Licensure/Certification Licensure is required for practice in the state of Florida. The requirements for licensure include completion of a program that is approved by the Florida Board of Medicine and national certification. Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. To maintain national certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification examination every six years. Salary According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the mean annual income for physician assistants working full-time in Florida was $84,710 in 2005. Educational Programs Associate Degree Miami-Dade College Master's Degree Barry University (MCMS) Nova Southeastern University University of Florida Professional Associations American Academy of Physician Assistants Florida Academy of Physician Assistants

Physician assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Within the physician/physician assistant relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.

PAs are trained to perform many of the essential, but time-consuming, tasks involved in patient care in order to allow more focused application of the physician's knowledge and skills.

Areas of Specialization
Most physician assistant programs offer a generalist curriculum that prepares graduates to work in general practice or specialty areas. After graduation, if they wish, physician assistants may acquire experience in any medical or surgical specialty such as geriatrics, pediatrics, obstetrics, occupational medicine, orthopedics, cardiology, or surgery.

Work Environment
Most PAs work with physicians in private solo practices or group partnership practices. Others work in hospitals, clinics, schools, home health agencies, nursing homes, prisons, and rehabilitation centers. Their schedules vary depending on practice setting. PAs in clinics usually work 50 hours each week. Those working in physicians' offices may be on-call or have to work evening and weekend hours.

Job Outlook
The number of physician assistants employed in Florida in 2006 was 4,641. It is projected that in 2014 there will be 6,511, an annual average growth rate of 5 percent. The 2004 US Bureau of Labor Statistics identified the PA profession as the fourth fastest growing occupation in America. No other licensed profession exceeded it in anticipated growth. The same data projects a 50% increase in job opportunities between 2005 and 2014.

Length of Training/Requirements
PAs are educated in the medical model. The average PA program curriculum is 111 weeks, compared with 155 weeks for medical school. Students pursuing careers as physician assistants may receive a certificate, an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree. All accredited programs follow similar curriculums as described in the Educational Standards by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Most schools offering a bachelor's degree require at least two years of college and some health-related experience. Those offering a master's program require the applicants to have a bachelor's degree. The physician assistant programs include instruction in nutrition, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, disease prevention, clinical medicine, pharmacology, clinical procedures, and medical, legal and ethical issues. The students also participate in rotations that offer clinical training in a variety of areas such as emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery.

Advancement
Some physician assistants complete additional training to gain additional knowledge and experience in a particular area such as surgery, neonatology, or emergency medicine. There are several post-graduate training programs that provide this optional training opportunity. Also, with additional experience, physician assistants may advance to positions with greater clinical and administrative responsibility.