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Certified physician assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Jan Kaiser

Certified physician assistant example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical certified physician assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for certified physician assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.5% of certified physician assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a certified physician assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 certified physician assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how certified physician assistants use patients:

Provided bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to select patients and provided coordination of patient care in a rural primary care setting.
Performed comprehensive history and physical exams and provided a multidisciplinary care plan for patients suffering from acute and chronic pain.

2. Diagnosis

Here's how certified physician assistants use diagnosis:

Performed diagnosis, treatment, and management of minor and moderate medical conditions
Performed detailed skin examinations, diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment and follow-up.

3. Surgical Procedures

Surgical procedures include the list of tasks that are done while doing surgery. Usually, a surgical procedure involves an incision with instruments, performed to repair damage or heal the disease in a living body. Surgical procedures are performed by trained individuals such as surgeons, doctors, and nurses.

Here's how certified physician assistants use surgical procedures:

Assisted in surgical procedures including endoscopic vein harvest.
Performed conscious sedation on minor surgical procedure.

4. Outpatient Clinic

Outpatient clinics are a part of a hospital and are set up for the purpose of treating outpatients - those who require treatment and diagnosis, but not a bed or overnight care.

Here's how certified physician assistants use outpatient clinic:

Attend outpatient clinic and participate in initial evaluation and longitudinal care.
Manage patients with acute and non-acute medical conditions in the outpatient clinical setting.

5. Urgent Care

Urgent care provides assistance to patients on an immediate basis. Although the problems requiring this swift attention are not life threatening, if not seen to it immediately, they may become a bigger problem. Therefore, time plays a crucial role in such situations.

Here's how certified physician assistants use urgent care:

Sole provider staffing occupational medicine/urgent care clinic.
Experience in family practice, internal medicine, and urgent care situations; only available provider at this CBOC.

6. Internal Medicine

Here's how certified physician assistants use internal medicine:

Provided Family/ Emergency/ Internal Medicine care.
Work varies, from newborn & well pediatric & sick visits, to internal medicine experience for management of chronic disease.

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7. Physical Exams

A physical examination occurs when a doctor or health care professional needs to determine or diagnose the patient's current condition. It is a method to know the patient's health's general status by assessing the physical pain symptoms and other health reasons that need to be treated right away.

Here's how certified physician assistants use physical exams:

Work independently performing history and physical exams, as well as ordering/interpreting diagnostic exams including blood work and radiology.
Performed complete physical examinations including ordering, interpreting and evaluation of routine laboratory and screening techniques.

8. Suturing

Here's how certified physician assistants use suturing:

Performed procedures including I & D of an abscess, suturing, and rare joint injections or trigger point injections.
Perform simple procedures such as suturing, Incision & Drainage, managing wounds, infections, ingrown toenails, etc.

9. Surgery

Here's how certified physician assistants use surgery:

First-Assisted in surgery, including advanced microsurgery in spinal cases.
Registered Certified Physician Assistant Tucson VA Medical Center Orthopedic Surgery.

10. Patient Histories

Here's how certified physician assistants use patient histories:

Record patient histories and manage patient flow.
trained in taking patient histories and performing physical examinations, recording patient charts using dictation system.

11. Medical Care

Here's how certified physician assistants use medical care:

Report, discuss all clinically complicated scenarios to Supervising Physician for appropriate medical care.
Provide diagnostic and treatment along with evidence-based and cost-effective medical care.

12. Primary Care

Here's how certified physician assistants use primary care:

Operated as mid-level practitioner in assisting physicians and residents in primary care setting.
Provide primary care to all ages under a Patient Centered Medical Home Model on Team Orange with panel of 2100 patients.

13. Direct Patient Care

Here's how certified physician assistants use direct patient care:

Direct patient care for men, women, and children of all ages, including yearly pap and breast exams.
Provided a broad range of direct patient care in a busy practice with emphasis on health maintenance and preventative care.

14. Emergency Room

Here's how certified physician assistants use emergency room:

Conduct hospital rounds, write orders/progress notes/discharge summaries, and cover call for the emergency room for the orthopedic surgeons.
Operated as the primary provider and managed all aspect of Emergency room and hospital during shift.

15. Patient Education

Here's how certified physician assistants use patient education:

Provided patient education about contraception, illness prevention, and chronic disease management.
Support staff guidance, patient education, medication/procedure prior authorization facilitator.

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What skills help Certified Physician Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What technical skills for a certified physician assistant stand out to employers?

Jan Kaiser

Director, Medical Assistant, Wenatchee Valley College

Our local clinical sites are asking for certified medical assistants. Our college provides a lot of skill based learning and hands-on experience which is evident by the employers and they seek out our graduates over other programs.

Do you want to know more?

List of certified physician assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a certified physician assistant resume and required skills for a certified physician assistant to have include:

Patients
Diagnosis
Surgical Procedures
Outpatient Clinic
Urgent Care
Internal Medicine
Physical Exams
Suturing
Surgery
Patient Histories
Medical Care
Primary Care
Direct Patient Care
Emergency Room
Patient Education
Medical History
EKG

Family Practice
Laboratory Tests
Joint Injections
Physical Therapy
Splints
Emergency Medicine
Diagnostic Tests
PA-C
COPD
Medical Assistants
Diabetes
Laceration Repair
Hospital Rounds
Health Maintenance
Laboratory Studies
Acute Care
Hypertension

Office Procedures
Diagnostic Studies
IV
Cervical
Therapeutic Procedures
Chronic Pain
MRI
Discharge Summaries
Lab Results
Catheter
Botox
Test Results
ICU
Medical Services
Sports Physicals
Lumbar Puncture

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Certified Physician Assistant Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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