Physician Assistant What do physician assistants precisely do? Many people do not know what the job entails, since it is a job that is rarely spoken about in an average public school. According to the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, "A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed medical professional who holds an advanced degree and is able to provide direct patient care" (Physician Assistant). PAs have various challenging responsibilities that are performed daily. Physician assistants require immense years of education, perform numerous responsibilities, and receive multiple benefits. The journey to becoming a PA begins the moment when someone enters high school. During high school, it is important to take as many science and math …show more content…
After being accepted into a PA program one can expect to spend 3 years in class and clinical rotations to receive a master's degree (Ravenelle). Following graduation from a PA program, one will be prompted to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (Ravenelle). Passing the exam will result in one becoming a Certified Physician Assistant. Before any individual can begin their career they must procure a state license. To practice in any state there are certain requirements to follow to obtain a license, but Ravenelle writes, " Each state has different requirements, so consult your licensing board in your state for the next steps” (Ravenelle). It takes immense years of education to become a …show more content…
On a typical day, a PA will perform various responsibilities such as patient exams, diagnosing illnesses, and assisting in surgery (Physician Assistant). Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science writes in reference to a PA's responsibilities, “They work with patients of all ages in virtually all specialty and primary care areas, diagnosing and treating common illnesses and working with minor procedures" (Physician Assistant). Being able to work in almost all care areas means that PAs are able to provide help to varying amounts of people. PAs complete many laborious tasks every day. Many careers have rewarding benefits, and PAs are no exception. Kasey D'Amato states, "A new PA may receive some benefits including: paid time off, health insurance, malpractice insurance, CME allowance, or 401k (Kasey D'Amato). For a beginner, those are very grand benefits. PAs also received a lofty median compensation of $121,530 in May 2021 (Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physician Assistants). The employment of PAs is projected to grow by 31% from 2020-2030 (Physician Assistant). PAs benefit from having high rates of projected job growth, large annual salaries, and various insurance