According to the Federal Bureau of Labor, physician assistant is the third fastest growing career in United States. These personnel are the right hand men of the medical doctors and physicians. They must be well equipped with the necessary knowledge and hands-on skills in order to execute their daily tasks professionally.

In United States, becoming a licensed physician assistant is a challenging task. You are required to go through extensive and ongoing education as well as a successful completion of state board examination. Below is the step by step approach that guides you to pass the training program in a smooth manner.

Step 1:
If you are already a degree holder, the first step you need to take is to find an accredited training school that offer physician assistant training program. In general, the duration of the training is about 2 years, excluding the time required to complete the prerequisites. Most schools require a minimum of 60 credits of education and experience in a health-related field.

Currently, most of the programs offered are full time graduate programs that lead to a master’s or doctorate degree. If you really can’t cope with full time classroom learning due to other commitments, you are advised to opt for online education.

Step 2:
During the training, you are encouraged to study at a fixed time to learn all the necessary knowledge. In order to absorb the information faster, you must participate actively in forums, lectures and tutorial discussions with your classmates and lecturers. This is to ensure that you have full understanding on what you have studied.

Besides, you are advised to work as a nurse aide or do some voluntary work in a hospital in order to gain real clinical experience. It will help you to enhance your hands-on skills and pass the training easier. Both theoretical and practical learning are important in forming a strong foundation for your future career.

Step 3:
Upon completion of your training, you need to sit and pass the certification exam offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Make sure you get yourself well prepared by making yourself familiar with the exam format.

You should allocate sufficient time to study each particular topic which will be covered in the exam. The exam consists of 360 multiple choice questions. Before sitting for the real exam, you are suggested to take a self assessment test to see your ability in answering the questions.

Step 4:
After you manage to pass the exam successfully, you are then required to contact your state board to apply for a license to work in your state.

Step 5:
Once you obtain the license, you can start your profession by applying your clinical skills in the workplace.
Lastly, you are reminded that you must earn 100 Continuing Medical Education hours and renew your certificate every two years with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in order to work in medical field continuously.