1. The Power of the PA Profession
Good morning! Thank you for inviting me here today.
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© Copyright 2018, American Academy of PAs

2. What is a PA?
PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider.
The first PA class graduated from Duke University in 1967 
Today, there are more than 123,000 PAs and over 250 PA programs located across the country.
PAs see over 400 million patients a year.

3. What can PAs do?
PAs’ specific duties depend on the setting in which they work, their level of experience, their specialty, and state laws.
Generally, PAs can:
Take medical histories
Diagnose and treat illness
Conduct physical exams
Prescribe medication
Develop treatment plans
Perform procedures
Counsel on preventive care
Do clinical research
Order and interpret tests
Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
And assist in surgery

4. What can PAs do?
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5. How are PAs educated? PAs are educated at the master’s degree level.
There are more than 250 PA programs in the country and admission is highly competitive, requiring a bachelor’s degree and completion of courses in basic and behavioral sciences.
PA programs are approximately 27 months (three academic years), and include classroom instruction and more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations.
The PA school curriculum is modeled on the medical school curriculum that involves both didactic and clinical
education training.
In the didactic phase, students take courses in basic medical sciences, behavioral sciences, and behavioral ethics.
In the clinical phase, students complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations in medical and surgical disciplines, including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry.

6. What is PA School like?
A PA’s medical education and training are rigorous.
The PA school curriculum is modeled on the medical school curriculum that involves both didactic and clinical
education training.
In the didactic phase, students take courses in basic medical sciences, behavioral sciences, and behavioral ethics.
In the clinical phase, students complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations in medical and surgical disciplines, including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry.

7. Where do PAs work?
There are more than 123,000 PAs who practice in every medical setting in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
They work in hospitals, medical offices, community health centers, nursing homes, retail clinics, educational facilities, workplace clinics, and correctional institutions. PAs also serve in the nation’s uniformed services and work for other federal government agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

8. Is there a high demand for PAs?
Demand for PAs has increased
300%
from
2011 to 2014.
PA Employment will increase by 30%
between 2014 and 2024.
Multiple job offers are received by
76%
of PAs upon graduation.
*Merrit Hawkins
*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
*NCCPA 2015 Profile of PAs
Yes, the PA profession is one of the fastest growing in the country!
The demand for PAs increased more than 300 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to the healthcare search firm Merritt Hawkins.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the profession will increase 37 percent from 2016 to 2026, significantly faster than the average for all occupations.
The demand for PAs is so high that three quarters of PAs receive multiple job offers upon graduation.

9. Is there a high demand for PAs?
Everywhere you look, PAs are in the news. Whether it’s coverage of a PA working in a local community who has made a difference—or recognition of the profession as one of the most promising or “best jobs,” PAs enjoy high visibility, which continues to trend upwards.

10. How much do PAs make?
$102,000
*Data provided by the AAPA 2017 Salary Survey
The demand for PAs has fueled an increase in PA salaries.
According to new data from AAPA, PA compensation continues to increase faster than both national inflation and most other professions, and has consistently done so for more than 15 years.
According to the AAPA 2017 Salary Survey, on average, PAs make $102,000 a year.

11. Interested in learning more?
Visit AAPA.org to learn more about PAs