Completing physician assistant (PA) school is an exciting accomplishment, but it’s just the beginning of your professional journey!

As a PA, you have many different career paths and job opportunities to explore. The extreme flexibility of the profession allows PAs to serve in many ways and in this post, we’ll discuss some of the most common career paths and job opportunities available to PAs!

The most common career path for PAs is clinical practice. As a PA, you can work in a variety of settings (and specialties), including hospitals, clinics, private practices, and other healthcare facilities. Many PAs decide to specialize in a particular area of medicine, such as cardiology, pediatrics, or orthopedic surgery. Some PAs work in primary care, providing routine healthcare as well as preventative medicine to patients, while others work in specialty areas, providing care for patients with specific medical conditions.

Some PAs choose to pursue careers in teaching and research. You can work as a faculty member at a PA program, teaching the next generation of PAs, or work in a research setting, conducting studies and contributing to the wealth of medical knowledge!

PAs can also work in administrative roles, such as hospital administrators, medical directors, or department heads. These roles require strong leadership skills and the ability to manage budgets, personnel, and other resources effectively.

PAs can also work for government agencies or in the military. In these roles, you may provide medical care to service members or work in public health settings, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Finally, some PAs choose to start their own businesses or work as consultants. This could include starting a private practice or consulting on medical matters for companies or organizations.

Becoming a physician assistant opens up many different career paths and job opportunities. Whether you choose to work in clinical practice, teaching and research, administrative roles, government and military, entrepreneurship or another field, there are plenty of options to explore. The high demand for PAs also means that job opportunities are plentiful and the profession is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Whatever path you choose, you can look forward to a fulfilling and rewarding career as a PA.