Physician Assistants
Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Physician Assistant (PA), Physician's Assistant
What they do:
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
On the job, you would:
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
Knowledge
Health
- medicine and dentistry
- therapy and counseling
Math and Science
- biology
- psychology
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Business
- customer service
Skills
Basic Skills
- reading work related information
- thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it
Abilities
Verbal
- listen and understand what people say
- communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
- notice when problems happen
Visual Understanding
- see hidden patterns
- quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Attention to Detail
- Concern for Others
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Stress Tolerance
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Medical software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software
- Microsoft Outlook
Education
Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
professional degree
usually needed
professional degree
usually needed
Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Explore More
- Cardiologists
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- Family Medicine Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Pediatric Surgeons
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about physician assistants.