Physician Assistants
Description OES Code: 32511
Provide patient services under direct supervision and responsibility of doctor of medicine or osteopathy. Elicit detailed patient histories and make complete physical examinations. Reach tentative diagnosis and order appropriate laboratory tests. Require substantial educational preparation, usually at junior or 4-year colleges. Most physician assistants complete 2 years of formal training, but training may vary from 1 to 5 years depending on the nature of the training and previous education and experience. May require certification. Exclude Ambulance Attendants, whose training is limited to the application of first aid, and Nurses.

Wages, California
Entry-Level Hourly Wage $21.65
25th Percentile $29.37
50th Percentile $35.79
75th Percentile $42.11

Wages by California County
• OES Survey
• CCOIS Survey

Hours & Benefits
Schedules vary according to practice setting and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The workweek of physician assistants in physicians' offices may include weekends, night hours, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. They may also be on-call. Physician assistants in clinics usually work a 40-hour week.

Employment Trends, California
Employment 1998 5,700
Projected Employment 2008 9,600
Percent Change 1998-2008 68.4%
Separations 1998-2008 1,300

Employment Trends by California County

Working Conditions
Although PAs usually work in a comfortable, well-lighted environment, those in surgery often stand for long periods, and others do considerable walking. Schedules vary according to practice setting, and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician.

Advancement
Formal lines of promotion have not developed within this young profession. There are no head PAs in hospitals or nursing homes as there are head nurses; by the very nature of the profession, individual PAs are supervised by physicians. Since a supervising physician shares responsibility for the quality of care rendered by the PA, this relationship must be a close one and a middle level of supervision would be an interference. For most PAs, advancement takes the form of the added responsibilities and higher earnings that come with experience and, sometimes, with completion of continuing education courses.

Getting the Job & Other Information
The local county Medical Association has information on jobs available for Physician Assistants. Placement offices in schools offering training assist their graduates to find employment. Besides the traditional office-based setting, PAs should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings such as hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics, and prisons. Additional PAs may be needed to augment medical staffing in inpatient teaching hospital settings if the number of physician residents is reduced. In addition, State-imposed legal limitations on the numbers of hours worked by physician residents are increasingly common and encourage hospitals to use PAs to supply some physician resident services. Opportunities will be best in States that allow PAs a wider scope of practice, such as the ability to prescribe medication.

For a list of current job listings, browse CalJOBS or America's Job Bank.

Education and Training
Admission requirements for training programs vary from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree, but 60 credit hours or two years of college in a science or health professions program is common. Entry is competitive; many applicants already hold a bachelor's or master's degree. Many schools consider experience in jobs ranging from medical technician to nursing aide an important requirement for admission. Still, lack of experience need not be a barrier to applicants who are otherwise qualified.

Training programs are generally two years in length, although some are longer and a few that require prior health-related training are shorter. PA training begins with a classroom or pre-clinical phase that lasts nine to twelve months. Students then spend about a year doing clinical work in areas such as family practice, inpatient medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Often, one or more of the rotations are served under the "preceptorship" or supervision of a physician who is seeking to hire a PA.

Skills & Other Requirements
Individuals planning a career as a Physician Assistant should be conscientious and willing to study throughout their career in order to keep up with medical advances. Physician assistants need leadership skills, self-confidence, and emotional stability.

References
Us Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

Related Occupations: Nurse Practitioners, Physical Therapists

Training: California Training and Education Providers (CTEP)