Occupations: Physician Assistants

Occupations: Physician Assistants

Physician Assistants

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Overview of the profession:

Physician Assistants (PAs) are essential healthcare professionals involved in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases. With advanced medical training, PAs assess patients, prescribe medications, perform diagnostic tests, assist in surgeries, and provide preventative care. In Michigan, PAs work within Practice Agreements with Physicians, enabling them to manage patient care independently. PAs can also work autonomously in various clinical areas, including family medicine, emergency care, psychiatry, and dermatology. To become licensed as a PA in Michigan, individuals must complete a Master of Science in Physician Assistant from a program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). To be eligible to apply for full licensure, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Once licensed, PAs work independently or collaboratively in diverse healthcare settings such as hospitals, provider offices, clinics, and academic or research institutions and may own 99% of a medical practice (PLLC). With their extensive training, autonomy in patient care, and growing demand for healthcare services, PAs are integral to healthcare systems. Their ability to work independently, collaborate with teams, and transition across multiple specialties makes them indispensable in addressing the increasing need for accessible and comprehensive medical care.

Overview

House Bill 5114 (HB 5114)

This bill would add physician assistants (as well as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) to the definition of mental health professional in the state mental health code.
Year of Session: 2023-2024

Policy

Policy Highlights

Includes recent proposed legislation.

Data

Current Workforce Data

We've provided the latest data from Lightcast below. Click on the images to enlarge them and review them in further detail.

2024 Hourly Wages

10th Percent	25th Percent	Median	75th Percent	90th Percent
$46.63	$50.87	$61.00	$64.83	$71.70

Highlighted Workforce Initiatives

Name: Future Docs

Prosperity Region: 7
Description: Future DOcs is a pre-college program at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. The program exposes high school students from Detroit, Macomb and Lansing areas to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Physician Assistant degree programs at MSU through clinical skills, medical techniques and science education. The programs run on Saturday mornings for a 2-month period. Future DOcs is run by College of Osteopathic students, alumni and faculty who serve as mentors to the high school students. The goal of the program is to encourage high schoolers to pursue careers as physicians and/or physician assistants.

Name: Medical Mentors Pipeline Program

Prosperity Region: 10
Description: The Medical Mentors Pipeline Program provides highly motivated high school or college students with a 6-week summer program that provides direct exposure to a career in medicine. Students explore a variety of medical specialties during three, 2 week long rotations while directly interacting with attending physicians, residents, and other healthcare providers to gain exposure and a better understanding of what is required in order to become a physician. Admitted students complete several required assignments and attend didactics over the course of the program as well. The goal of the program is to increase the number of medical professionals that are from diverse and/or marginalized backgrounds.

Name: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Clinical Support Grant

Prosperity Region: 9
Description: University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor received a 3-year grant from SAMHSA to expand their medical school X-waiver curriculum to their Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and Physician Assistant (PA) programs to increase the number of APRNs and PAs who can prescribe buprenorphine and ultimately increase access to providers who are trained and willing to prescribe Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). X-waiver curriculum and training will be included for for primary care nurse practitioner students (family and adult-gerontology), PA students and other APRN students (acute care, midwifery, and pediatric). By the end of the grant period, University of Michigan plans to have trained 300 APRNs, 136 PAs and 510 medical students.

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Initiatives

Career Pathway

How to become a licensed Physician Assistant (PA) in Michigan?

First, individuals must complete a traditional or accelerated bachelor’s degree in any discipline, the most common being science or allied health. Then, individuals must complete a master’s level physician assistant program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). Once graduated, individuals must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) available through

the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) to be eligible to apply for a full Physician Assistant license.

Is a career as a PA a stepping stone to a career as a physician?

No, while new programs are emerging that bridge PA and physician training by recognizing a PA experience, becoming a PA is not a precursor to becoming a physician. PAs who wish to advance their medical careers by becoming physicians must apply to medical school and fulfill practicing physicians' educational, residency, and licensure requirements.

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