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Physician assistants work in all areas of medicine, performing physical exams, tests, and prescribing medication under the supervision of a physician. They may specialize in areas such as radiology, neurosurgery, and pain management. Work hours vary, and they can work in hospitals, clinics, universities, and the military. Certification is required, and training is offered in many countries. The pay and benefits are excellent, and there are opportunities for career advancement.
Medical assistant jobs exist in all areas of medicine and require the work of a healthcare team to provide patient care. It is the physician assistant’s job to perform physical exams, tests, provide assistance during surgery, and even prescribe medications, all under the supervision of a practicing physician. Although most physician assistants work in primary care, there are many who also specialize in a specific area of medicine.
Common physician assistant jobs in primary care involve work in pediatrics, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and internal medicine. Areas in which a medical assistant may specialize include, but are not limited to, the following: radiology, urology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, cardiac care, oncology, ER, general and vascular surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology, acute care, and pain management.
A Physician Assistant’s work hours can vary based on the job setting. They may work in an on-call situation, where flexibility and sporadic scheduling should be expected. Longer shifts and fewer working days can also be scheduled, leaving time for other activities. A more typical forty-hour workweek is possible for a physician assistant working in a clinic or private practice.
There are other medical assistant jobs in academic settings. Universities and training programs prefer to hire medical assistants who have experience in the field and who have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher. As educators, medical assistants are often referred to as professors or teaching assistants in a PA program.
Another career option to consider is serving in the military while working as a medical assistant. In the US, a medical assistant can be enlisted as an officer and join the US Army medical assistance team. This medical assistant job is a career change that can lead to travel, good military benefits, retirement, and paying off student loans. It can also be a very stressful position, depending on where the medical assistant is stationed.
In the United States, the American Academy of Medical Assistants can provide information about requirements and prospects for medical assistant jobs. Certification for this field is carried out by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), which can provide more information about the specific requirements for working in a specific area of medicine.
Medical assistants are needed all over the world, so training is offered in many different countries. In the UK, the training and employment of medical assistants is overseen by the National Health Service and the British Association of Medical Assistants.
Medical assistant jobs can be found in hospital settings, private practices, clinics, schools and universities, and in the military, as noted earlier. This is a career that requires years of training, however, the pay and benefits are excellent, and the opportunity to move around in the medical field is very good.
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