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Physician's Assistant Job Description

What does a Physician's Assistant do?

A Physician’s Assistant is a medical professional who works alongside a licensed physician and performs some of the same duties as a doctor. Duties may include taking medical histories, performing physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, prescribing medication, and providing patient education. They work closely with physicians to provide comprehensive medical care to patients, and can work in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. Physician’s Assistants must complete a Master’s level education program and obtain state licensure to practice.

Our Physician's Assistant job description includes the Physician's Assistant responsibilities, duties, skills, education, qualifications, and experience.

Physician’s Assistant Example


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If you need an example job description for a Physician's Assistant download the one below, alternatively we have many other Healthcare job description samples and a job description library with over 3000 job descriptions templates that you can download for free.

What does a Physician's Assistant do?

A Physician's Assistant (PA) is a healthcare professional who works under the supervision of a qualified doctor to provide medical care to patients. They take patient histories, assist with examinations, diagnose illnesses and injuries, and provide treatments and preventative health care. PAs also provide education, counselling and emotional support to their patients. They work in many different healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics and GP surgeries.

Physician's Assistant Role Purpose

The purpose of a Physician's Assistant (PA) job role is to provide medical care to patients under the supervision of a qualified physician. The PA will act as an extension of the physician and collaborate with other healthcare providers to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to patient care. This could include conducting physical examinations, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, and prescribing medications. The PA will also provide education and emotional support to patients and their families.

Physician's Assistant Role

A Physician's Assistant is a healthcare professional who works under the supervision of a qualified doctor to provide medical care to patients. They are responsible for carrying out medical examinations, taking medical histories, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatments. They may also prescribe medications, order laboratory tests, and refer patients to specialists.

Physician's Assistant Duties

  • Perform physical exams and take medical histories
  • Order and interpret diagnostic tests
  • Assist in surgery, setting fractures and providing emergency care
  • Advise patients on healthcare and preventative measures
  • Refer patients to specialist consultants and other healthcare professionals
  • Prescribe drugs and dress wounds
  • Update medical records
  • Maintain patient confidentiality

Physician's Assistant Requirements

  • A minimum of a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field
  • Certification as a physician's assistant
  • Knowledge of medical terminology, pharmacology and anatomy
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Physician's Assistant Skills

  • Medical Knowledge
  • Organisational Skills
  • Good Communication
  • Commitment to Patient Care

Physician's Assistant Personal Traits

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Strong problem-solving skills
  • Ability to work independently
  • Good organisational skills
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Ability to work in a team

How to write a Physician's Assistant Job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

A job description informs the reader about a job, whereas a job advert’s main objective is to sell the job opportunity to attract as many suitable applicants possible. A job advert maybe the first touch-point a candidate has with your company so it is important to create a great impression.

Job Advertisements should enticing, so considering using short, exciting language which get the reader’s attention.

How to write a Physician's Assistant Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Physician's Assistant Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Physician's Assistant Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company's culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Physician's Assistant

Once you have selected your Job Description download it or convert it to a Job Advert. From here you can post/advertise your job across our network of job boards. If you wish to use the job description for a CV Template click through for advice and Convert to a CV

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