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Guide to College Majors in Physician Assisting

What is a Physician Assistant?

A physician's assistant (PA) is an integral part of healthcare service. Working in conjunction with a supervising physician, the PA plays a key role in offices, hospitals, and care facilities across the country. While medical assistants complete routine administrative, clinical, and clerical duties, physician assistants undertake formal training to provide a comprehensive range of healthcare services.

With the support of the delegating physician, PAs provide preventative healthcare as well as therapeutic and diagnostic services. Physician's assistants take medical histories and update charts. They conduct physical examinations of patients and treat them. Physician's Assistants order and interpret diagnostic tests so they can diagnose patients and initiate therapy. A PA also treats minor injuries such as sprains, lacerations, or simple fractures.

Conferring on treatment plans with physicians and/or other members of the health care team, physician assistants develop and implement programs of treatment and advise patients on prevention and therapy. They are also expected to oversee medical emergencies that may arise during their work. In all but three states, physician assistants may prescribe medication to patients.

In addition, a PA may do inventory and order supplies for an office, hospital, or laboratory; many also supervise medical assistants and lab technicians. Finally, a physician assistant's job may entail making house calls, visitation to hospitals and nursing home facilities, or sharing time on call duty.

While the supervising physician defines the role of a physician assistant in the clinical setting, all states have laws governing the range and scope of PA practice. As regulation and legislation vary from one state to another, an aspiring PA should look into the laws specific to the state in which he or she hopes to practice.

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Physician Assistant Career Education

Undergraduate and graduate degree programs

All states require PAs to complete a formal education program with an accredited school. Although criteria vary from program to program, most courses for physician assistants take between twenty-four and twenty-seven months to complete. Most such programs require at least two years of college and some experience in healthcare. Although the school does not always require them, most applicants to PA programs already hold a bachelor's or master's degree.

There are a wide variety of career education programs from which to choose. At last count, according to the AAPA's Information Update: Projected Number of People in Clinical Practice as PAs as of January 1, 2005, there were 137 accredited programs for PAs in the United States alone. Ninety-one of these programs award a Master of Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies upon completion. There were fifty-one programs for earning a Bachelor of Sciences, six for Associate Degrees, and over fifty certificate programs. Some programs or schools offer more than one of these options, and several offer dual degree programs.

Most of these educational programs are housed in universities, four-year colleges, medical centers, or academic health centers. Others are in hospitals, community colleges, or the military. A great number of accredited programs for physician assistants team up with medical schools for the clinical teaching part of the curriculum.

In preparation for a physician assistant college degree program, students should take biology, chemistry, psychology, English, and courses in the social sciences. Experience in healthcare is a plus, but is not necessarily a prerequisite.

A PA program's curriculum generally is divided into two categories. First comes the didactic, or academic, part of the program. Classroom instruction typically includes biochemistry, anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, and microbiology. Further study is comprised of classes in medical ethics, disease prevention, geriatrics, and home healthcare.

Secondly, there is the experiential learning part of the curriculum. In this phase of most programs, students receive hands-on clinical training in a variety of areas, such as pediatrics, psychology, emergency care and medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, inpatient care, primary care medicine and surgery.

Associate Degree
Most Associate Degree programs in Physician Assistant Studies are pre-professional programs through regional or community colleges. Often, such programs allow the student to take prerequisite classes in preparation for application to a bachelor or master's level program for further study.

Bachelor Degree
Admissions requirements for a Bachelor of Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies vary of course from school to school. However, most programs require two years of college-level coursework, including sixteen credit hours (the equivalent of four classes) in the Humanities, twelve hours (or three classes) in Social Studies, and as many as thirty-six credits in Math and Science. General Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry are all usually prerequisites. Clinical experience is recommended, but not a necessity for acceptance into a baccalaureate program in PA Studies.

Master Degree
A master's-level program is one that graduates an MPA upon completion of the coursework. Masters programs generally require a baccalaureate-level degree as a prerequisite. This degree does not necessarily have to be in a related field, depending on work experience, although a BS is generally preferred.

