High-Demand Careers in Ohio: Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant jobs will grow by 33.5% in Ohio through 2018. This job requires a Master’s degree and has an average salary of $83,886. The expansion of the healthcare industry is responsible for the job growth, with an increasing use of PAs by healthcare establishments for cost containment purposes.

Annually, in Ohio, over 99 new jobs will be added in this field, though 2018. This occupation should not be confused with medical assistants, who perform routine clinical and clerical tasks.

However, the number of jobs is greater than the number of practicing PAs because about 15% of them hold two or more jobs (for example, with a supervising physician and also in another healthcare facility).

PAs work in primary care (general internal medicine, pediatrics or family medicine), or in specialty areas, such as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. Most job growth will occur in rural and inner-city healthcare facilities, where it is difficult to attract physicians. A possible downside of these locations is the lack of close supervision.

Over 50% of PAs work in physicians’ offices, and about 25% in hospitals. The rest of the positions are in outpatient care centers (like health maintenance organizations), the Federal Government; and colleges or professional schools.
According to the national accrediting commission, physician assistants are prepared academically and clinically to provide health care services under the direction and supervision of a surgeon or doctor of medicine or osteopathy.

PAs make clinical decisions for primary and specialty care, and provide diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services. PAs’ work includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice and may include patient instruction and counseling, educational, research, and administrative activities, such as making progress notes. A physician assistant (PA) is a specially qualified health care professional who provides medical care under the supervision of a licensed physician in a variety of health care settings.

As a member of a healthcare team, a PA’s span of control is wide and determined both by state law and the supervising physician. Prospective students should get familiar, and stay current, with the Ohio state law governing the scope of a PAs work. Physicians may delegate to PAs medical duties that are both within the physician’s scope of practice and aligned with the PA’s training and experience and state law.

He or she:

• Takes medical histories
• Examines and treat patients
• Orders or carries out therapy
• Orders and interprets laboratory tests and x rays
• Makes diagnoses
• Treats minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting
• Prescribes specific medications
• Performs managerial duties, such as ordering medical supplies or equipment
• Supervises medical technicians and assistants
• Makes house calls or goes to hospitals and nursing care facilities to check on patients, and then report back to the physician.
• PAs who specialize in surgery may work as first or second assistants during major surgery to provide preoperative and postoperative care.

How to Find the Best College for a Physician Assistant Degree

Attending a school accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant is critical to passing the national exam and obtaining a license. PAs are licensed and regulated by the Ohio State Medical Board, the same as physicians. About 80% of programs offer the master’s degree.

Most applicants have a college degree and typically, four years of health-related work experience. Nurses, EMTs, and paramedics often apply to these programs.

Schools current accredited in Ohio are:
Cuyahoga Community College / Cleveland State University
Kettering College Of Medical Arts
Marietta College
Medical University of Ohio at University of Toledo
Mount Union College (*provisional)
University Of Findlay (on probation)

The curriculum includes medical, behavioral, and social sciences courses that cover health policy and professional practice issues. Students are given an introduction to clinical medicine and patient assessment; and supervised clinical practice.

Classroom and laboratory instruction includes biochemistry, pathology, human anatomy, physiology, clinical pharmacology, clinical medicine, physical diagnosis, and medical ethics.

Only the University of Toledo is included, as number 69, in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top schools nationwide for physician assistant training. The top-ranked are: The University of Iowa, Duke University, Emory University, George Washington University, The University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center, and the University of Utah.

In school, physicians, PAs and others provide instruction in a curriculum following the medical school model. Here, the relationship between PA and physician begins. Many accredited programs offer clinical experience, in affiliation with a medical school. PA students share classes, facilities and clinical rotations with medical students.

Physician assistant educational programs usually take at least 2 years to complete on a full-time basis. Most programs are at schools of allied health, academic health centers, medical schools, or 4-year colleges. Some are at community colleges or hospitals, or are part of the military.

When evaluating schools, I recommend that you look closely at the course listings offered, and talk directly to the professors who teach them to find out where their recent students are working and to explore their teaching philosophy. PA programs include supervised clinical training in areas like family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, prenatal care and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, and pediatrics.

Tips for Getting Hired

PA students sometimes serve in one or more of clinical areas under the supervision of a physician who is seeking to hire a PA. The rotation may lead to permanent employment in one of these areas.

To obtain a license, physician assistants must complete an accredited education program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, which is open only to graduates of accredited programs and is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). After passing the exam, PAs are “Physician Assistant-Certified.”

To maintain certification, PAs must obtain 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years (as physician must do). PAs must then pass a national recertification exam every six years or complete an alternative program that combines learning experiences and a take-home examination.

Although the physician-PA relationship is critical, in many settings (particularly the growing rural and urban practices), close physician supervision is not possible, as a doctor may only be present a couple of days per week. In such cases, conferences with a supervising physician and other medical professionals are required by law.

According to the commission, excellent soft skills are, therefore, mandatory: “The role of the PA demands intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and the capacity to react to emergencies in a calm and reasoned manner. An attitude of respect for self and others, adherence to the concepts of privilege and confidentiality in communicating with patients, and a commitment to the patient’s welfare are essential attributes of the graduate PA.”
As always, What’s Your Major? strongly recommends joining a professional association and attending local or national meetings to get a better understanding of the field and to kick off your job networking campaign. For additional information about a career in Ohio as a physician assistant, contact: the Ohio Association for Physician Assistants, 4700 Reed Road, Suite N • Columbus, OH 43220 Tel: 800.292.4997 • Fax: 614.824.2103 • OAPA@OhioPA.com

For information a list of accredited programs, contact:
American Academy of Physician Assistants Information Center, 950 North Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.aapa.org

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistants, 12000 Findley Road, Suite 240, Johns Creek, Georgia 30097. Internet: http://www.arc-pa.org

For eligibility requirements and a description of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, contact: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc., 12000 Findley Rd., Suite 200, Duluth, GA 30097. Internet: http://www.nccpa.net