Which Specialty is Right for You as a Physician Assistant

There are usually two types of PAs. Those that knew the exact specialty that they wanted to practice in as soon as they started school, and those that knew they wanted to be a PA but were not interested in any specialty in particular.

For example, if you were in a specialty like dermatology or orthopedics prior to your PA training, you may already know that you want to practice in one of these areas. For many people, however, it is not this simple.

Below is a breakdown of some of the most common specialties and why they may or may not be the specialty for you. All salary statistics collected from the NCCPA annual report.

Internal Medicine/Family Medicine

• Find family medicine physician assistant jobs
• Find internal medicine physician assistant jobs
• Average salary: ~$112,074

Internal Medicine and Family Medicine are the perfect specialties for the PA that wants to primarily be a generalist. In these specialties, you will be treating patients across the age spectrum. These specialties are great for someone that likes treating a broad range of acute and chronic conditions. These are also ideal for those that like to get to know their patients and form a close partnership with them.

Another aspect of Internal Medicine to consider is the ability to practice solely in a hospital setting. This is ideal for PAs who enjoy working with acutely ill patients or those who are in more critical condition.

One final aspect to consider is that you will be filling the role as the Primary Care Provider (PCP). While this may be very appealing to some, it can be daunting to others and come with undue or unwanted responsibilities.

Pediatrics

• Find pediatric physician assistant jobs
• Average salary: ~$100,392

Pediatrics is to children what Internal Medicine is to adults. Pediatrics is the perfect specialty for the PA that loves working with children and treating a broad range of diseases. In this specialty, you will be treating simple conditions like ear infections alongside more complex conditions like Type 1 Diabetes.

This is another specialty that is great for someone who likes the role of the primary care provider.

General Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties

• Find surgery physician assistant jobs
• Average salary: ~$124,661

General surgery and other surgical subspecialties may be the perfect fit for the PA that enjoys procedures and working in the OR or hospital environment.

While you may not get to form long term relationships like primary care, you often get the satisfaction of quickly correcting surgical issues alongside surgeons.

For those who want to specialize further than general surgery, many surgical subspecialties are available to include urology, cardiothoracic surgery, dermatology, and orthopedic surgery.

Emergency Medicine

• Find EM physician assistant jobs
• Average salary: ~$130,689

For the PAs out there who like a fast-paced work environment, Emergency Medicine may be the perfect place for you.

In emergency medicine, PAs treat a wide range of conditions from things as simple as upper respiratory infections, to things as serious and complicated as a stroke or heart attack.

This may also be an ideal specialty for those among you that enjoy doing procedures like suturing, I&Ds, and casting.

Internal Medicine Subspecialties

There are many internal medicine subspecialties, including specialties like cardiology, nephrology, hematology/oncology, and pulmonology.

These specialties are ideal for PAs that like the personal aspect of internal medicine but want to specialize in certain clinical areas. These specialties often incorporate both office visits and hospital rounding. This is a benefit for some, but may be a negative for others. 

Other specialties

If none of the above specialties seem to be the perfect fit for you, there are many specialties and subspecialties of medicine to consider when looking for a new position.

While this list is by no means all inclusive, some of these specialties include things like pain management, addiction medicine, academics/education, public health, and urgent care.