Physician Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides exhaustive information on the physician assistant job description, to help you learn the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they typically perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the physician assistant role.

What Does a Physician Assistant Do?

The physician assistant is responsible for providing healthcare that is medically appropriate and cost-effective.

They work in collaboration with the physicians in health care settings like hospitals, clinics, private offices of a physician, schools, and other health care facilities.

The physician assistant job description involves administering medications as prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist under the direction of a licensed practitioner and following the standards of proper medication administration to prevent harm to the patient.

It also entails examining and treating patients, and recording the findings, observations, and results of the treatment in patient’s medical record.

Physician assistants collect biological samples for pathologic, bacteriological or other test procedures.

They also perform some clinical duties under physician’s supervision, such as lab tests, minor surgery, and procedures not requiring anesthesia.

Delegating tasks to certified nurse aides or other non-physician personnel in a manner that does not compromise quality of care is also a part of what they do.

Their duties involve maintaining up to date knowledge in the field of medicine by continuing education.

It is the job of the physician assistant to take care of patients under the direction of physicians.

Additionally, this professional coordinates the care of patients within a health care setting by carrying out administrative duties, scheduling appointments, and coordinating access to specialists.

A physician assistant may be involved in accounting related activities, such as preparing records, billing insurance programs, and processing claims.

They are also responsible for overseeing bills and ensuring that appropriate amounts are collected from patients.

Physician assistants are involved with assisting physicians in the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and compensation for injury to persons under the physician’s jurisdiction.

They carry out laboratory testing, analyze test results, and make recommendations to a physician regarding further procedures or treatments

Physician Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The physician assistant job description involves the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Provides medical care, diagnosis, and treatment in a physician’s office or clinic, to patients
• Performs related tasks that help the physician provide medical services, such as writing orders and prescriptions, taking vital signs, preparing patient reports and orders, scheduling appointments, and obtaining patient records
• Applies knowledge of patient’s condition to observe and interpret data relevant to diagnosis; collects additional relevant information as needed to make a diagnosis, prepares treatment plan, and provides support in the delivery of care
• Participates in teachings by physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals within the medical practice
• Assists physicians with clerical and administrative duties
• Coordinates the care of multiple patients in their own home and/or other locations where appropriate.

Physician Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before as a physician assistant or are presently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, you can apply the sample physician assistant job description above in crafting the Professional Experience part of your resume.

You can highlight the duties and responsibilities you have carried out or are presently performing in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the one in the above physician assistant job description template.

This will show to the employer/recruiter that you have been successful performing the physician assistant role.

Having this piece of information in your resume can significantly enhance it and increase your chances of getting the new job, especially if the new position that you are seeking requires someone with some physician assistant work experience.

Physician Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for a Successful Career

Here are major requirements you may be expected to meet if you are seeking the physician assistant role in most healthcare establishment:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or in a related field
• Two years of specialized clinical experience
• Advanced training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Advanced knowledge of anesthesia, pain management, and intensive care techniques
• Health care informatics experience
• Clinical research experience
• At least one additional unit of continuing education required each year by the Board in order to maintain certification
• Open and active membership in the AMA or an approved certifying organization that demonstrates competence in the practice of nursing
• The preparation of a portfolio of evidence-based, patient-focused care plans, that reflect an understanding of the physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the patient
• Advanced knowledge of and experience in providing medical services for men and women’s health, and for physical conditions
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of the practice of medicine and nursing
• Demonstrated advanced skills and knowledge in the appropriate use of pharmaceutical agents.

Physician Assistant Salary

The average salary for physician assistants is  $114,617 (salary.com) and $106,120 (indeed.com).

According to indeed, the highest paying cities are: New York, NY, $125,874; Chicago, IL, $117,701; Denver, CO, $115,976; Brooklyn, NY, $113,932; and Dallas, TX, $112,924, per year.

Zippia published that there are currently around 114,201 physician assistants working in the United States.

Women make up 66.4% of all physician assistants while men make up 33.6%.

An employed physician assistant is 38 years old on average.

White (70.7%) is the most common ethnicity among physician assistants, followed by Asian (10.8%), Hispanic or Latino (9.8%), and Black or African American (5.5%).

Conclusion

This post is useful to individuals interested in the physician assistant career. They can learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities of a physician assistant.

It is also helpful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed job description for the physician assistant position in their organization.