Job Profile: Physician Assistant

What's that? Physician Assistants (or "PAs") work in clinics or hospitals and take medical histories, perform tests, give physicals, check for illnesses – a lot of things a family doctor might do. They’re supervised by full physicians, but generally work independently and have a pretty free rein.

Why should I care? CNN and Money Magazine calls it one of the top-ten fastest growing professions – there’s going to be a HUGE need for PAs over the next eight to 10 years, especially as the Baby Boomer generation – your grandparents and parents – get older.

Ok, so why would I do it? If you’re into medicine, but not med school, if you like to help people and don’t spew at the sight of blood, if you like kids and old people and everyone in between – you’ll like this gig.

How much could I make? PAs with less than a year of experience are making on average about $66K per year.

How can I prep? Get your four-year degree, plus a two-year specialized PA program (there’s over 130 of them out there). You won’t have to do an internship, but you’ll probably want to if you want to get a decent job when you’re done. After you’re certified, you can count on taking classes or workshops each year to keep yourself fresh.

Is there time for a life, too? The two-year program can suck up your time. But once you’re done, opportunities range from a 9-5 Monday-Friday clinic to 24-7 at the ER. Depending on your employer, you may work weekends or holidays. Overall, though, you shouldn’t have too much trouble having a regular girls’ night.

What’s it like, anyway?
Let’s hear a tale from the front – from Lindsey Gillespie, a 29-year-old PA from Oklahoma:

“PA appealed to me because of the teamwork approach with working with a physician. I also liked the opportunity to work in all areas of medicine without having to specialize in a certain area...this is good for me because I like everything! Work-life balance was also an issue, and being a PA allows me to care for patients much like a physician, but I can go home at night and not get paged or have to take calls on the weekends.

“I work for an orthopedic surgeon, so I spend half the week in surgery to assist the surgeon, and I spend the other half of the week seeing patients in the clinic. On the weekends, I sometimes moonlight in an emergency room for extra money and experience.

“It's gratifying when a patient looks forward to seeing you at their appointment and when they give you hugs. Figuring out a diagnosis and working to make that patient better is very personally rewarding. But there are downsides too. People get sick and die. This is sometimes difficult because you may have a relationship with your patients. However, it is still worth it because you have to accept that dying is part of the life cycle.

“Another downside is that patients don't often know what exactly your role is. I am often mistaken for a medical student or a nurse rather than the healthcare provider. Patients always ask when I’m going to become a doctor or why I don't become a doctor. Patients don't always trust what you tell them because you're not the ‘doctor’. These are common frustrations, but after time, trust develops in the patient-PA relationship and these doubts go away. Also, I find these drawbacks as opportunities to educate my patients on my profession. This usually helps the trust, too.

“It is a very personally fulfilling job, and this job makes sense. PAs offer patients better access to healthcare, provide physicians with a better quality of life, and are cost effective. This career has so many avenues in the different specialties, and it’s possible to be a mom and/or a wife as well as a professional. You will make a salary that will allow you to live comfortably – you won't be rich, but you will be able to support yourself well. You'll be able to pay your school loans and take an annual vacation. I don't know about a closet full of Manolo Blahniks, though!”

Where this job can take a UChic lady: PAs have great earning potential – the average salary overall (including all levels of experience) is over $80K a year. PAs can rise to senior positions at clinics or hospitals, or transition their skills into outreach or management roles. However, by the nature of the job, PAs that stay in patient care need to be supervised by a physician, so self-employment is less of an option.

How can I learn more? Check out the American Academy of Physicians Assistants (www.aapa.org) or the National Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistants (www.nccpa.net)