Whatever their previous major, students must have already completed General and Organic Chemistry, General Biology, and Microbiology. There is often a minimum required GPA, both for general studies as well as for science-related coursework. Many schools also ask for scores from a standardized test such as the GRE. A master's level program takes two to three years, depending on the program and degree of specialization of the student.

Dual Degree Programs
Some schools offer dual degree programs. Most often these programs provide an accelerated track through baccalaureate and masters-level coursework, culminating in a BS/MSPA. Because the student is starting at a baccalaureate level, GRE scores are not required, although schools may require other standardized test scores, such as the SAT. Most programs ask that students have competed Advanced Biology, General and Organic Chemistry, and a class in Biostatistics.

Colleges and Universities that offer online Physician Assistant degree programs:

A.T. Still University - Online Master's Degree Programs in Physician Assistant Studies
Keiser University - Online Medical Assistant Associate Degree
Touro University International - Online Professional Degree Completion Programs for Physician Assistants

Physician Assistant and Medical Assisting Careers

What does a Physician Assistant do?

For students worried about finding a job upon graduation, the numbers tell a reassuring story. According to data from the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), over 98% of 2004 graduates of a Physician Assistant program were involved in clinical practice by 2005. This field is expanding rapidly.

Of the physician assistants currently involved in clinical practice, over fifty percent have obtained a master's degree. Approximately thirty percent, or one-third of this group, hold a bachelor's degree. Doctorates account for another two percent.

The state of New York is the number one employer of physician assistants, followed closely by California, Texas, and Pennsylvania. However, Florida and North Carolina are also growing fast.

What Can You Do With a Physician Assistant Degree?

Over half of all clinically practicing PAs work in the private offices of doctors or other health care practitioners. Most jobs yield competitive salaries, compensation packages, and excellent benefits; many also offer an allowance for continued education. Generally, working conditions are good, as the medical environment is often clean, well lit, and air-conditioned.

• Bureau of Prisons Physician Assistant. The physician assistants who work for the Bureau of Prisons are responsible of the diagnosis and care of inmates in the federal prison program. PAs in this environment assist in the observation and evaluation of patients, take medical histories, perform physical examinations, and order lab tests. Because of the broad range of medical issues that may arise in the prison system setting, strong background knowledge is needed, as well as knowledge of appropriate treatment in surgical and medical emergencies. The job requires a Bachelor of Science degree and/or three to four years of clinical experience. Applicants must be NCCPA certified.
  
  
• Clinical Advisor. Working as a clinical advisor in a private clinic or family practice often involves strong clinical knowledge combined with excellent communication and computer skills. A clinical advisor must be flexible, capable of working independently with little supervision, and collaborative. In this capacity, a PA, in conjunction with the delegating physician, oversees the management of continuing/long-term medical care and the management of chronic or acute conditions. The clinical advisor analyzes the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare, assesses medical conditions, and proposes and implements plan revisions.
  
  
• Clinical Services Manager. For professionals with the spirit of an entrepreneur, a move to management might be the way to go. Generally employed by private family practices, a clinical services manager will be responsible for directing business and establishing clinical prioritization for the healthcare team. Clinical services managers are in charge of hiring as well as recruitment strategies and supervising the work of others. Certified PAs will also need at least two to five years of experience to excel in this area.
  
  
• Emergency Room Physician Assistant. Working in Emergency Room (ER) Care requires quick thinking and the ability to multi-task. This is a mid level PA job assisting the ER physician in a variety of tasks, including taking histories, prioritizing arrivals, offering suggestion, examining patients, and giving and evaluating care. It is fast-paced exciting work.
  
  
• Infection Control. Physician assistants are in high demand in organizations such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. These kinds of jobs require mid level PAs with extensive previous experience. Responsibilities include overseeing infection control, and ensuring that the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are being upheld in a variety of situations. There is generally minimal contact with patients. Consultation takes place with physicians and nursing staff as necessary. The hours are fairly regular compared to those of some other placements within the PA profession.
  
  
• Medical Practitioner. A medical practitioner usually works in a hospital setting. Performing physical examinations of the patients, a medical practitioner also carries out the examination of triage patients. A medical practitioner also assumes staff nursing responsibilities as assigned by a supervisor. Recommendations and healthcare plans are coordinated with hospital nursing personnel. Graduation from an accredited baccalaureate program in PA studies is expected, as well as two additional years of clinical experience.
  
