Astrid Lichtenwalner - 4B by Astrid Lichtenwalner

Job Description & Responsibilities

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:23:50 UTC

A physician's assistant provides direct patient care. They work with all ages and all specialty and primary care areas, diagnosing and treating common illnesses and working with minor procedures. Their workday is on their feet making rounds with patients and administrative work.

Working Conditions

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:24:28 UTC

Physician's assistants work in all sorts of places, like hospitals, doctor's offices, nursing homes, and lots of other places. They work about 40 hours a week and they may have to work nights, weekends, or holidays. Depending on where you work (hospital or doctor's office), you could work with a team or by yourself. It can be very demanding physically because there is a lot of standing that may have to be done, especially if needed in surgery.

https://explorehealthcareers.org/career/medicine/physician-assistant/#:~:text=Academic%20Requirements%20%7C%20Resources-,Working%20Conditions,hours%20of%20the%20collaborating%20physician.

Local Earnings & Benefits

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:25:19 UTC

In PA, they earn around $123,776 a year with an hourly pay of about $59.51 an hour. Benefits are health insurance for self and family members, liability coverage, paid time off for vacation, CME and sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, professional society memberships (state PA associations, AAPA) CME/professional education funding, loan repayment and relocation stipends.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Physician-Assistant-Salary--in-Pennsylvania#:~:text=As%20of%20Mar%2017%2C%202024,%2Fweek%20or%20%2410%2C314%2Fmonth.

https://www.aapa.org/career-central/job-search/getting-benefits-package/#:~:text=Essential%20benefits%20commonly%20afforded%20to,education%20funding%2C%20loan%20repayment%2C%20and

Employment Trends

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:25:46 UTC

There were around 148,000 PA's in 2022 in Pennsylvania. The Healthcare industry is where the PA's are hired. Most of the jobs are in the city where the hospitals are.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm

Qualifications

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:26:03 UTC

To become a physician's assistant, you have to get a Bachelor’s Degree & Graduate from approved PA Program, you have to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), a specific amount of hours of continued education, and you need your license. You need to have good communication skills, be compassionate, be detail-oriented, be emotionally stable, have interpersonal skills, and have problem-solving skills. The high school classes that should be taken should be biology, anatomy, physiology, general chemistry and other health-related science courses.

https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Medicine/Pages/Physician-Assistant-Licensure-Requirements-Snapshot.aspx

Educational Institution

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:26:43 UTC

1) Alvernia University

2) Arcadia University

3) Carlow University

4) Chatham University

5) Delaware University

https://pspa.net/student-affairs/pennsylvania-pa-programs/

Job Benefits & Job Drawbacks

alichtenwalner24 — 2024-03-22 14:27:36 UTC

Benefits: Great pay and job security

Drawbacks: Long hours and always under a supervising physician

https://www.zippia.com/answers/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-physician-assistant/