Orthopedic Physician Assistant

Becoming an Orthopedic Physician Assistant may be the right choice for you if you are looking for a high paying position within the healthcare industry. Physician Assistants in any area of healthcare are a valuable part of the healthcare team and therefore command good salaries. While these professionals are performing their duties, they are also reducing the cost of healthcare and reducing the work load of doctors.

One of the reasons Orthopedic Physician Assistants are able to help reduce the cost of health care is that they attend to the ordinary needs of patients which leaves higher paid physicians to work with the more needy clients. This also serves to reduce the amount of time patients have to spend waiting to be seen by a professional. Since Physician Assistants earn less than a licensed doctor, the savings is passed throughout the healthcare system. Here is some information which may help you decide whether you would like to pursue a career in this field of healthcare.

Duties of Orthopedic Physician Assistant

A requirement of the job of Physician Assistants is that they work under the supervision of a doctor. Their duties are to examine patients, order tests, diagnose conditions, communicate with the doctor in charge about the patient, and prescribe treatment as well as necessary medications. They command more in terms of compensation than others in the healthcare field because of the many services they provide. Below are additional duties performed by Orthopedic Physician Assistants.

• Order tests such as ECGs, lab workups, x-rays and others
• Performs physician exam to determine patient condition
• Reviews patient medical histories, helps them understand treatment plans, and communicated effectively
• Administers prescribed therapeutic procedures such as suturing wounds, management of infections, and immunizations
• Gives assistance during surgeries and other procedures
• Supervises technicians

Orthopedic Physician Assistant Traits

Regardless of the area of specialty, Physician Assistants know that they must be prepared to spend hours on their feet. There are even times they will have to lift on heavy patients who cannot move themselves around. This makes it necessary to be strong both mentally and physically with great endurance.

Orthopedic Physician Assistants like all other healthcare professionals must possess nerves of steel which will help them to maintain steady hands while working with patients. Shaky hands can make it look like you are not confident in your ability to perform your duties.

Salary-Orthopedic Physician Assistant

The anticipated salary of most Physician Assistants is somewhere around $90,000 per year. Sign on and performance bonuses add to the earnings of well trained professionals in this field. Other benefits are also part of the packages of most assistants which include things like retirement benefits, paid vacations, and malpractice insurance.

After a number of years as a practicing Orthopedic Physician Assistant, one can also expect increases in yearly salary to go up to as much as $150,000 per year.

If this all sounds attractive to you, and you feel that you can meet the physical and mental challenges of such a position, you may want to run not walk to the nearest registration center and apply to an accredited program.