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Surgical & primary care
Physician Assistant
Most of medicine, in a fraction of the training.
Typical pay
$110k-$150k
How you get in
Master's degree, 24-36 months, plus the PANCE
Outlook
Very strong across every specialty
PAs examine, diagnose, treat and prescribe under a collaborating physician. The training is a dense two to three years and the ability to switch specialties without retraining is the profession's single biggest advantage.
A day in the life
- 6:30aPre-round on the surgical service
- 7:30aFirst assist in the operating room
- 11:30aPost-op checks and discharge orders
- 1:00pLunch, usually eaten standing
- 1:30pClinic — consults and follow-ups
- 5:30pCharting and handoff to the night team
How to get in
Master's in PA studies
Duration
6-7 years total
Cost
$80,000-$180,000 for the program
Credential
PA-C via the PANCE exam
- Complete a bachelor's with the prerequisite sciences
- Accumulate 1,000-3,000 direct patient care hours — usually as an EMT, CNA, MA or scribe
- Complete a 24-36 month PA program with clinical rotations
- Pass the PANCE and get state licensed
Healthcare experience first
Duration
1-3 years, then the program
Cost
$400-$15,000 for the entry credential
Credential
Entry healthcare credential, then PA-C
- Certify quickly as an EMT, CNA, medical assistant or phlebotomist
- Work full time to accumulate the required patient care hours
- This step is not optional — programs weight it heavily
- Apply with hours, science grades and a real reason for the field
Military to PA
Duration
Service commitment plus the program
Cost
$0 — funded through service
Credential
PA-C
- Serve as a medic or corpsman and accumulate clinical hours
- Use military PA programs or veteran education benefits
- Complete the PA curriculum
- One of the few routes with no significant debt
What people love
- · Switch specialties without redoing training
- · Excellent pay for the years invested
- · No residency required
- · Broad clinical scope
What wears people down
- · Admission is intensely competitive
- · Program is dense and expensive
- · You practice under a collaborating physician
- · Patient care hours are required before you can even apply