by John MacGregor
Online Masters Degrees Programs Columnist

The job market for physician assistants is in the midst of explosive growth, since the US healthcare system has begun to use them to increase efficiency and cut costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that job opportunities for physician assistants will grow much faster than average in the coming years as physicians and hospitals use them to help contain healthcare costs.

Many types of Physician Assistant Duties

In larger healthcare settings, physician assistants work on a team under the direction of a doctor to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services. In inner city and rural healthcare settings, where a doctor may only be present for one or two days per week, physician assistants also often provide many primary care services.

Online Master’s Degrees Provide Physician Assistant Training

Physician assistants receive formal healthcare training along with courses in biology, English, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, and the social sciences. Many students also obtain supervised clinical training in several areas, including family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, prenatal care and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics.

All states require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, which the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants gives every year. The text is available for graduates of accredited schools. Online master’s degree programs provide the convenience of working from home and the quality you’ll get from doing your best by working at your own pace. Check into your options for a degree in the expanding physician assistant field and realize your career potential by starting an advanced healthcare program of study.

Source

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physician Assistants

About the Author

John MacGregor is a freelance writer with degrees from the University of California in Comparative Literature and Law. He has traveled widely and worked on civil rights, government, education, and technology projects.