority of people admitted to PA programs have an undergraduate degree in pre-medicine studies or one in the life sciences.
After completing the PA educational program and passing a national certification exam, the graduate may use the title “Physician Assistant Certified” or PA-C.
To remain certified, PA’s must have 100 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) every 2 years and pass a recertification exam every 6 years.

Professional Organizations

American Academy of Physician Assistants
2318 Mill Rd., Suite 1300
Alexandria, VA, 22314-1552
703/836-2272
www.aapa.org

Association of Family Practice Physician Assistants
77 Wollcott Ave.
Dartmouth, MA, 02747
774/206-6774
www.afppa.org

Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery
500 Cummings Center Suite 4550
Beverly, MA, 01915
978/927-8330
www.apacvs.org

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
12000 Findley Rd., Suite 100
Johns Creek, GA, 30097-1409
678/417-8100
www.nccpa.net

Physician Assistant Education Association
655 K Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC, 20001-2385
703/548-5538
www.paeaonline.org/

Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants
8400 Westpark Dr. 2nd Floor
McLean, VA, 22102
844/337-6727
www.dermpa.org

Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants
563 Carter Court, Suite B
Kimberly, WI, 54136
800/762-8965 or 920/560-5630
www.wapa.org

Career Outlook

Number Employed in 2012 (Wisconsin): 1,590
Number Employed in 2014 (U.S.): 94,400
Expected Employment in 2024 (U.S.): 123,200
Percent Employment Growth (2014-2024): 30%
Expected Annual Openings: 5,000
Median Salary in 2014 (Wisconsin): $91,993

Salary information is located at Career One Stop

Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center provides the most current salary information available from CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop will have a lapse between when the information is gathered and when it is released.

Physician Assistants usually work 40 hours a week.
They can work weekdays, shifts, and/or holidays.

Experienced physician assistants earn more money and receive more responsibilities. With experience, they may work with patients who have more serious problems.
Some physician assistants go to medical school after working in the field for several years.