Part Time PA Programs

Some people are able to dedicate their entire time to pursue higher learning and studies. But for others, they don’t have the liberty and time to go back to school full-time. If you’re one of the latter and you’re aiming to pursue a career as a physician assistant, then you’re probably wondering if you can take a PA program part-time — and even work as a PA with limited hours.

While PA school is usually dubbed as a full-time endeavor, there are some schools and educational institutions that offer part-time PA education options. This changes the game for employed individuals or parents who have their fair share of responsibilities, but at the same time are aching to pursue a PA profession.

PART TIME PA PROGRAMS YOU CAN ENROLL IN

While there is still a limited number of schools offering part-time options for their PA programs, there are a few that you can consider. These include:

• Drexel University Physician Assistant Program – Pennsylvania
• Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program – New Jersey
• University of Detroit Mercy Physician Assistant Program – Michigan

These are the big schools that have part-time PA program offers. But it’s still worth it to do your own research to find schools around your area that might have part-time options. Make a call to potential institutions you’re thinking about enrolling in and ask if they have a part-time option in their PA program. If you’re interested in studying online, check out the list of online programs here.

HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO PAS WORK?

Typically, PAs work 40 hours a week, with the tendency for overtime. Depending on the shifting schedule, they can also work on weekends, holidays, or at night. It’s worth noting, though, that this depends on the institution where you work. Some PAs only work regular office hours, especially those employed in private clinics or research facilities.

CAN A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT WORK PART TIME?

Any profession in the medical industry is a demanding one, so it’s probably a long shot that physician assistants can work part-time, right? Not really! Contrary to popular belief, PAs have a lot of flexibility in their hands.

PAs are trained as general practitioners and can be positioned in many different medical settings. There are always job opportunities for PAs, with the added perk of being able to choose if they want to work in a hospital and be on-call or work at a clinic and work the regular 9 to 5. Some institutions also offer part-time options for licensed PAs if you want to work fewer hours. So in actuality, a physician assistant can control how long they work by simply choosing the work setting and specialty they are most comfortable with.

The demand for physician assistants is steadily rising, so schools are looking to train more students to become great PAs who will contribute to the medical industry. It’s not a long shot that soon enough, more institutions will begin offering part-time PA programs to cater to parents, employed individuals, and others who cannot dedicate their time to a full-time educational endeavor.