Back to: Career Ideas | COOL Career of the Month Archive

Physician Assistant

Physician assistants (PAs) practice medicine under the supervision of licensed doctors of medicine. Much of the work they do was formerly limited to physicians. Some of their tasks include: taking medical histories, routine physical exams, ordering lab tests, giving injections, deciding on diagnoses, choosing treatments, and assisting in surgeries. These tasks will vary according to state laws and the practices of the supervising physician.

Prospects

Employment for PAs is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. A 46.4 percent increase in the number of new jobs is projected through the year 2006. In fact, job growth is projected to outpace the number of potential employees entering this occupation by as much as 9 percent.

Qualifications:

Most PAs earn a bachelor's degree that includes two years of science courses and then enroll in an accredited PA program. Most of these programs last about two years. After this, PAs must become certified by taking a national exam and completing continuing education courses every two years.

For more information, try these web sites:

American Academy of Physician Assistants
National Commission on Certification of PAs

Information Source:

Career Opportunities News