What it's like to have the best job in America right now by Rachel Gillett on Sep 29, 2015, 9:30 AM Advertisement
 Physician assistant is the best job in America right now, according to a report from Glassdoor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports these professionals — who typically practice medicine in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals — make over $97,000 a year, on average. And thanks to the growing need for healthcare services, combined with a shortage of physicians, PAs are in high demand right now. There are more than 45,000 job openings on Glassdoor alone. That and the high pay are what helped PAs earn the No. 1 spot on Glassdoor's 2015 list of the Best Jobs in America. To compile the ranking, Glassdoor identified 25 specific jobs with the highest overall Glassdoor "Job Score," which is based on a five-point scale. The job score is determined by equally weighing the average annual base salary shared by US-based employees over the past year, career opportunities ratings shared over the past year, and number of open job listings posted to Glassdoor in a three-month period. "At Glassdoor, we know that there are two factors that job seekers consider most when determining where to work: earning potential and career opportunities," says Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's career trends analyst. "Because of this, we wanted to factor both of these into what it means to have a 'best job.'" Dobroski says Glassdoor also takes into consideration the number of job openings because it is an indicator of employment opportunity. "The more jobs available, the better their chances to get hired," he says. On the list there's a heavy concentration of tech jobs and jobs within the healthcare industry, Dobroski notes. "Both of these industries are known for experiencing tremendous growth over the past few years, leading to a high demand-for-hire and compensation for employees," he explains. To find out what it's like to have the best job in America right now, Business Insider talked to Jeffrey A. Katz, a family practice physician assistant and president and chair of the board of the American Academy of Physician Assistants: SEE ALSO: The 25 best jobs in America right now Why physician assistant is the best job this year  Now is the moment for PAs. It's our time, and the overwhelming recognition by multiple sources including Glassdoor in just the past year shows that being a PA is the best of all worlds. PAs get to do what they love — practice medicine. This is a career for those who have a passion for caring for others, who want to affect change in healthcare, and, ultimately, who want to positively influence lives and heal. In addition to accomplishing meaningful healthcare, career flexibility and work-life balance are the hallmarks of the PA profession. A typical PA may practice in two to three specialties throughout his or her career, making PAs uniquely versatile in today's healthcare industry. The PA schedule can also be family friendly, and PAs have more control over their work environments — which leads to higher levels of professional satisfaction. We are also evolving healthcare and continue to be agents of change. PAs across the country and AAPA work daily with state and federal lawmakers to improve scope-of-practice laws, remove barriers that stand in the way of our ability to deliver care, and, ultimately, improve patient access to care. And our healthcare system continues to need PAs. According to healthcare search firm Merritt Hawkins, demand for PAs increased more than 300% from 2011 to 2014.
What being a PA entails  At the heart of it, PAs practice medicine. Because our education is modeled on the medical school curriculum, PAs share similar diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning with physicians. This education and training fully prepares us to collaborate on the healthcare team and perform a wide variety of highly skilled medical roles, including pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care. And while teamwork and team-based care have long been at the core of a PA's DNA, we also practice with a great deal of independence and autonomy in collaboration with all members of the healthcare team. As a practicing clinician and former part-owner of a rural family practice in, Taylorsville, North Carolina, my day runs the gamut, from seeing patients with colds to those with multiple chronic conditions to behavioral health issues — another growing health crisis where PAs can make a tremendous difference. Being a PA keeps me fresh and on my toes and allows me to do what I love — care for patients.
The main differences between being a PA and a physician  Today, there are many more similarities than differences between practicing physicians and PAs, and we all work together as part of the healthcare team. Medical school education is longer than typical PA programs. However, in my particular experience, I work hand in hand with my partner physician. He is collegial and collaborative and comes to me for consult often, and vice versa. We go back and forth discussing and assessing patient cases, reviewing X-rays, and ultimately advising each other.
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