Physician Assistant Programs in New York City New York

Physician assistant jobs are predicted to increase about 39% over the next 15 years nationwide, especially in New York City, NY, mainly due to inclining cost of medical expenses and many medical doctors entering retirement stage. Physician assistants used to be more common in small towns or rural areas, but hospital and medical clinics are starting to hire more physical assistants to save cost. Physician assistants are those that have the degree/certificate to practice medicine under the supervision of doctors. Physician assistants can diagnose, prescribe medicine for common cold, treat minor cut or injury, provide preventive care, analyze x-ray and test results, supervise medical assistants, and counsel patients. Working hours for physician assistants can be flexible depending on the doctor’s schedule, but most are expected to work about 40 hours a week. Physician assistants can specialize in many different area, such as pediatric, neonatology, internal medicine, surgery, orthopedic, emergency, family medicine, and geriatric. About 50% of physician assistants work in the doctor’s clinic and 24% work in hospital.

Physician assistant jobs offer great compensation and stability without the stress of a medical doctors. Physician assistants are considered to be the doctor’s right hand due to the nature of work they perform. Many physician assistants hold more than one job. Depending on the location, the average salary of a physician assistant varies from 50,000 to 110,000. Newly graduates are expected to earn around 50,000 to 60,000 while the more experienced ones can earn up to 110,000. According to the 2008 report, general and surgical, outpatient care, medical clinic, government facility, and professional school physician assistant earns around 84,550, 84390, 80,440, 78,200, and 74,200 per year respectively. Salary depends on many factors such as location, specialty, year of experience, and practice settings. Experienced physician assistants can attend post-graduate school to gain higher education and salary, but they are always required to work under the supervision of a physician.

Unlike medical assistant, physician assistant requires formal training and licensing. In order to qualify for physician assistant school, candidates need to have a four-year college degree and experience in health related jobs. Physician assistant training program can take from 1 to 4 years to complete from an accredited school. After completing the program, candidates also require to pass Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination to obtain a license before they can legally practice in any facility. In order to continue practicing, physician assistants are required to obtain 100 hours of continuing education every two years and retake the certification exam every six years. Physician assistant training courses generally include chemistry, biology, human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, internal medicine, gynecology, and prenatal care. After completing all the courses and training, students are also required to pass all the rotations before receiving the final degree. Online schooling is also available in some states although not as common.

Physician assistant is a very respectable and rewarding career path for people who like to help others. Because of the continuing advancement in the medical field, physician assistants are constantly required to learn new things, which makes it a very satisfying job. Physician assistants are well respected by both doctors and patients due to the nature of their job. If you’re looking for stability, flexibility, great compensation, and ways to help people, physician assistant is definitely for you!