The physician assistant is a health care professional who is academically and clinically prepared to provide health and medical services with and under the supervision of a doctor of medicine. The functions of the physician assistant include performing diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and health maintenance services in any setting in which the physician renders care, in order to allow more effective and focused application of the physician's particular knowledge and skills.

Services performed by physician assistants include, but are not limited, to the following:

Evaluation: Initially approaching a patient of any age group in any setting to elicit a detailed and accurate history, perform an appropriate physical examination, delineate problems, and record and present the data.

Monitoring: Assisting the physician in conducting rounds in acute and long-term inpatient care settings, developing and implementing patient management plans, recording progress notes and assisting in the provision of continuity of care in office-based and other ambulatory care settings.

Diagnostics: Performing and/or interpreting, at least to the point of recognizing deviations from the norm, common laboratory, radiologic, cardiographic and other routine diagnostic procedures used to identify pathophysiologic processes.

Therapeutics: Performing routine procedures such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care, managing simple conditions produced by infection or trauma, participating in the management of more complex illness and injury, and taking initiative in performing evaluation and therapeutic procedures in response to life-threatening situations.

Counseling: Instructing and counseling patients regarding compliance with prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth development, family planning, situation adjustment reactions and health maintenance.

Referral: Facilitating the referral of patients to the community's health and social service agencies when appropriate.

Quick Facts: Physician Assistants

2021 Median Pay*	$121,530 per year $58.43 per hour
Number of Jobs, 2021*	139,100
Job Outlook, 2021-31*	28% (Much faster than average)

 

 

 

*United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

Persons interested in a career as a Physician Assistant may find the following web sites of interest:

• AAPA: American Academy of Physician Assistants
• LAPA: Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants
• NCCPA: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
• ARCPA: Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistant Programs
• Physician Assistant Educators Association
• Physician Assistant History Society

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be 2026 September. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. 

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.  

The program's student attrition rate can be viewed HERE. 

The mission of the PA Program is to provide a primary care curriculum to prepare competent, professionally engaged Physician Assistants to provide health care for Louisiana citizens.

Goal #1: Graduate competent PAs who exhibit lifelong learning skills.

This goal is measured by the following: 

a. Having a PANCE (PA National Certification Exam) First Time Take pass rate of >94%. For the Class of 2023, the first time pass rate was 95%. The five year first time taker average pass rate for the program is 98%. Download the PANCE REPORT for the official NCCPA document.

b. Having graduates who remain certified PAs for at least 10 years after graduation at a rate of >95%. Recertification requires that a PA continue to learn new information regarding patient care thus demonstrating lifelong learning skills. Certification maintenance also requires that the PA comply with all applicable laws and standards related to their professional role while upholding appropriate standards of professionalism and ethics. The certification rate does not account for why a PA is no longer certified (such as change in profession, retirement or death). Overall, 94.8% of our graduates remain certified; for graduates from the past 10 years (2012– 2022), 99.7% remain certified.

Goal #2: Facilitate faculty and student involvement in local, state, and national organizations.

This goal is measured by the following: 

a. Having a membership rate of >75% for LAPA and AAPA among faculty members who are PAs. Currently, PA faculty membership in both organizations is 100%.

b. Having a membership rate of >50% for LAPA and AAPA among LSUHSC-Shreveport PA students. Currently, 56% are members of LAPA and 58% are members of AAPA.

Goal #3: Increase the number of healthcare providers (PAs) in Louisiana

This goal is measured by the following: 

a. Having >50% of the most recent graduating class obtain a PA license in the state of Louisiana. For the class of 2022, 75% of graduates are licensed to practice in Louisiana.

Upon completion of the LSU Health Shreveport PA Program, the newly graduated PA will be able to:  

MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE

1. Differentiate between abnormal health states.

2. Appropriately diagnose acute, chronic, and emergent disease states.

3. Appropriately manage acute, chronic, and emergent disease states.

PATIENT CARE

4. Provide age-appropriate, patient-centered care that is safe and effective.

5. Utilize a team-approach to optimize health and patient care.

6. Recognize the potential impact of health determinants (including genetics) on patients and incorporate them into decisions of care.

7. Use appropriate literature to make evidence-based decisions for patient care.

INTERPERSONAL & COMMUNICATION SKILLS

8. Organize and communicate information for patients and healthcare team members in an effective, understandable way.

9. Demonstrate caring and respectful behaviors (including cultural considerations) when interacting with others.

PROFESSIONALISM

10. Describe the legal and regulatory requirements related to the physician assistant in this state.

11. Self-assess and reflect on personal and professional limitations and/or mistakes.

12. Describe the importance of respecting the dignity and privacy of all patients in the delivery of care.

SYSTEMS-BASED PROCESSES

13. Recognize funding sources and payment systems in order to provide cost-effective patient care.

14. Describe physician assistants’ value-add to the healthcare team, including the collaborative physician/PA relationship.