AHEC Connecticut
MEDICINE - Physician Assistant
To be a successful Physician Assistant you should...
- possess critical listening skills and the ability to communicate clearly
- desire to work with all types of people and work as a team member
- possess good interpersonal skills
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What will my job be like?
Physician Assistants (PAs) provide routine health care services with the supervision of a physician. They have many responsibilities, which include taking a patient’s medical history, performing physical examinations, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, applying casts, prescribing certain medications, diagnosing and treating illness, suturing wounds and assisting in surgery.
PAs may specialize in:
- General Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Family Medicine
- General and Thoracic Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Geriatrics
- and many other fields
Where could I work?
Physician assistants work in doctor offices, clinics, hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), health departments and the military. Some work in clinics away from the direct supervision of the physician and communicate with the physician by telephone or radio.
Other workplace settings:
- Community Health Centers
- Nursing Homes
- Prisons
- Student Health Services
What is the average annual salary?
$81,970
What is the future of this career?
Employment of PAs is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014, ranking among the fastest growing occupations, due to anticipated expansion of the health care industry and an emphasis on cost containment, resulting in increasing utilization of PAs by physicians and health care institutions.
What type of education and/or training do I need?
Graduation from an accredited PA program, current NCCPA certification, a bachelor's degree, and documentation of 60 hours of pharmacology education.
Where can I get the education and/or training?
- Quinnipiac University, Hamden
- Yale University, New Haven
Do I need a license or certification for this career?
Licensure is required in the state of Connecticut. Prerequisite: Licensure requires Bachelor's degree from an approved PA program, NCCPA certification examination, current NCCPA certification, and 60 hours acceptable pharmacology course work.
Where can I get more information?
American Academy of Physician Assistants
950 North Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-2272
www.aapa.org