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Is trying to become a PA risky, because they are oversaturated?Would it be really hard to find a job as a new grad? Is it worth it to go to PA school then?

(I also have these same questions for NPs). I'm worried that if I choose to go to PA school that I will have a hard time finding a job after and regret it. I heard that in rural areas there is high demand, but if I wanted to live in more of a mainstream/bigger city, would I not be able to get a job for a long time? I heard there are also so many more PA programs now that are contributing to the oversaturation. Especially in the later 2030s or 2040s I feel like it might be hard to get a job and that I would regret not choosing another career path.

nursing medicine healthcare nurse nurse-practitioner physician-assistant
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Roxanne’s Answer

Being a PA can be very rewarding, but as a healthcare recruiter, I suggest considering the benefits of becoming an NP. One big advantage of being an NP is that you also become an RN, and there's always a high demand for RNs. As a recruiter, I always have RN positions available. If you ever struggle to find work as a mid-level provider, you can always rely on your RN skills. It's a good idea to weigh the pros and cons of being a PA versus an NP. I recommend becoming an NP because being a nurse offers strong job security.
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Jamie’s Answer

I’m a PA and as a National Guardsman was fortunate to have my training through the military. This meant I did my clinicals at a military facility that was far away from where I was looking for a job after graduation, so it did take me a good 6 months after graduation to find a job and about another 2 yrs to find a job I really wanted. So, yes finding that first job may be difficult and it may take some time to find that dream job. It is helpful to do clinicals in places you are interested in working in, make a good impression and that may be your foot in the door. I don’t believe the field is saturated as health care providers are still desperately needed.
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Elyse’s Answer

Every career path has risks. Is becoming a PA something you are passionate about? Have you researched the difference between a PA and a NP? The need for healthcare providers is and always will be great. It is up to you how you choose to contribute to the healthcare field as whole, meaning you can control what role you take, where you work, and what speciality you work in. These are all great things!
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Judith’s Answer

With the retirement of baby boomer physicians over the next decade, there is likely to be a need for more PAs and NPs in the future. It’s important to keep informed about where the job market seems saturated/ highly competitive but it’s also important to follow your dreams and interests and not worry about getting a job in a particular location at this stage. The future is hard to predict- strive to do what you love. Enthusiasm, commitment, and determination are what’s important. Don’t let worry over potential issues in the future deter you from achieving your goals!
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Hwal’s Answer

Chloe,

It looks like the PA profession is projected to experience strong growth into the 2030s:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm

But I have heard of market saturation at least anecdotally, although the PA profession is not unique in that respect. Since the overall growth for the profession is so strong, I would encourage you to look up opportunities in the geographical areas of your interest to get a feel for the job market, and compare it to other markets by looking for opportunities in those areas.

More importantly, I would encourage you to give yourself time to research each of the paths you mentioned because those are very different options. For example, if I could go back in time to decide amongst PA school, medical school, and NP school, I would ultimately still choose to go to PA school, for several reasons. PA education and training modeled on medical education offered rigorous preparation for practice, and I was able to start practicing medicine considerably sooner.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.

Good luck!

Hwal
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Sean’s Answer

Selecting a career path always comes with risks, but with proper risk management analysis you can be more informed on the risks and can better navigate avoiding them and be prepared with an action plan should you experience any of the risks. Specifically addressing the risk of over saturation, you can learn more about the job outlook for Physician Assistants by visiting the US government's Bureau of Labor Statistics job outlook page: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm. The outlook appears to be favorable for this particular role. Nurse Practitioner was also mentioned, so it seems your interest is in healthcare. You should also look for information on the outlook for the industry and not just specific jobs. The outlook for healthcare job growth also appears to be favorable: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/. As for where to look for where there concentrations of jobs. You can use the internet to search generally and you can use hiring sites like Indeed.com to look at specific geographies and actual job postings. For PA's the opportunities appear to be strong -- large populations centers like NYC, LA, Chicago, etc. will have high demand due to likely high job turnover and concentrations of healthcare facilities. As you noted, rural areas also seem to have high demand due to lack of a supply or qualified job candidates and the open jobs may be spread out over large geographic areas. Personally, I have a family member who is a PA and she is highly satisfied in her work and compensation and has been at the same job and hospital for nearly the entirety of her career (7 years or so now). Good luck in your career whichever path you decide on.
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