Is a Physicians Assistant (PA) a good job?

Yes, it's a great job. It's not just the money. They pay well, but the important thing it's the human touch. If you are social, this is a great opportunity to become a real angel.

I actually had been considering the same options myself. I ended up going into a paramedic program for a few reasons. First, paramedics are much more independent. We operate primarily on protocols and standing orders. We don't have to wait for a doctor's order before assessing and treating a patient. We essential operate as "field doctors". The education is very comparable to that for a nurse, and the skills we perform in most states are almost identitical. However, there are some advanced skills that paramedics may be authorized to perform that nurses cannot. Unfortunately, the pay for paramedics is the worst of the three. If you're doing it for the money, don't be a paramedic. If you want an exciting job, this is the way to go. Nursing is a very well-paid profession, and offers a lot of different options. There are a lot of different specialties that you can go into. If you want to work with kids, geriatrics, cancer patients, psych patients, or whatever you can think of, there is a specialty for you. Here's a little riddle to help you decide between the two careers I mentioned above: Q: What's the difference between a nurse and a paramedic? A: Nurses care. A physician's assistant would typically be above either nurses or paramedics on the pay scale. However, the education requirement is considerably greater. The PA programs that I looked into were two year programs following your Bachelor's degree, so you're looking at 6 years of school. But, PA's get to do a lot more of the "science" behind the illness by making a definitive diagnosis. Generally, paramedics and nurses don't diagnose - they just treat the symptoms. A PA's work hours are much more likely to be regular daytime hours. I chose paramedic for the excitement, the ability to work independently, and because it is really cool to go into someone's home and determine based on your findings what the problem is and how it will be treated. YOU are responsible for making the right decision and making it quickly. I guess I thrive on stress and live for the adrenaline rush.

Depends on the physician you are assisting.

Demand for PA's are on the rise. PA's are highly trained and educated caregivers who are a step below physicians. They do not achieve the income level of physicians, but are qualified to perform the vast majority of routine day-to-day care of both outpatients in an office or inpatients in a hospital. They are usually employed by physicians to take over the mostly routine matters invloved in patient care. As the workload in a busy medical practice increases, it may make better economic sense for the practice to hire a PA who will not demand the income level of a full fledged physician. As more medical practices see their profitability threatened, PA's will become more of an attractive option for many groups. A qualified PA in a lucrative practice could probably make 6 figures, but probably won't see anything near 200 grand.

A PA is a step below a Doctor. They can write prescriptions and do many of the things that a Dr can do. I believe it's about the same as a nurse practitioner.

If you decide to become a PA you will make a lot of money more then the other 2. It alswo depends where you work to. A P.A is just below a doctor and you should be able to know howmuch you would make if your below a doctor. in my area a PA will make about 15 an hour, but it plays a major role where you live at too

pa pays more you get more responsibility i think you will make more money but if you become a anesthesia nurse you make like 150,000 yearly

why do you want to be somebody's assistant

This should help: P.A.: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/snapshots/5.html R.N.: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/snapshots/47.html *Top 10 Fastest-growing fields: Physician assistant 49.65% job growth