Physician assistants are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the supervision of physicians. They conduct physical exams, order tests, diagnose illnesses, set bones, prescribe medication, and assist in surgery. To become a PA requires a bachelor's degree, completion of a master's degree from an accredited PA program, passing a national certifying exam, and state licensure. Employment of PAs is projected to grow 30% by 2024 due to an increasing demand for primary care providers.

1. Career of Interest Research:
Physician’s Assistant
NICHOLAS PETRUS
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SENIOR
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: HEALTH SCIENCES
CONCENTRATION: PREPROFESSIONAL HEALTH STUDIES

2. What is a Physician Assistant?
• A PA is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional.
• PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other
providers.
• In some areas, especially rural and medically underserved communities,
physician assistants may be the primary care providers at clinics where a
physician is present only 1 or 2 days per week.
• Physician assistants work in all areas of medicine, including primary care
and family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and psychiatry. The
work of physician assistants depends in large part on their specialty or
the type of medical practice where they work.
• Practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the majority of the
U.S. territories and the uniformed services.

3. What is a Physician Assistant?
To view a video about the PA profession, please click
on the video on the next slide

4. Physician Assistant Duties
• Examine patients
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x rays or blood tests
• Diagnose a patient’s injury or illness
• Give treatment, such as setting broken bones and immunizing
patients
• Prescribe medicine
• Conduct or participate in outreach programs; talking to groups about
managing diseases and promoting wellness
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

5. Physician’s Assistant Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

6. Education
● Bachelor’s degree (any typically)
● Many applicants already have experience as registered
nurses or as EMTs and paramedics before they apply to a
physician assistant program.
● Master’s degree
● About 200 education programs were accredited by the
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the
Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) in 2014.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

7. Licensure
● License (PA-C)
● Must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying
Examination (PANCE)
● A physician assistant who passes the exam may use the
credential “Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C).”
● To keep their certification, physician assistants must
complete 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
The recertification exam is required every 10 years.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

8. Opportunities for Advancement
● The National Commission on Certification of
Physician Assistants (NCCPA) launched its
certificate of added qualifications (CAQ)
program in 2009 to make it easier for PAs to
document their level of expertise.
● Postgraduate educational programs are available
in areas such as emergency medicine and
psychiatry.
● Overall, there is not much opportunity for
advancement as a PA, other than teaching or
a specialty.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

9. Specialties
● PA specialties include:
● Addiction medicine
● Oncology
● Occupational medicine
● Pediatrics
● Dermatology
● Anesthesiology
● Radiology
● Hospital medicine
Information from AAPA, http://www.aapa.org/the_pa_profession/becoming_a_pa/resources/item.aspx?id=1939

10. Job Outlook
• Employment is projected to grow 30%
from 2014 to 2024. Opportunities!
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

11. PA School Example:
Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
● Masters of Health
Science in Physician
Assisting
● Program Length: 24
months
● Average class size: 60 -
70 students
● Continuing
Education Programs
● Surgical PA Residency
● Orthopedic PA
Residency
● Prerequisites
● 2 hours – Statistics
● 8 hours – Chemistry
● 15 hours – Biological
Sciences
● Official GRE scores
● 1000 hours of clinical
experience required to
apply
● Internship hours not
counted
● Examples include EMT,
nurse’s assistant, Peace
Corps volunteer, etc.
Information from DUMC, http://paprogram.mc.duke.edu/.

12. Essential Qualities of a PA
Along with necessary clinical abilities, a
physician needs to have specific personal
qualities and skills in order to enjoy and be
successful in his/her career. Some of these
include:
● Compassion
● Emotional stability
● Confidentiality and ethical behavior
● Professionalism
● Respect
● Critical thinking
● Effective communication

13. Work Environment
- Most physician assistants work full time
- About 1 out of 5 worked part time in 2014
- Physician assistants may work nights,
weekends, or holidays.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physician
Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm (visited May 17, 2016)

14. Conclusion
- Becoming a PA is challenging yet rewarding
- Great job outlook and growth
- Many new programs keep starting up
- Start experience early!
- May take >1 attempt to gain entry into a program
- One of the top careers to get into for health-care