Physician Assistant
Frank Isovski Period 10
Career Description,Working Schedule, Working Location
Physician assistants, also known as PAs, practice medicine and they follow the direction of physicians and surgeons. They are trained to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and provide treatment. Most Physicians work in physician offices and hospitals. Most physician assistants work full time. About 13 percent reported working 50 hour or more per work. In hospitals, physician assistants way work nights, weekends, or holidays. They may also be on call, meaning they must be ready to respond to a work request with little notice
Job Responsiblities
Physician assistants typically do the following:
- Work under the supervision of a physician or surgeon
- Review patients’ medical histories
- Do physical exams to check patients’ health
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x rays or blood tests
- Make preliminary diagnoses concerning a patient’s injury or illness
- Provide treatment, such as setting broken bones and giving immunizations
- Counsel patients and their families; for example, answering questions about how to care for a child with asthma
- Prescribe medicine, when needed
- Record a patient’s progress
- Complete insurance paperwork
Qualifications:
- Physician assistants typically need a master's degree.
- Most applicants to master’s programs already have a bachelor’s degree and some work experience. Then they must complete an accredited educational program for physician assistants. That usually takes at least 2 years of full-time study and typically leads to a master’s degree.
- All states require physician assistants to be licensed.
Job Outlook
Employment of physician assistants is expected to increase 30 percent from 2010 to 2020,
Much faster than the average for all occupations.
Median Salary
The median annual wage of physician assistants was $86,410 in May 2010.
Advancement Opportunities or Related Jobs:
Some related jobs are: Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Registered Nurses, Physicians and Surgeons, and Occupational Therapists. Other opportunities of being a physician assistant is you can earn a PhD and earn more money. You can get a higher position as a Physician.