MightyRecruiterWriting a standout job posting is a significant part of identifying and hiring the best talent. Recruiters and hiring managers should not have to sort through piles of applicants who miss the target. A well-written job description enables you to sift out inexperienced applicants or those not excited to join your team. Taking the time necessary to create an on-target posting before the applications begin streaming into your inbox will save you hours time. Below is a Physician Assistant job description sample to help you compose a good position description.
Physician Assistant Job summary
As part of our professional physician team, you will practice medicine on teams with doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare workers to gain invaluable insight and experience. You will also assess, diagnose, and evaluate treatment plans for patients and perform various additional patient care actions depending on the diagnosis. You will actively facilitate patients’ recovery by applying medical techniques and principles under the direction of a physician. You will offer encouragement and care to a diverse set of patients.
Physician Assistant Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Take comprehensive and detailed patient histories
- Develop medical status reports
- Order diagnostic, radiological, and laboratory studies appropriate for the patient’s condition
- Perform physical examinations and record relevant data in medical forms
- Present medical diagnoses and begin therapy or refer patients to the appropriate physicians or health care facilities
- Begin emergency measures and treatment or proper stabilization actions if necessary
- Order hospital admissions and discharges at the direction of the supervising physician
- Accurately and appropriately transcribe and execute physicians’ orders
- Interpret and assess patient data to plan for patient treatment and management
- Provide guidance and instructions regarding medical care to patients
- Offer emergency medical services during a declared national disaster or emergency
Physician Assistant Skills and Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies, Health Science, or Medical Science
- 1+ year of working experience as a physician assistant
- Knowledge of medical procedures and guidelines concerning assessment, treatment, and recovery
- Experience with improvements in innovative medical technology
- Problem-solving skills and ability to multi-task
- Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR card
- Current DEA registration
- Ability to work effectively under minimal supervision
- Caring and compassionate
- Team player with excellent communication skills
- Strong healthcare background
Company Profile
Founded in 1943, Porter Clinic is a wholly integrated, nonprofit health care hospital in Houston, with over 150 contracted or employed industry-leading physicians. We provide our patients with superior diagnoses and excellent treatment plans for various medical specialties, including internal medicine, cancer, bone and joint, heart, endocrinology and diabetes, gastroenterology, family medicine, geriatric medicine, vascular and urology, and women’s health. We are home to the only multi-disciplinary trauma center in the Southern United States. Porter continually delivers innovative medical technologies and practices to Texas, for issues ranging from acute injuries to surgical or cardiac care. Patients chose Porter for our longstanding commitment and service excellence by contributing the best quality care. We are rated first in the nation for treatment of respiratory infections, strokes, angioplasty, heart attacks, and heart by-pass surgeries.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- While the above is an excellent Physician Assistant job description sample, there are circumstances where you do not have a guide to follow. Below are some fundamental best practices for those situations, along with practical do’s and don’ts to ensure that you produce an accurate job description the first time, and save yourself the hassle of weeding through piles of inexperienced applicants.
- Do list the responsibilities and duties of the job from general to specific.
- Do include wording to indicate you are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
- Don’t use language that suggests or states a preference for a particular race, gender, or age.
- Do state position requirements and prerequisites objectively.
- Do include salary and benefits unless it against company policy.
- Do apply a user-friendly format to make your content appealing and more readable to candidates.
- Don’t include anything in the posting that could be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment.
- Don’t inflate the duties or experience necessary for success in the position.
- Do emphasize your corporate culture to give applicants more reasons to apply.
The Physician Assistant job description sample above is an excellent representation of a helpful job post to entice the top talent to join your company. Investing the time upfront in writing a solid position description results into a visible return later when you add the best and freshest performers to your team.
Physician Assistant Job Responsibilities
The job responsibilities section of your physician assistant job description helps jobseekers gain awareness of expectations and daily duties. This part needs to be the most descriptive and accurately provide the needed details, such as the expertise and performance levels required for the position. This section draws in jobseekers, so it’s vital to list the employee’s most important duties. It pays to spend time writing a strong posting with these details to find the right person.
To review some tips already mentioned on this page, using bullet points instead of paragraphs helps with readability. Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb so that physician assistants can envision themselves in the possible role. While this portion is the most substantial part of the physician assistant job description, it doesn’t mean you should write a lengthy wish list of each job task. Keep within 6-8 bullet points.
Some examples of physician assistant job responsibilities are:
- See patients in a timely manner and perform routine medical examinations and procedures
- Provide quality services to patients, establish compassionate environment, and build rapport to understand care requirements
- Communicate treatment plans to patients
- Obtain laboratory tests and ensure comprehensive care
- Comply with office procedures, rules and regulations to maintain clean and safe working environment
Physician Assistant Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section of the physician assistant job description may not seem difficult to write since it’s of short length, but it’s imperative to precisely state the requirements desired from the candidates. While you only need to list the minimum requirements for the position, the purpose of this section is to eliminate unqualified or overqualified applicants so that you do not become inundated with applications from those who are a poor fit of the position.
It’s a good idea to discuss the physician assistant job specifications with your leadership or hiring committee. Differentiate between must-have requirements and preferred specifications. They may include education level, ability to speak a foreign language, certain certifications, etc. You can have two lists in the physician assistant job description, if necessary. This gives applicants the information they need to make an informed decision on whether to pursue the opportunity.
Some physician assistant job specifications you may wish to include are:
- Bachelor’s degree from accredited physician assistant program
- Minimum two years’ worth of experience as a physician assistant
- State licensure and national certification
- Possess clinical skills, professional, physiological and emerging technical knowledge and proficiency in diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation procedures
- Authorized to administer medication
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
