Physician Assistants
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to 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.
Common job titles of Physician Assistants include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
50% said they needed a Master's Degree.
30% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
Tasks
Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
Visit and observe patients on hospital rounds or house calls, updating charts, ordering therapy, and reporting back to physician.
Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes and results of physical examination.
Administer or order diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests.
Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance.
Supervise and coordinate activities of technicians and technical assistants.
Provide physicians with assistance during surgery or complicated medical procedures.
Perform therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, and infection management.
Order medical and laboratory supplies and equipment.
Tools
X ray machines
Walking braces
Walkers
Videoconferencing equipment
Vascular straight aortic clamps
Vaginal specula
Tuberculin TB skin test equipment
All ToolsTrocars
Tracheal suctioning equipment
Tourniquets
Tongue blades
Tong traction devices
Therapeutic treadmill exercisers
Tablet computers
Swan catheters
Suturing needles
Suture scissors
Surgical curettes
Subcutaneous hypodermic needles
Subclavian lines
Splints
Spirometers
Slit lamps
Scalpel handles
Scalpel blades
Retractors
Reflex hammers
Pulmonary function testing PFT equipment
Portable satellite telehealth terminals
Plastic surgery lasers
Personal digital assistants PDA
Personal computers
Oximeters
Otoscopes
Ophthalmoscopes
Operating microscopes
Notebook computers
Needle holders
Nebulizers
Nasogastric tubes
Nail probes
Nail nippers
Mosquito artery forceps
Microscope slides
Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI machines
Mechanical stethoscopes
Manual blood pressure units
Lumbar puncture equipment
Life support for trauma and transport LSTAT intensive care units
Laser printers
Lancets
Knee braces
Intravenous IV equipment
Intramuscular needles
Intracranial pressure monitors
Intra-aortic balloon pumps IABP
Interthercal therapy equipment
Holter monitors
High-frequency ventilators
Harvester rods
Halo fixation devices
Glucometers
Fluoroscopes
Eye charts
Evacuated blood collection tubes
Endoscopic camera/video systems
Electronic blood pressure monitors
Electrocautery devices
Electrocardiography EKG units
Doppler vascular equipment
Doppler ultrasound fetascopes
Dissector rods
Defibrillators
Crutches
Chest tubes
Cervical collars
Central venous pressure lines
Cast removal saws
Canes
Bull dog nose clamps
Breath alcohol testers
Bone marrow biopsy equipment
Blood collection syringes
Blood collection needles
Binocular light compound microscopes
Audiometers
Aspirating needles
Artery forceps
Arterial line catheters
Arterial blood gas monitoring equipment
Anoscopes
Anesthesia ventilators
Anesthesia equipment
Technologies
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
Medical condition coding software
MEDITECH software
ChartWare EMR
Electronic medical record EMR software
Medical procedure coding software
Patient records software for personal digital assistants PDAs
All TechnologiesSpreadsheet software
Teleconferencing software
Teleradiology systems
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility