Orthopedic Physician Assistant Job Description

An orthopedic physician's assistant

The physician's assistant is usually responsible for preparing the operating room and telling the patient about the procedure. The assistant may give information about the types of anesthesia to be used, the risks involved, and the details of the operation itself. The assistant to the surgeon is the one who has the necessary equipment at hand when needed.

A person needs to have a bachelor's degree with a medical focus, work experience in a health-care setting, and complete a licensed physician assistant program to become an orthopedic physician's assistant. Most programs take about two years to complete. Prospective doctors in medical school take many of the same courses as students.

Physician Assistants in Orthopedic Surgery

Physician assistant education programs are required for becoming a PA. It's common to already have a bachelor's degree in science and have some experience in medical settings before entering a program. It will take about two years for the program to be completed if you attend it full time.

You may need to take more courses before you get admitted to your program. After graduating from the program, you will have the chance to specialize in orthopedics. PAs can take part in post-graduate programs in the specialty so they can get paid while they learn a specialty field.

An orthopedic surgery PA works in an office that sees patients on a daily basis. The PA works in an operating room or a hospital when surgery is involved. Follow ups with patients can be done at the hospital or office.

Medical settings expose you to potential dangers, such as pathogens. The job of working in orthopedics can be draining and can still have a risk of diseases. PAs spend most of their day on their feet, moving from patient to patient or standing in surgery.

The median salary for physician assistants is $104,860 a year. Half of physician assistants bring in more and half earn less. The lowest 10 percent of workers make less than $65,590.

The Physician Assistants' Guide

The basis of the PA education curriculum is the national board examination that all PA graduates must pass. After completing PA school, a graduate can enroll and complete a post graduate program for a particular specialty, or the graduate PA can align with a specialized physician who is willing to mentor him or her in the physician's area of expertise. Gauthier says that physicians should educate themselves on the PA profession and think about what qualities a PA can add to the practice.

Try to find applicants who have had an accredited PA orthopedic fellowship, have previous work experience as a certified athletic trainer, or have had an orthodontist. The American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Organization for Physician Assistants in Orthopedic Surgery are recommended. The physicians believe in the concept.

The Benefits of Working with an Orthopaedic Physician Assistant

As an orthopedic physician assistant, you'll deal with bones, joints, muscles and ligaments. Physician assistants are health-care professionals who work under the supervision of a doctor. The American Academy of Physician Assistants says that 61 percent of PAs are female in 2010, so you should find lots of colleagues who understand the working woman.

The average annual salary of PAs in the US was $92,460 in 2012 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Physician assistants spend about two-thirds of their time in school, according to the Physician Assistants in Orthopaedic Surgery. A PA learns her specialty while working with an orthopedic surgeon and continuing her education after about 112 weeks of primary-care training.