Career questions tagged physician-assistant
What is the best part of being a PA? Will all of my hard work translate into a job that I love going to every day? I wonder how successful I would be as a PA?
I am a senior in high school. I attend a program through my school that allows me to do clinical rotations. I am interested in pediatric care, but I don't necessarily like aspects of nursing. I wonder if I should be a biology major or a nursing major, though.
What is the best way to get experience in the medical field?
I have a medical assistant certificate, but I haven't been able to gain experience with it. I want to gain experience while continuing my studies. #Fall25
What is studying neuroscience like? #Fall25
I don't want to know the basics, and I know every school is different. But how does the major differ from other science majors like biology. Especially in a pre-med viewpoint. Will it benefit me studying neuroscience instead of biology? (I do like the topic better) Also, what's the best studying tactics for neuroscience?
How do I pursue a career as a pediatric physician assistant?
I am a senior at my high school, I have a GPA of 3.9 and I am involved in art club and my local church. I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Jamaica and it made me realize that I would like to pursue a career as a pediatric physician assistant. *Edited by Admin for clarity
How challenging is PA school and what does it take to get through it?
I am a high school senior and I am trying to figure out if PA school is really for me
What should I do to be sure that a Physician Assistant is what I actually want to do before I continue to take classes and work towards a degree ?
I really want to be a part of the medical field and I have recently learned that physicians assistants are in a growing need. I just want to make sure that before I take out loans and spend money on a degree that this is actually what I want to do for life.
With all the new laws, I am concerned about how to become a Physician Assistant while I cannot take it out in loans. Are there any physician assistants out there with any advice to get through school with little to no loans?
I have a chet account, but it will not get me to my master's degree. People say that private loans are bad so im pretty scared of those. Help!
How do I find local scholarships?
I am a senior in high school, I am interested in majoring in psychology and/or neuroscience and I want to be a Physician Assistant.
What are the best university options for an aspiring Physician Assistant and what major best aligns with prerequisite coursework for graduate school?
I'm in the process of college research and I am struggling to find what schools are best for future physician assistants and it seems as if there are so many options for majors as well.
What do I need to know if I want to be a Physician Assistant?
I feel as though I need to plan for graduate school before I even enter undergraduate school. There seems like there are many prerequisite that I need to meet so I can meet the requirements needed to apply for a Physician Assistant. What do I need to know?
Is Microbiology a good major for a Physician Assistant?
My long term goal is to become a Physician Assistant and I am wondering if Biology or Microbiology is a better major to study to prepare me to apply to graduate school to become a physician assistant.
How do you decide which PA specialty is right for you, especially if you want a good work-life balance and still make a positive impact on patients?
I am a senior in High School and will be attending Slippery Rock University for their Exercise Science, Pre-Physician Assistant (3+2) track in the Fall of 2026
What are the most rewarding experiences you have faced and some of the most challenging moments you have had after becoming a physician assistant?
I am a senior in high school looking for advice on becoming a physician assistant after graduation.
why is choosing my major so hard?
I am currently enrolled at a college online and I feel stuck. I have taken some career tests. the results show 4 paths which are Law Enforcement, Lawyer, Physician, Counselor. here is my issues with the choices 1. Law enforcement you dont need a degree, but an associates would help move up the ranks. 2. Lawyer requires law school and that is cool for tv, but im not sure i would fit in that type of a role. 3.Physician is nice but i dont want to go to medical school, not really interested in PA school either and a NP might be tough as would need to go to nursing school. 4. Counseling there is no money in it and i would need a masters degree. The decision on what to do is hard
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.
What is the best way to study for Biology? #Spring25
I am pursuing Biology and want to do PA after
Is being a PA worth it or rewarding as someone that has wanted to be a doctor but doesn't want that commitment?
I've wanted to be a doctor since I was 5 but now I'm not so sure. I know it's a lot of work and I don't really want to be in school that long, plus once in that field I know it's not a lot of flexibility (looking at being a surgeon or pediatrician as of right now). However, I still have a strong interest in medicine and have a desire to help people through that. I also still have plans of traveling, starting a family, etc. in the future. I've been thinking about being a PA as opposed to going to med school but I'm not sure and I don't know if I should pursue pre-med or pre-pa in college.
How is it possible to get clinical hours to be able to apply to Physician Assistant graduate school if I have no experience How do I start off? ?
What is the next stop for me to become successful and reach my end goal of being a Physician Assistant?
What lesser-known experiences and extracurriculars during undergrad helped you stand out when applying to PA or medical school Out of these hobbies, what was your most rewarding experience? #Spring25?
I love getting involved in as much as possible, whether it is medical-related or just things I enjoy. Sometimes I get worried that I can't balance my hobbies with the rigor of my classes and I hope to get some ideas from others on what they found not only most helpful when applying to PA school but also what they enjoyed the most! #Spring25
What is the most difficult part of the journey to becoming a Physician Assistant ?
What is the most difficult part of the journey to becoming a Physician Assistant?
Out of these careers, what is the best?
If you are a PA, MA, NICU Nurse, Sonographer/Ultrasound Tech, Optometrist, Pharmacist, Dental Hygienist, or Dental Assistant, please help me decide which of these I should pursue. I dont want to spend a lot on education but also make a good amount of money. So please let me know how much money and time I would spend on school for each, and how much will I make. Thanks.
Should I be a physician assistant or elementary school teacher?
I'm having a hard time picking which one I should be. I'm stuck between being a physician assistant or an elementary school teacher. I absolutely love little kids and I'll be so happy doing that in life but at the same time teachers are so underpaid. This year I took a lot of high school science related classes since I was thinking about being a physician assistant so maybe it makes sense to just continue with it but I'm not sure. I can't really handle blood either but my school offers so many science classes and less education centered classes.
How can I contact professionals to shadow/interview?
I'm a 2nd year bio student and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to pursue. I've been thinking about becoming a physician assistant or medical social worker, but I want to learn more about it before deciding. I volunteer at the hospital rn, but I don't get to interact w any professionals (just the hospitality personnel) I'm not sure how to reach out or who to ask to learn more about their experiences #fall2024
What is a Pediatric Physician Assistant?
I'm currently in 12th grade wanting to be a Pediatric Doctor (Pediatrician or a Pediatric Physician Assistant)
What’s it like to become a Physicians assistant
What major did you complete to become PA?
How to prepare for Physician Assistant (PA) school?
I'm a 2nd year college student and recently decided to pursue a PA path. how can I prepare for applications? - extracurriculars - programs - shadowing - volunteer opportunities I was especially worried about all the direct patient experience I need since I don't know where to start and every opportunity seems to need an additional certificate Thank you in advance!
As a high school student who wants to be a physician assistant what are some good volunteer opporutunities?
I'm looking for volunteer opportunities that will help me become a physician assistant!
What are some things I can do outside of school if I want to be a physician assistant?
My dream job has been to be a physician assistant for a while now and I have been trying to look into things that I can do outside of school to help benefit my education or college applications. I tried volunteering but I was told I had to wait a couple of months because my age doesn't make me eligible. What can I do??
What Is the most challenging part of becoming a PA (Physician Assistant) And what is a good way to prepare for these challenges? #Spring24 ?
Additional Information about me is I'm really passionate about healthcare. And I enjoy it because I'm helping other people, feel like their best self. At the moment I am working on obtaining my CNA license. And plan on going to college to become a PA this really interested me because not only do I get to spend time with patients, but I also have the chance to learn about so many different aspects of healthcare to treat patients.
How long does it take to become a surgical physician assistant? Will there be additional years after PA school because of extra training for surgery?
Is there extra training additional to the 2 years of PA school.