Physician Assistant Accredited Schools
Get Prepared for One of Today's Hottest Job Titles

The occupation first came into existence in the 1960s in response to a shortage of primary physicians in the United States. Since that time, over 140 accredited physician assistant schools were developed to meet the growing demand for PAs in the medical field, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

Here's what you'll do in a physician assistant career:

• Examine patients
• Diagnose patient conditions
• Prescribe medications
• Order lab tests and x-rays
• Treat minor injuries
• Assist in surgery.

As U.S. News & World Report puts it, physician assistants can do "80 percent of what doctors do."

Training to become a licensed physician assistant generally involves two years of study in a master's-level physician assistant program. You also have to earn passing grade on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

Of course, earning a degree from an accredited physician assistant school and receiving a license does not signal the end of your training. The AAPA describes how, on a regular basis, physician assistants must take continuing medical education courses and be "retested" on their clinical practice skills.

Their title might be less recognizable to some, but physician assistants have built a solid reputation for delivering the high quality care that patients have come to expect at the doctor's office. And if they happen to belong to one of the best careers in the country, that's just one of the perks of the job.