A lifetime of learning continues as every PA must take continuing medical education classes throughout her or his career and pass a national recertification examination every six years. This helps to insure that each PA will maintain a core competency of medical and surgical knowledge. PAs work in many different types of health care settings. Some work in hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, schools, and private companies. PAs also work for the U.S. government in the military, Public Health Service, Veterans Administration, Bureau of Prisons, and in the White House.
PAs serve communities of all sizes, from remote and rural towns to major cities.
The demand for PA services is rapidly increasing as a result of increased recognition of the quality of care that PAs provide and the cost-effectiveness of those services. The Department of Labor projects that the total employment in the U.S. will grow by 14 percent through the year 2005. During that same period the number of PA jobs is expected to grow by 23 percent.