Best Careers: Physician Assistant

The rundown:

Since the mid-1960s, physician assistants have been treating patients and providing many of the same services that physicians offer—filling a critical need, given the shortage of doctors in some parts of the United States. You may choose to work in primary care, or you may specialize in surgery or geriatrics. As a physician assistant, you'll work under the supervision of a physician, but if you're working at a clinic, the physician may be around only a day or two each week. That means it's up to you to treat patients, whether you're putting kids in casts or looking at an older patient's X-ray. Many PA's value their high level of independence.

[See a list of The 50 Best Careers.]

The outlook:

Job growth is expected to be much faster than average, thanks to the growing demand for healthcare services, the impending retirement of baby boomers, and broader efforts to limit healthcare costs. The volume of jobs is expected to grow by 29,200, or 39 percent, by 2018, among the fastest occupational growth rates projected by the Labor Department.

Money:

Median annual earnings for physician assistants in 2009 were $84,420. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $55,880, while the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $115,000.

Upward mobility:

You can pursue additional schooling. Some physician assistant schools offer postgraduate programs in specialties such as pediatrics, emergency medicine, and surgery. Pay can increase over time, but you'll always be under the supervision of a physician.

Activity level:

Variable but generally pretty high. You're likely to spend much of your time on your feet, particularly if you're on a surgical team.

[See a list of the best healthcare careers.]

Stress level:

Sometimes high. Schedules can include lots of graveyard shifts, plus weekend and holiday work. The stakes are high when providing medical care, and many situations can be physically and mentally taxing.

Education and preparation:

The path to a physical assistant job first requires completion of a two-year program at a school of allied health, a medical school, or four-year college. After graduating from an accredited school, you'll need to pass a Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.

[Find online degree programs in healthcare.]

Real advice from real people about landing a job as a physician assistant:

For job hunters, state and local associations of physician assistants or the American Academy of Physician Assistants keep updated job lists, says Marcia Ceesay-Slater, acting associate director of the Family Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Program at the University of California—Davis. Since jobs tend to be plentiful, she suggests that job seekers spend extra time finding just the right fit and making sure they'll get along well with the doctors they'll be working for. "Make sure there's enough support and availability for consultation on patients," Ceesay-Slater says. "Make sure there are development opportunities." Also, she says, keep in mind the scope of the practice where you'll work. Be sure the sorts of procedures that you want to perform are offered regularly within the practice you're considering joining.

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