Career Path

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

• Taking patients’ medical histories.
• Examining patients, ordering diagnostic tests, and providing diagnoses.
• Treating patients’ illnesses and injuries, including prescribing medicine, and educating patients and their families on appropriate care for medical conditions.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a master’s degree. Physician assistant master’s degree programs often require that applicants already have some experience in patient care, generally from having worked as an EMT, paramedic, nurse, or nursing assistant. Sometimes, this experience requirement may also be fulfilled through volunteer work in a hospital or other medical setting.