PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE

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1 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE December 2010

2 WHAT IS A PA? What is a PA? A physician assistant (PA) is a graduate of an accredited PA educational program who is authorized by the state to practice medicine with the supervision of a licensed physician. What do PAs do? Conduct physical exams Diagnose and treat illnesses Order and interpret tests Counsel on preventive health care Assist in surgery Write prescriptions Make rounds in nursing homes and hospitals * PAs responsibilities correspond to their supervising physicians practice

3 VITAL STATISTICS 50 Number of states authorizing PA prescribing privileges 74,329 Number of NCCPA-certified PAs as of February Year the first three PAs graduated from Duke University $93,105 Mean annual income from primary employer for full-time clinically practicing PAs* in 2009 Projected Growth of PAs in Clinical Practice With a projected growth of 39 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts physician assistants will be the second fastest growing health profession in the next decade (after home health aides). 74,100 Employment in ,900 Projected employment in 2018 *Excludes self-employed PAs and part-time PAs

4 TODAY S ECONOMY PA Profession Ranks High in Today s Economy Forbes.com ranked physician assistant first in its list of best master s degrees for jobs. CNNMoney.com ranked PA as number two on its best jobs in America list. U.S. News & World Report ranked the PA profession as one of the 50 best careers of Kiplinger s named PA as one of its great careers for your future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that PA will be the second fastest growing health occupation between 2008 and 2018.

5 PA INCOMES MEAN ANNUAL PA INCOME* FOR 2008 GRADUATES Dermatology $78,418 Emergency Medicine $87,251 Family/General Medicine $74,564 General Internal Medicine $75,114 General Pediatrics $75,147 General Surgery $75,988 Internal Medicine Subspecialties $76,079 Obstetrics/Gynecology $72,307 Occupational Medicine $75,000 Pediatric Subspecialties $76,136 Surgical Subspecialties $79,879 Other $78,679 *Excludes self-employed PAs and part-time PAs

6 PA PRACTICE SPECIALTIES DERMATOLOGY 3.8% EMERGENCY MEDICINE 10.3% FAMILY/GENERAL MEDICINE 24.8% GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE 6.4% GENERAL PEDIATRICS 2.2% GENERAL SURGERY 2.7% INTERNAL MEDICINE SUBSPECIALTIES 10.8% OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY 2.3% OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE 2.3% OTHER 10.2% PEDIATRIC SUBSPECIALTIES 1.9% SURGICAL SUBSPECIALTIES 22.4%

7 PA WORK ENVIRONMENTS HOSPITAL 37.5% SINGLE-SPECIALTY PHYSICIAN GROUP 24.2% MULTI-SPECIALTY PHYSICIAN GROUP 11.2% SOLO PHYSICIAN PRACTICE 8.6% COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 4.7% OTHER 4.6% RURAL CLINICS 3.7% OTHER FREESTANDING OUTPATIENT FACILITY 2.1% HEALTH MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION 1.2% NURSING HOME OR LONG-TERM FACILITY 0.9% CORRECTIONS SYSTEM 0.8% FREESTANDING SURGICAL CENTER 0.3%

8 U.S. FEDERALLY EMPLOYED PAs IN 2009 AIR FORCE 4.6% ARMY 14.7% NAVY 3.7% COAST GUARD 1.0% DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 28.6% US PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 3.7% OTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 6.2% PAs NOT EMPLOYED BY GOVERNMENT 91.8% PAs EMPLOYED BY GOVERNMENT 8.2% STATE GOVERNMENT 25.5% LOCAL GOVERNMENT 25.5% OTHER GOVERNMENT (EG., FOREIGN) 0.4%

9 HOW TO BECOME A PA There are 154 accredited PA educational programs in the United States Most PA programs award a master s degree PAs are required to complete: More than 400 hours in basic sciences 75 hours in pharmacology 175 hours in behavioral sciences Nearly 580 hours of clinical medicine 2,000 hours of clinical rotations PAs are required to pass a national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants PAs must earn and log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and take a recertification examination every six years To be able to practice, PAs must have state authorization a license, registration or certification and work with the direction of a physician

10 PA JOB SATISFACTION Would you become a PA again if you had to do it all over? YES! 88% Definitely 52% Probably 36% Contributors to PA Job Satisfaction Practice medicine Growth in scope of practice over time Balance of work-life Minimal administrative responsibilities unless by choice Ability to change specialties and/or work settings relatively easily

11 WANT TO LEARN MORE? American Academy of Physician Assistants 950 N. Washington Street Alexandria, VA P , ext F