Have you considered a career as a physician associate (PA)? As the demand for healthcare providers surges across California and the nation, PAs have become indispensable in delivering quality medical care.
The U.S. faces a shortage of up to 122,000 physicians by 2032 as the population grows and ages, according to the AAMC. Fortunately, PAs can help fill this gap with their advanced medical skills. Jobs for PAs are projected to increase by 31% nationally from 2020-2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – creating 23,400 new positions in California alone.
What draws people to the PA profession? PAs practice medicine with autonomy and flexibility, earning competitive salaries while making a difference in patients‘ lives. They examine, diagnose and treat illness alongside physician partners, acting as medical generalists. Many pursue specialties from surgery, to dermatology, to mental health.
Intrigued by the PA route? Read on for an in-depth look at PA education, including profiles of top programs in San Francisco.
What Does a PA Do? Exploring Your Career Options
PA is often described as a "career ladder" profession because it enables upward mobility. PAs can start in entry-level hospital jobs before progressing to advanced practice with higher salaries. Or they can move between specialties to find the right fit.
In your first years as a PA, you‘ll likely work under an experienced supervising physician, building your skills in clinical environments like family medicine, hospitals, community clinics or private practices. Common daily tasks involve conducting patient exams, ordering tests, analyzing results, developing treatment plans, performing procedures, prescribing medications, and coordinating care teams.
Further down the road, possibilities span roles as first assistants in surgery, emergency department practitioners, hospital department directors, clinical research coordinators, public health intervention leads, university faculty and more.
Many PAs opt to specialize after 1-2 years in general practice. In-demand specialty choices include:
- Emergency medicine: Care for patients in life-threatening or urgent conditions
- Orthopedics: Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries and conditions
- Dermatology: Diagnose and treat a range of skin, nail and hair conditions
- Surgery: Serve on surgical teams before, during and after procedures
- Pediatrics: Address the healthcare needs of infants, children and adolescents
- Mental health: Provide psychiatric services and substance abuse counseling
No two days are ever alike for PAs, offering constant variety. Beyond the clinical work, you’ll need strong skills in consulting, collaborating, critical thinking, and communication. It‘s a career path made for the compassionate, quick-thinking and responsive.
PA Program Prerequisites and Requirements
Earning admission into PA school is competitive – the average U.S. program acceptance rate is just 6.7%. Applicants who understand prerequisites and shine in these areas will have better odds:
Academics
Most programs require a 3.0 GPA minimum, with averages around 3.5 for accepted students. Maintaining As and Bs in science prerequisites like anatomy, physiology and microbiology is key. Taking upper-level bioscience and psych courses also helps.
GRE scores
Many ranked programs have GRE requirements, looking for verbal, quantitative and analytical scores above the 50th percentile. Studying with a test prep course can help applicants excel.
Direct patient care hours
Gaining firsthand experience shows your commitment to a clinical career. EMT, medical assistant, nurse tech and volunteer roles all provide relevant exposure. Competitive applicants have over 2,000 hours.
Letters of recommendation
Aim for references speaking to your academic abilities, clinical competence, leadership skills and potential as a PA. Letters from practicing PAs or physicians carry more weight.
Now let’s explore what your PA coursework, clinical rotations and licensing will look like.
The Physician Associate‘s Educational Roadmap
PA programs lead to a master‘s degree, taking 26-27 months of full-time study to complete. This breaks down into didactic coursework, lab simulations and clinical rotations.
The first phase covers medical foundations – think anatomy, pathology, pharmacology and more alongside would-be nurses, physicians and surgeons. After classroom learning, you‘ll put knowledge into supervised practice during clinical year. Rotations typically span:
- Internal medicine
- Family medicine
- Pediatrics
- OB-GYN
- Psychiatry
- Emergency medicine
- General surgery
- Electives
By graduation, you‘ll have over 2,000 hours of rotations under your belt. Afterwards comes the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) – a 5 hour test on medical knowledge, patient evaluation, and clinical skills. The PANCE has a 93% first-time pass rate for recent grads.
Let‘s do a deeper dive into the journey year-by-year:
Year 1 – Didactic Phase
- Foundational biosciences – anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, pharmacology
- Physical exam skills, interviewing, clinical decision-making
- PA role, laws and regulations
- Research methodology
Typical credits: 48
Year 2 – Clinical Phase
- Medicine, emergency medicine, OB-GYN, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery rotations
- Graduate project or master’s thesis
- Summative evaluations assessing clinical knowledge and skills
Typical credits: 45
Year 3
- 6+ specialty rotation electives
- Primary care, medical or surgical focused curriculums
- PANCE certification exam
- Apply for state PA license
Now let‘s examine standout PA programs in San Francisco and what they offer.
Top Programs Providing Cutting-Edge PA Training
With its vibrant biotech sector and groundbreaking medical research, the San Francisco Bay Area attracts some exceptionally talented PA graduates. Regional programs offer robust curriculums, prestigious faculty and plentiful clinical rotation sites.
Here we spotlight three exemplary programs and how they‘re advancing the field:
University of San Francisco
Founded in 1974 as California’s first PA program, USF helped pioneer the profession regionally. It remains exceptionally competitive with its 28-month master‘s, enrolling 30 students from ~800 applicants.
