Understanding a Career: Answers to Student Questions

Question
Hello,

My name is Bradley and I'm a sixth grade student at Valley Elementary in Iowa.

I need to ask you a few questions about your job for my classroom report.  Any responces you could give would be very helpful in getting paper done.

My questions are:
How much do you make a year? What do you like about your job? What kind of things do you do? What kind of education did you need for this job? Is there anything you don't like about your job?

Thank you,

Bradley

Answer
Hi Bradley,
The best part of my job is being able to help people get well.
The hardest part of my job is telling people bad news about their health. I do everything that a doctor does in the family practice setting. The only difference is that I can't prescribe controlled substances (narcotics). That is a state law. My education was two years at Cornell University medical College in New York City. There are Physician Assistant schools all over the country. Physician Assistant salaries are dependent on the specialty that you would work in. A family practice PA like myself can make anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 a year.