  
• Military. In recent years, the military has been one of the biggest recruiters of Physician Assistants. The PA position has been an essential component of the Army Health Care team since its inception in 1973. In today's hierarchy, a PA serves as the primary source of health care for his or her unit. Within this capacity, the PA facilitates the overall health of the soldiers in his or her unit by working closely with trainers, physical therapists, nurse, and other support personnel as needed.
  
  
• Rural Area Practitioner. This is one of the most rapidly expanding areas of growth for the health services industry. Although PAs generally work under the eye of a supervising physician, in some rural areas, the PA may act as the primary care provider. While federal laws require that a physician be available for consultation, the doctor is not required to be physically present. Consultations may take place by phone, radio, or via computer. The physician may visit the site only one or two days of the week.
  
  
• These jobs generally require an experienced PA since the physician is often not immediately available. In addition, the PA does a little (or a lot) of everything. A rural PA may make house calls, or rounds, spend several nights a week on call in addition to other duties. A PA serving as a source of primary care for a rural community must be efficient, independent, resilient, and hard working.
  
  
• Surgical Assistant. Jobs as a surgical assistant usually require extensive knowledge of surgical procedure as well as specialization within a specific area of PA studies. Of these, cardiovascular surgery is currently most in demand, although nearly all areas are in need. The Surgical Assistant performs clinical duties, makes rounds, attends to patients both pre-op and post-op, take patient histories, and makes suggestions and recommendations. The most important role of the PA is to assist the doctor in surgical procedures. A minimum of two to three years of clinical and/or surgical experience is required.

Career Specializations

Postgraduate residency training programs are available for NCCPA-certified physician assistants who have graduated from an accredited program. These programs offer additional training for those interested in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, emergency medicine, neonatology, or rural primary care.

Salary Information for Careers in Medical Assisting

The amount a PA can expect to make depends greatly on their years of experience, area of specialization, geographic location, and practice setting. However, according to the AAPA, the average income for fulltime PAs in 2003 was approximately $72,500. For new graduates working fulltime, median income was $63,000.

Physician Assistants Making a Difference - Aside from the usual career choices and opportunities afforded by a degree in Physician Assistant Studies, many PAs use their expertise to help make a difference in the world. Instead of working the usual 40-hour office week, certified PAs can look at opportunities such as those offered by The Physician Assistant Foundation. Part of the AAPA, the PA Foundation is a philanthropic group, sponsoring medical missions to places such as Laos, Thailand, and Central America.

Career Outlook

Physician assistants can expect to advance as they gain greater experience in the clinical setting. With such advancement comes not only higher earnings, but also greater responsibilities. Clinically practicing PAs, by the nature of their chosen profession, always work under a supervising physician, but can gain greater independence and trust in the job setting.

Overall, the outlook for the physician assistant field is very positive. Employment of PAs is on the rise, and is expected to continue to be so for some time. Two factors in the healthcare industry contribute to this growth. One is the expectation that the industry will continue to expand; the other is an increasing worry within the industry about containment of costs.

This should lead directly to an increasing use of PAs by private physicians and other healthcare facilities. Physician assistants are efficient and productive members of the healthcare team, and they can relieve physicians of certain tasks and procedures. More and more companies will look to PAs to assist in surgery and other medical procedures as well as to provide primary care.

Institutional settings, such as hospitals, public health centers, prisons, and centers for academic medicine, will be hiring more and more PAs, partly to offset the reduced permitted hours for physician residents. Opportunities will be most promising in the states that allow PAs greater autonomy and wider range of practice.

Certification and Licensure

A new PA is required by law in all fifty states to take and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying examination, which is given by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only graduates of accredited programs may take the examination, and only those receiving a passing score may use the credential "Physician Assistant - Certified."

A recertification exam or some other approved program must be completed every six years to maintain certified status. In addition, PAs are required to fulfill up to 100 hours of continuing medical study every two years. These requirements ensure a core capability of medical skills will be maintained by all working PAs.

Physician Assistant Associations and Certification Bodies

• American Academy of Physician Assistants
• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
• Physician Assistant Associate World
• Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants

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