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The Air Force has a tremendous variety of career fields available to officers —each with unique challenges and rewards. If you know exactly what you're looking for, use the keyword search for a list of job titles and descriptions. Or, if you're interested in seeing what the Air Force has to offer, browse the different career fields in the pull-down menu.
Physician Assistant
Duties and Responsibilities
Physician Assistants provide primary or specialty medical care with the cognizance or supervision of a physician - obtaining and evaluating medical histories, performing physical examinations and therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, and ordering laboratory studies, radiographs, electrocardiograms and other special examinations. They counsel patients on medical problems, use of drugs, expected effects of treatment, family planning, child care, diet, and other therapeutic health maintenance matters, and administer lifesaving procedures and medications pending availability of a physician in emergency situations. Physician Assistants must be able to perform procedures including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, treatment of life endangering traumatic injuries, defibrillation, insertion of endotracheal tubes and administration of whole blood, oxygen and other emergency medications.
Civilian Opportunities
Civilian Physician Assistant
Duties and Responsibilities
Physician Assistants are healthcare professions licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Civilian Physician Assistants conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery and, in most states, can write prescriptions. Because of the close working relationship Physician Assistants have with physicians, they are educated in the medical model designed to complement physician training. Upon graduation, they take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. To maintain their national certification, they must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a re-certification every six years.
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