Physician Assistant Resume Example & Writing Guide

View a professional physician assistant resume example with proven bullet points, key skills, and expert tips. Copy what works and customize with your own experience.

Healthcare
28% Growth
Avg. Salary: $121,000

Professional Summary Examples

Start your resume with a compelling summary. Here are proven examples you can adapt:

Board-certified physician assistant with 6+ years of experience in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. First-assisted in 300+ surgical procedures and managed post-operative care for 1,000+ patients. Expert in musculoskeletal assessment, joint injections, and rehabilitation planning.

Physician assistant specializing in emergency medicine with experience in high-volume urban ED seeing 200+ patients daily. Managed acute care for 30+ patients per shift including trauma, cardiac emergencies, and psychiatric crises. Strong background in procedural skills and rapid clinical decision-making.

Family medicine physician assistant with 5+ years of experience providing comprehensive outpatient care. Managed diverse patient panel of 1,500+ with focus on preventive medicine and chronic disease management. Reduced ER utilization by 20% through enhanced same-day access and patient education.

Work Experience Bullet Points

Use these achievement-focused bullet points as inspiration. Replace the numbers with your own metrics.

  • First-assisted in 300+ orthopedic surgical procedures including total joint replacements, arthroscopies, and fracture repairs
  • Managed 30+ patient encounters per shift in high-volume emergency department, providing timely evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment
  • Maintained panel of 1,500+ primary care patients, achieving 96% patient satisfaction scores and 93% quality metric compliance
  • Performed 500+ procedures annually including laceration repairs, fracture reductions, abscess drainage, and lumbar punctures
  • Reduced post-surgical complication rates by 15% through implementation of standardized post-operative protocols and patient education
  • Developed and led concussion management program for 5 local high school athletic programs, evaluating 100+ athletes annually
  • Prescribed and managed medications for 800+ patients, including opioid management protocols with 100% PDMP compliance
  • Trained and supervised 8 PA students during clinical rotations, providing direct observation and competency assessments
  • Collaborated with multidisciplinary team of 20+ providers to establish clinical pathways for 3 high-volume diagnoses
  • Implemented point-of-care ultrasound program in urgent care setting, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing unnecessary imaging by 25%

Key Skills for Physician Assistant Resume

Include these skills on your resume to pass ATS screening and impress recruiters:

Patient ExaminationDiagnosis & Treatment PlanningPrescriptive AuthoritySurgical AssistancePatient EducationElectronic Health Records (EHR)Procedural SkillsMedical Decision MakingInterdisciplinary CollaborationEvidence-Based Medicine

Recommended Certifications

These certifications can strengthen your physician assistant resume:

Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C)
NCCPA Board Certification
DEA Registration
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

Tips for Your Physician Assistant Resume

  • Quantify your achievements: Use specific numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts to demonstrate impact.
  • Use industry keywords: Include terms from the job description to pass ATS screening.
  • Lead with action verbs: Start bullet points with strong verbs like developed, implemented, increased, reduced.
  • Keep it concise: Aim for one page unless you have 10+ years of relevant experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a physician assistant include on their resume?

Include your NCCPA certification, state licensure, DEA registration, and specialty focus. Highlight patient volume, procedures performed, surgical cases assisted, and clinical outcomes. Specify your supervising physician relationship and any specialty certifications or CME.

How should a new grad PA write their resume?

Emphasize your PA program clinical rotations including hours, settings, and patient populations. Highlight any prior healthcare experience (EMT, medical assistant, scribe). Include procedures logged during training, research projects, and relevant volunteer work. Lead with your NCCPA certification.

What makes a physician assistant resume stand out?

Quantify everything: patients seen per day, procedures performed, surgical cases assisted, and quality outcomes achieved. Highlight unique skills like point-of-care ultrasound, specific surgical specialties, or bilingual abilities. Include any leadership roles, quality improvement projects, or teaching responsibilities.

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