Black Intelligentsia Libraries
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Physician Assistant
We all have seen depictions of doctors performing surgery on TV.  But what many do not know is that some of those individuals in the operating room during surgery are not doctors but are specially-trained assistants.  If you would like to be one of the privileged few who work in the operating room without spending over a decade to get there (as Surgeons have had to endure), wish to provide primary care to patients, and love Science, Health, and Math, then you should pursue a career as a Physician Assistant.  

Physician Assistants (PAs) practice medicine and provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services typically performed by Physicians, under the supervision and direction of and as delegated by Physicians and Surgeons.  They are formally trained to conduct complete physicals, examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, provide treatment, counsel patients, and may, in some cases, prescribe medication.  Physician Assistants work in Physicians’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings.

The duties of a Physician Assistant include but are not limited to:  working under the supervision of a Physician or Surgeon; reviewing patients’ medical histories; doing physical exams to check patients’ health; ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests (x-rays, blood tests, etc.); making preliminary diagnoses concerning a patient’s injury or illness; providing treatment (setting broken bones, giving immunizations, etc.); educating, answering the questions of, and counseling patients and their families (caring for a child with asthma, etc.); prescribing medicine, when needed; recording a patient’s progress; completing insurance paperwork; carrying out managerial duties (ordering medical supplies and equipment, etc.); and supervising Medical Technicians and Medical Assistants.

High school students interested in becoming a Physician Assistant benefit from taking Nursing, Nutrition, Health, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Biology/Anatomy, Physics, Chemistry, and Physical Science.  Students entering Physician Assistant Bachelor's of Science programs with no previous medical training should expect a period of 4 years to complete said program.  Upon completion of a Bachelor's degree, graduates must complete an accredited Physician Assistant educational program, which usually takes at least 2 years of full-time study and typically leads to a Master’s degree.  ​All states require Physician Assistants to be licensed, which requires passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.  Aspiring PAs should investigate the laws and regulations in the states in which they wish to practice.  

Physician Assistants work in all areas of medicine, including primary care, family medicine, emergency medicine, and Psychiatry.  Their work depends in large part on their specialty and what their supervising Physician needs them to do.  PAs working in surgery may close incisions and provide care before and after the operation.  Those working in Pediatrics may examine a child or give routine vaccinations.

In rural areas and inner cities, Physician Assistants may be the primary care providers at clinics where a Physician is present only 1 or 2 days per week.  In these locations, Physician Assistants confer with the Physician and other healthcare workers as needed and as required by law.  Other PAs make house calls or visit nursing homes to treat patients, reporting back to the Physician afterward.

As more Physicians enter specialty areas of medicine, there will be a greater need for Physician Assistants.  Because PAs are more cost-effective than Physicians and are expected to have increased roles, the baby-boomers have reached retirement age, and the overall population is still growing, employment of Physician Assistants is expected to increase 30 percent over the next decade.  Job prospects are particularly good for PAs willing to work in rural and medically underserved areas.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $88,660

Salary Range:  ~$60,690 - $120,060+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
The normal routes to becoming a Physician Assistant have been to attain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Physician Assistant, Pre-Medical, Pre-Physician Assistant, Biology or Biological Sciences, Physiology or Physiology Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Human Biology (Physician Assistant concentration), Anatomy, Chemistry (Pre-Professional), Engineering Physics, Physics, Pre-Professional Education, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nursing, or Biochemistry. 

Physician Assistant education programs usually last at least 2 years and are full time.  Most programs are in schools of allied health, academic health centers, medical schools, or 4-year colleges and are either Bachelor's of Science programs or Master's of Science programs.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
Colleges and universities that have Physician Assistant programs and related majors are:  University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Maryland); Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Los Angeles, California); Meharry Medical College (Nashville, Tennessee); Saint Augustine's University (Raleigh, North Carolina); Delaware State University (Dover, Delaware); Howard University (Washington, DC); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina); Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina); North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia); Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina); Winston Salem State University (Winston Salem, North Carolina); Albany State University (Albany, Georgia); Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia); South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Claflin University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Allen University (Columbia, South Carolina); Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, Georgia); Paine College (Augusta, Georgia); Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, Texas); Livingstone College (Salisbury, North Carolina); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia); Oakwood University (Huntsville, Alabama); and Voorhees College (Denmark, South Carolina).
Available Scholarships