About this Career

Physician assistants are highly qualified licensed health care professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. Physician assistants participate in a demanding academic and clinical curriculum that prepares them for the complexities of their career. Physician assistants are trained to elicit medical histories, perform physical exams, order and interpret diagnostic studies, perform clinical procedures, and formulate patient treatment and management plans.

Fast-growing Profession

The physician assistant profession is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States today. Graduation from an accredited physician assistant program and passage of the national certification exam are required for state licensure. The certification exam, developed by the National Commission on Certification of PAs, is usually taken by students within the first few weeks of graduation. To maintain their national certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education credits every two years and pass the national recertification exam every six years.

Practice in varied environments...

Physician assistants practice in all areas of medicine and surgery.

Physician assistant opportunities exist in
primary care offices such as:

• Family Practice
• Pediatrics
• Internal Medicine
• Hospitals
• Emergency Rooms
• Urgent Care Centers
• Nursing Homes
• Medical Sub-specialty Offices such as:
  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Endocrinology
• Surgical Sub-specialty Offices such as:
  • Orthopedics
  • ENT
  • Urology
  • Plastic Surgery

Although physician assistants can be found in all areas of medicine and surgery, the physician assistant program at SUNY Upstate has a focus on primary care in medically underserved and rural areas of Upstate New York. We are seeking candidates who will assist us in fulfilling our mission which involves serving these communities.