Distinctive features:
- Mini-fellowships allowing students to extend learning in specialty areas
- Ultrasound curriculum gaining demand for precise diagnostics at bedside
- Interprofessional training – case conferences tackled alongside medical, pharmacy and nursing students
Says Director John Lantz: “Our goal is to turn out compassionate PAs devoted to communities in need – not just clinicians, but leaders in innovation."
USF students train across San Francisco, rotating through Kaizer Permanente, VA hospitals and top-tier institutions like UCSF.
Samuel Merritt University
A health sciences university focused on serving urban populations, Samuel Merritt offers rigorous preparation driven by social accountability.
Standout qualities include:
- Heavy IPE exposure – Interprofessional education where students team up across nursing, podiatry, OT and more
- State-of-the-art simulation labs – Lifelike robotic patients for immersive clinical experiences
- Rural health rotations – Telemedicine program partnerships in remote regions
Says recent grad Lauren: “I gained so much hands-on patient experience across Oakland. The wide variety of cases, specialties and rotations equipped me to handle anything.”
Touro University California
This newer program emphasizes social responsibility, service to humanity and community health. Students consistently rate professors highly while achieving competitive first-time PANCE pass rates.
Reasons Touro University attracts top talent:
- Dual degree options – Complete concurrent MPH or MBA coursework
- Global health electives – Guatemala, Italy, Africa and islands allow cultural immersion
- Interprofessional centers – Touro’s collaboratives take on autism, chronic pain and more
Current student Michael says: “Between the passionate faculty and plethora of specialization options, I’m getting a very well-rounded foundation to meet my goals.”
Now let’s move on to choosing and applying for the right program.
How to Pick the Best Physician Associate Program for You
With over 260 accredited PA programs now active, competition for top students is fierce. Assess these elements in your search process:
Location
Programs clustered near major hospitals and clinics offer richer rotation opportunities. Urban programs also enable networking chances.
Teaching style
Look into class sizes, simulation access, professors’ industry ties, etc. More interactive programs provide better preparation.
Rotations
Varied clinical sites spanning specializations, demographics and facilities expand your experience. Diverse rotations make you more marketable.
Cost
While PA salaries eventually even out starting debt, understand total tuition and fees. Also research scholarships or loan repayment options.
Reputation and outcomes
PANCE first-time pass rates, graduate surveys, and rankings indicate program quality. Reach out to alumni as well.
Culture and environment
Does the program seem competitive or collaborative? Supportive faculty and driven, community-minded peers can profoundly shape your experience.
Visiting campus for an interview lets you evaluate factors like facilities, location and program personality. This is also your chance to ask students and staff candid questions on curriculum, strengths versus weaknesses, how graduates fare in the job search and more.
Life as a Practicing Physician Associate
Wonder what your workdays might look like once licensed as an associate? Here’s a glimpse into typical schedules:
A Hospitalist PA
Robert is a hospitalist PA rounding on patients at an urban trauma center. He arrives to review overnight cases and labs, touching base with supervising physicians, nurses and specialists on the care team.
Morning rounds involve assessing patients admitted for issues like chest pain, COPD complications or uncontrolled diabetes. Robert does a physical exam, reviews or adjusts treatment plans, coordinates specialists if needed while educating patients. He particularly enjoys the fast pace and complexity managing hospital discharges, transitions and care coordination entails.
A Dermatology Surgical PA
Clara works in dermatology assisting a Mohs surgeon with skin cancer removals. After rooming patients and reviewing intake forms, she conducts full-body scans checking for abnormalities as the surgeon moves between cases. Clara excises benign growths herself and sutures surgical sites once the surgeon extracts all cancerous tissue.
She likes forming longer-term relationships with patients managing conditions like melanoma or severe acne. “I have more follow-up interaction than most specialties,” Clara says. “It’s very rewarding guiding people to skin health.”
Salaries and Benefits in This Dynamic Profession
Once licensed, the average physician associate earns $121,000 a year according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, with top salaries reaching $157,000. This outpaces NP average pay by nearly $10K annually.
Those working in hospitals, surgical subspecialties or emergency medicine typically earn the highest wages. Dermatology and anesthesiology also pay well for PAs able to perform skilled procedures. Salaries often rise with years of experience too.
Beyond competitive pay, PAs enjoy schedule flexibility with 4 days on/3 days off being common. They receive the same malpractice insurance, retirement savings benefits and healthcare advantages as physician partners.
For PAs who want to advance, options include teaching at PA programs, leadership roles managing clinical departments, moving into hospital administration or consulting. Others pursue higher qualifications like a clinical doctorate or MBA to climb the ranks.
Conclusion: An Exceptionally Bright Future
The physician associate profession promises to grow rapidly in years ahead – not only in California, but across the U.S. PA programs churn out graduates highly trained to deliver skilled, compassionate care in teams alongside MDs and DOs. They carry less educational debt than doctors while enjoying meaningful six-figure salaries.
If you‘re eager to get out of schooling quickly while providing hands-on medical care, becoming a PA offers a fulfilling route. You‘ll be prepared to work in diverse settings, with varied populations ranging from elders to athletes. And there‘s tremendous possibility to advance or specialize further as your interests evolve.
Start researching PA programs using the insights we‘ve covered. Reach out to faculty and students to discern which option best fits your learning priorities. Then prepare a sharp application highlighting clinical hours, academic ability and motivations.
UCSF, Samuel Merritt, Touro and other San Francisco options profiled excel at readying talent for this fast-expanding profession. We hope this guide has illuminated the journey ahead! Please reach out if you have any other questions.