Physician assistant jobs are in high demand now that the healthcare industry is witnessing a boom. Here is a guide to the physician assistants career which is growing in demand in both rural and urban areas.

Typically, physician assistants are required to complete a 26-month training program after they successfully obtain a 4-year college degree and get some job experience. The work does not stop there as each physician assistant must complete 100 hours of ongoing education course work every two years and take a recertification exam every six years.

The AAPA (American Association of Physician Assistants) and the NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants) are the two professional bodies in the field. The former regulates the field, while the latter administers and tracks certifications and continuing education credits.

One of the key positions in a doctor’s office is the physician assistant. They can work independently inside a doctor’s office however they are supervised by a licensed doctor. They are required to provide response within one hour of their doctor’s call.

Some of their responsibilities include the diagnosis and analysis of labs and x-rays. Also, the physician assistant can assist patients with writing prescriptions for medications or therapy, examinations, as well as helping the doctor by listening to patients’ needs, recording their history, and providing surgical assistance. Excellent communications skills are one of the most important abilities that a physician assistant must have because they will be interacting with patients most of the time.

Spending most of their time on their feet, physician assistants do a vast majority of attending to and interacting with the patients. Some of the busiest assistants are those who are part of a surgical team. This is not an easy job – it requires handling stress and working late nights, weekends and holidays. To not panic the patient, the physician assistant must be able to handle the physical and mental demands of the job in a cool and calm manner that does not show on their face.

The tasks that a physician assistant can perform vary in each American state. You will want to refer to the state’s employment website to get the exact job responsibilities for the state in which you are applying.

It is expected that physician assistant jobs will grow more rapidly in availability compared to other jobs. The need for physician assistants is much higher in hospitals, clinics, prisons, and many other facilities both in urban and rural areas. It is estimated that the growth in demand for physician assistants will rise 39% between 2008 and 2018 according to a report published in 2008 by the government. The increased demand is caused by the simultaneous evolution and cost lowering initiatives that are happening in the healthcare industry. Appointing physician assistants helps healthcare establishments lower its cost without compromising on quality of service or productivity. States too are now allowing physician assistants to perform more medical procedures and all these factors are leading to a higher demand for professionals.

A physician assistant salary depends on a few factors, which are:

Specialization: Physician assistants that do not specialize in a particular type of medical condition like HIV, AIDS or cancer will often receive a lower salary than a physician assistant that has training to handle these types of conditions. The demand for specialized physical assistants is very high and their salary can even exceed the maximum figure (given below).

Area: The pay that is administered for urban centers is often higher than that of the pay in rural facilities. Also, it is typical that the pay in urban centers located in denser populated areas is higher than urban centers that are located in less dense areas. Urban areas often have a higher cost of living compared to their rural counterparts which can attribute to the higher salary.

Another factor is experience. A physician assistant that is highly experienced will be able to command a higher salary.

Physician assistants have salaries that average between $75,000 and $106,000 annually according to salary.com. However, a more realistic expectation for salary would be between $65,000 and $90,000 with just a few exceptions. The specialization factor is huge for a physician assistant because they will nearly always draw a higher salary. The facilities that often offer the best pay are those like hospitals and outpatient centers while government and educational institutions will not be as high. As stated above, urban centers pay higher than rural centers.

Fees for state licensing fees, registration fees, credential fees and professional liability insurance should be expected to be paid by the physician assistant’s employer.

Physician assistants can specialize in critical medical conditions like HIV/AIDS, neonatology, cancer or one of many others if they so choose. Professionals that have a specialization in a critical medical condition will often be paid a much higher salary, as was mentioned above. Specializations like surgery, cancer, HIV, neonatology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and more are offered by many schools.

Postgraduate residency training programs can be taken by a physician assistant in areas like emergency medicine, rural primary care, occupational medicine, etc.

Like most careers, the pay increases come in time and with more experience. A licensed doctor must always supervise the assistant, regardless of pay or specialization.

The ability to remain mobile between specializations, no need for med school, and not being required to complete an internship are among the many advantages that a physician assistant career has. They also are rewarded with a self-satisfying career that helps people recover from medical conditions, many of which can be major.

Every day is different in the life of a PA and he comes across new challenges daily. A physician assistant can never be an entrepreneur because he can only work under the supervision of a licensed doctor.

This is all you need to know about physician assistant jobs and career prospects.