Why It Pays To Be A Physician’s Assistant

Hospital cutbacks due to the economic downturn are turning out to be quite lucrative for those considering careers as a physician’s assistant. As hospitals and other clinical settings are working feverishly to control costs, the demand for physician’s assistants to supplement physician care is on the rise.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment in this field to grow 27% by 2016. This is one of the highest growth rates predicted among all health care professions (see also my recent blog comparing growth rates in other careers).  The recently reported average income for PAs in 2008 was $89,897 (AAPA).

The AAPA also reports that, similar to physicians, PAs treat patients in over 60 different specialty areas and that the total number of patient visits to PAs for various conditions. For instance the AAPA estimates that PAs saw approximately 30,144,559 patients with musculoskeletal disorders in 2008.

The numbers certainly add up to a lucrative career that is in rising demand, but what about the job itself? You’ve probably already guessed that with salary figures closing in on six figures, a physician’s assistant doesn’t stand there handing over tongue depressors.

Key Roles of the PA:

• Patient physical exams
• Diagnosing and treating Illness
• Ordering and reading diagnostic tests
• Preventative health care consultations
• Writing prescriptions
• Assisting in surgery

At first glance the role of a PA is awfully similar to that of a physician. Major differences between the two include the amount of total patient responsibility (i.e. having a practice, hospital privileges) and of course the amount of education and resulting salary. Physician Assistant training programs are based on the same model of training medical students, except Physician Assistant’s graduate by the end of 26 months.

Already have a Bachelor’s degree and four years of some other type of healthcare experience (nurse, EMT, etc.)? What about a desire to take your career in the healthcare industry to the next level? Is there a specific type of medicine you’re passionate about and what to learn about, such as pediatrics or surgery? Perhaps a career as a physician assistant is worth looking into. Bet you thought I was going to say “just what the doctor ordered”, didn’t you?