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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.
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:
$115,400
The BLS reports employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 31 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 12,200 openings for physician assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Graduation from an accredited PA program, current NCCPA certification, a bachelor’s degree, and documentation of 60 hours of pharmacology education.
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.
Please visit the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health website for more information.
American Academy of Physician Assistants
2318 Mill Road, Suite 1300
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-2272
www.aapa.org