Physician Assistant Graduate Programs

A physician assistant is an ideal degree for someone interested in the medical field who would like to undertake many of the same responsibilities as a doctor. In fact, it's common for first year medical students and first year Physician assistant students to share the same classes. However, Physician assistants are not required to complete a residency.

Prospective would ideally possess the following qualities:

• Compassionate
• Strong background in the sciences
• Interested in Healthcare
• Enjoys working with the public
• Detail Oriented

Some programs may require prerequisite course work, as well as a Bachelor's degree and GRE or MCAT score. Prior healthcare experience is usually not necessary, but it can certainly strengthen the application. Generally speaking, most physician assistant schools are masters programs, but a few physician assistant doctoral programs exist.

Physician’s Assistant Graduate Programs and Curriculum:

Physician assistant graduate coursework is usually two to three years in length and includes basic medical and behavioral sciences such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine and physical diagnosis. After the classroom and laboratory based learning is complete, physician assistant graduate students must complete clinical rotations as part of their training. These rotations could include:

• internal medicine
• family medicine
• surgery
• pediatrics
• obstetrics and gynecology
• emergency medicine
• geriatric medicine

Certification is required for licensure in all 50 states. To obtain certification, a graduate of an accredited program must pass the NCCPA-administered Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam.

In evaluating a physician assistant school, important factors to consider are:

• Accreditation: A degree from an accredited school is necessary to obtain licensure
• Pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam: Research the pass rate for the NCCPA Exam at your preferred institution.
• Patient Care Experience: The amount of hands on training offered varies among programs, check with university or college personnel to ensure you will receive an adequate amount of field training.
• Program Flexibility: Determine the level of schedule freedom you need. Many online physician assistant programs allow students to set up their own rotations.

Physician Assistant Career Paths

Graduates of a Physician Assistant program with a master's (M.S.) or Ph.D. degree can pursue careers as surgical physician assistants, emergency department physician assistants, orthopedic physician assistants, cardiac physician assistants and more.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2010 median annual wage for physician assistants is $86,410. Top earners can bring in up to $$117,720 per year. Job opportunities for physician’s assistants are expected to grow by 30% between 2010 and 2020, much faster than the average of all other occupations.

Data according to

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2012-13 Ed