INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physician Assistant positions are at a 31% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 129,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 40,100 to 169,500 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Physician Assistant jobs was $115,390 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $76,700, and the highest 10% more than $162,470.
Our conclusion? The Physician Assistant job market is wide open for candidates.
Top physician assistant sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your physician assistant experience section
Perfecting your physician assistant resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Physician Assistant resume!
- Interacted with patients and their families on daily rounds.
- Collaborated with other health care professionals on patient care plans.
- Measured patient vitals and assisted with lab result analysis.
- Primary first assist for robot urology surgeries offered at VAMC
- Navigating the Veteran's health system process and utilizing the electronic health records program to provide exemplary care for our Veterans
- Improving easier care access for patients
- Assisting Penn Urology residents with their onboarding and clinic at VAMC
- First-assisted in over 1000 robotic urologic surgeries for Dr. David Lee
- Managed and trained usage of medical equipment among 50 urology residents, including setup and troubleshooting of the DaVinci Robotic System
- Examined, diagnosed, and treated 40-60 patients per week
- Organized and Presented a Pre-Op class for men scheduled for oncologic robotic surgery with Dr. David Lee
- Organized clinical interventions and treatment plans for patients
- Integrated EPIC EMR in surgical and clinical settings to facilitate better work flow and patient-to-cinician access
- Created PowerPoint slides for presentations to relay the learning objectives of the program
- Utilized instructional technologies in course delivery for online instruction to engage and educate students
- Planning and preparing to becoming a Preceptor for incoming PA students for their clinical rotations
- Extended practice to adolescent and young adult patient population
- Examined and treated 50 patients per week
- Performed chronic disease management for variety of conditions
- Educated patients on disease, illness and injury diagnoses and provided appropriate treatment plan options
- Private Group practice providing full scope OBGYN care.
- Graduated Midwifery Training - Hospital Privileges at Catawba Memorial Hospital.
- Learned IUD, Norplant insertion and removal, Colposcopy, Biopsies and LEEP procedures, and Ultrasound.
- Applied Evidence Based Practice to diagnose, treat and manage acute/chronic disease states within a diverse patient population.
- Supervised/trained nursing/lab/clinical staff. Supervised CLIA Certification for in house lab.
- Extensive Experience maintaining EMR activity & documentation of all services following the ALCOA-C guidelines.
- Performed history and physical evaluations on inpatients pre-, peri- and post-HSCT
- Management and care of inpatients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplants as well as CAR-T cell therapy and investigational therapies
- Diagnosis and management of peri and post transplant complications including infectious complications, and acute and chronic GVHD
- Assisted and performed invasive procedures such as bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures, skin biopsies, and intrathecal injections
- Provided cross-coverage for the inpatient Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Solid Oncology Services
- Effectively managing the clinical care of patients diagnosed with different forms of leukemias and lymphomas, multiple myeloma, myelofibrosis, and MDS
- Assessing and managing BMT patients, including diagnostic/therapeutic interventions through a synergistic team approach
- Communicating with Research Study Assistants about enrolling patients on clinical trials, providing pertinent clinical information, and ensuring that appropriate research studies are drawn
- Demonstrating precision to detail while overlooking chemotherapy orders and data input in the EMR that are made specific to certain oncology protocols as well as medications involved in the transplant regimen (Autologous vs. Allogeneic transplant) alongside the clinical pharmacist and attending physician
- Collaborating with the outpatient team in order to confirm timely follow-up appointments after discharge, including appropriate labs and tests to be drawn as well as follow-up with other specialists
- Competently assessed and managed post-BMT complications, including but not limited to acute and chronic GVHD, PRES, TMA, and PTLD, as well as placing consults to other services for their necessary recommendations
- Proficiently communicated with the Translational Immunology Research team about any relevant clinical information regarding patients enrolled in the Biobanking Protocol and clinical trials to monitor graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
- Attended a multitude of conferences and educational series that emphasize the latest drug developments, including new clinical trials, immunotherapy, and CAR T-cell therapy
- Advanced the process of developing, implementing, refining, and strengthening clinical education efforts for patients and caregivers to optimize patient care
- Assist multiple surgeons with pre-op, intraop, and post-operative patient care
- Perform hospital consultations and round on patients at a level one trauma hospital
- Responsible for receiving calls after hours of operation from patients and determine which calls are emergent and need immediate attention
- Assist with recruiting and interviewing qualified physician assistant resident candidates
- Assist with teaching clinical and surgical skills to physician assistant residents
- Assist busy trauma surgeon with pre-op, intraop, and post-operative patient care
- Perform hospital consultations and round on patients at a level one trauma hospital
- Facilitate hospital admissions and discharges
- Cared for patients of all ages and acuity levels
- Worked in main department as well as urgent care
- Skilled in procedures: suturing, I&D, joint reduction, splinting
- Provided expert clinical care in ICU and floor setting
- Sought by peers for extensive counseling of patients and families
- Extensive procedural experience, including: arterial line, central line
- Lead orientation of new residents monthly
- Evaluate, diagnose, admit and treat critically ill patients in the ICU setting under the supervision of an attending physician
- Order and interpret appropriate diagnostic labs and imaging to advance patient care plan
- Daily rounding and assessment of critically ill patients with active participation in multidisciplinary rounds
- Effective communication with nursing staff, attending and consulting physicians to ensure continuity of care
- Insertion of ultrasound guided central, hemodialysis and arterial lines
- Airway management and performance of endotracheal intubation and placement of extraglottic devices
- Use of point-of-care ultrasound to quickly diagnose pneumothorax, cardiac sequalae of pulmonary embolus
- Rapid response management when escalated care is required
- Strong ability to simultaneously coordinate, manage, and carry out multiple complex tasks
- Provides clear leadership and direction during crashing patient management
- Administered physical therapy to over 40 patients daily
- Efficient handling of administrative responsibilities (e.g., scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, processing patients)
- Well-versed in medical billing procedures
- Extensive experience in insurance administration
- Assisted physicians by translating for Spanish speaking patients
- Proficient with ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, cervical traction, Paraffin baths
- Full-time family practice and internal medicine
- Improving acute and chronic disease outcomes utilizing preventative measures and self-motivation techniques
- Improve patient health, emphasizing individual, non-pharmacological pain management
- Provided initial screenings and exams to incoming inmates
- Medical practice focus includes: geriatric, mentally ill, women's health, chronically and or acute illness
PRO TIP
In writing your Physician Assistant resume, you will no doubt want to list your previous duties - as you should. But steer clear of just listing your duties, instead of your achievements. Make your resume stand out by communicating what you have done, and not merely what the job needed you to do.
Action verbs for your physician assistant resume
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Physician assistant resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect Physician Assistant resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your physician assistant resume
Patient Care
Diagnosis & Prognosis
Oncology
Surgical Techniques
Clinical practice
EHR Proficient (EPIC and CPRS)
Wound Care
Primary Care
Physical Exams
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
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Physician assistant resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your physician assistant resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Physician Assistant resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Writing an effective physician assistant resume summary
Impressive physician assistant resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Drawing the attention to your physician assistant resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top certifications for your physician assistant resume
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the best format for your physician assistant resume
The content of your Physician Assistant resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
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PRO TIP
Test your draft Physician Assistant resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Want to include something more to your physician assistant resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Physician Assistant resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your physician assistant resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Physician Assistant resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great physician assistant resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
