The important job of Physician Assistants

By: Ananya Meenakshi

Physician Assistants are licensed clinicians who practice underneath the supervision of a physician in order to provide healthcare. Their job includes tasks of gathering information about their patients' health and conducting physical tests. More of their responsibilities are taking patient histories, performing physical examinations, ordering laboratory tests, prescribing medication, and creating patient treatment plans. Physical assistants are able to work in various medical fields such as primary care, emergency medicine, health administration, and research. As important members of healthcare teams means they must collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to foster an environment of coordinated treatment. 

This job offers a steady and financially stable wage as it promises a base salary of 72 dollars to 115 dollars per hour. To become a Physical Assistant you must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited PA program, since most programs require applicants to have an undergraduate degree.

The prerequisite courses are anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, English composition/writing, genetics, medical terminology, general psychology, and statistics. These programs also require a level of healthcare experience which can be received as a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, paramedic, medic, lab assistant, registered nurse, emergency room technician, surgical tech, or certified nursing assistant.

The overall projected job growth rate for employment as a physician assistant is predicted to grow by 28% from 2023 to 2033. Currently, there are 12,900 openings for physician assistants each year over the decade. As the need for physician assistants remains, the necessity to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or retire will keep increasing. Their median annual salary was 130,020 dollars in May 2023. People tend to confuse the role of a PA with the role of a nurse practitioner and though they serve a similar role, their training and specialization vary greatly. Physician Assistants are well versed in medicine, medically literate through their studies of disease-centered curriculum similar to a medical student, and able to specialize in various areas once receiving their degree.

However, nursing practitioners choose a primary speciality before starting their graduate program. When specializing in a specific area, advanced training is necessary since PAs will be needed to complete a fellowship or residency to legally practice. In conclusion, Physician Assistants are extremely important in the healthcare system due to their versatility,medical training, and ability to provide proper care. With their promising job outlook and growing demand, their role will continue to grow in future years. 

Sources CitedMayo Clinic. “Physician Assistant.” Mayo.edu, 2023, college.mayo.edu/academics/explore-health-care-careers/careers-a-z/physician-assistant/.

AAPA. “Become a PA: Getting Your Prerequisites and Certification - AAPA.” AAPA, AAPA, 2016, www.aapa.org/career-central/become-a-pa/.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Physician Assistants: Occupational Outlook Handbook.” Bls.gov, 13 Apr. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm.