What is a Physician’s Assistant?
A Physician’s Assistant is a healthcare professional who does exactly as it sounds! They assist medical doctors/attending physicians in their everyday tasks. PAs (for short) are eligible to make diagnoses, give medical treatment, review a patient’s medical history, and more. There are many PA specializations available, considering there are various specialties for doctors.
The interesting thing about this career is the differing specialties! Physician assistants have the choice to specialize in certain fields following their education and training, given that PAs can focus on any part of the body, depending on their specialty and who they work under.
To take away from above, there are several procedures performed. They can assist in major or minor procedures, (any procedure can be performed based on specialty) but cannot perform any surgery without the physician’s supervision!
As you might have recognized by now, a common theme in becoming a physician’s assistant is how flexible the field is. They work with patients of all ages in practically any specialty or primary care area. In primary care they tend to see patients with general medical issues, for example, flu, allergies, hearing loss, strep, cholesterol issues, and more are often seen. As for a specialty, if they work in cardiology, they will see patients with concerns or work to treat heart diseases. This goes for all other specialties.
Pathway to Become
To earn your position as a PA you will first need your undergraduate degree, aka bachelor’s. If you know from early on that you are interested in a medical career, it is recommended to receive a bachelor’s degree (4 years) in the STEM field but not required. Before applying to PA school and when applying they expect you to have hands-on clinical experience (HCE or PCE), jobs for this experience can vary. Once you apply to PA school, it can range from 2 to 3 years. Here you will receive a master’s of physician’s assistant studies. After completing the proper training, taking the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination) will certify you as a PA. In total, the schooling process can take up to 7 years. Read more thoroughly about the process here.
Oftentimes, people choose to become a PA because of their interest in work-life balance, but this can also be a stereotype of the profession. This viewpoint is misconstructed because people believe a physician’s assistant does not have to work as hard or as much as a physician, but it is still a demanding role. I find it beneficial to understand that going into this field does not just mean a lax work-life balance because it is a full-time job. It might not be as demanding as being a physician but still requires a lot of energy!
Physician’s assistants play a large role in the medical field, and are in high demand! The job outlook varies from state to state, and PAs seem to have the highest employment rates in larger states such as Texas and California. An article titled “2024 Physician Assistant (PA) Job Outlook: Why Go Locum Tenens?” states “…as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, the share of people who require complex healthcare services increases, which increases the demand for providers”. Which I found to be very interesting, yet sense-full. Medical practices continue to be modified as times change and the generation of physicians change!
Personal Statement
I have recently found a passion for this profession, and after conducting research I have realized I love the flexibility and versatility this job offers. The choice to work across various specialties is great, especially as someone who enjoys a little change here and there. It would be a pleasure collaborating with physicians and caring for patients without as much of a workload as the physician. Ultimately,