Physician Assistant
American Acadamy of Physician Assistants
NCCPA
Physician Assistant Education Association
Physician Assistant Programs Directory
Why Should You Become A Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants (PAs) provide health care with the supervision of a physician. They are trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health services. They take medical histories, examine patients, order and interpret laboratory test and x-rays, and make diagnoses. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting. In 47 states, PAs may prescribe medications under the supervision of a physician.
Work Environment
Many PAs work in primary care areas such as general, internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Others work in specialty areas such as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. PAs specializing in surgery provide pre- and post-operative care and may work as first or second assistants during major surgery.
In 2004, sixty-seven percent of jobs for PAs were in the offices and clinics of physicians, dentists, or other health practitioners. About 21 percent were in hospitals. The rest were in public health clinics, nursing homes, prisons, home health care agencies, and the department of Veterans Affairs. Approximately one third of PAs provide health care to communities with less than 50,000 residents where physicians are in limited supply.
Education
PA programs usually last two years and are full time. Most programs are Master’s programs, with the goal of having all at that level by 2012. Admission requirements vary, but most require two years of college and some work experience in the health care field. About 58% of PAs have at least a Bachelor's degree and about 31% have their masters. Many applicants are former emergency medical technicians, or allied health professionals, or nurses. PA education usually includes classroom instruction in biochemistry, nutrition, human anatomy, physiology, microbiology, clinical pharmacology, clinical medicine, geriatric and home health care, disease prevention, and medical ethics. Students also receive supervised clinical training in several areas including primary care medicine, inpatient medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics.
All PAs are required to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)--open to graduates of accredited PA programs. Once the examination in completed and passed, PAs can use the credential “Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C).” In order to remain certified, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years. Every six years, they must pass a re-certification exam or complete an alternate program combining learning experiences and a take-home exam.
Earnings
Median annual income of physician assistants ranged from $49,640 to $77,280 in 2002. The median income for first-year graduates was about $63,437 in 2003. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience.
Applying
There is now a centralized application system for PA programs. The CASPA application is accepted by many schools. The application can be found online or ordered at the CASPA Web site. Letters of reference are sent directly to CASPA then forwarded to the schools. The GRE should be sent to individual schools, while other tests should be sent directly to CASPA. Although deadlines for individual schools vary, CASPA application processing begins May 5. The cost is $110.00 for the first application and initial processing with an added fee for each additional school.
Prerequisites
The most common prerequisites for admission are:
- anatomy
- physiology with a lab
- general chemistry with a lab
- physics with lab
- algebra
- microbiology with lab
- psychology
- sociology or cultural anthropology
- English
- statistics
This is a general list and each school/program should be contacted for specific requirements.
Experience
Programs typically require experience in a health-related field. Many schools require at least 1,000 hours. This requirement can be met by working in jobs such as a nurse (LVN/RN), paramedic, EMT, back office medical assistant, surgical technician, respiratory therapist, licensed acupuncturist, chiropractor, or physical therapist. Contact each school for specific requirements or recommendation.
Physician Assistant Programs in California
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science- C, B
Keck School of Medicine- USC- M
Riverside County Regional Medical Center- C, A
San Joaquin Valley College – A
Stanford University School of Medicine- C, A
Touro University at Mare Island- B, M
University of California, Davis- C
Western University of Health Sciences- M
C= Certificate of Completion
A= Associate Degree
B= Bachelor’s Degree
M= Master’s Degree
Sacramento State organizations for students
- American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
- Pre-Health Professional Student Organization (PPSO)
- Multicultural Organization of Science Students (MOSS)
- Science Education Equity (SEE)
- Complete list of relevant student organizations
The PPSO has very useful page with links to a variety of professional schools, internship organizations and more.
This page is modified from UCD HSA
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