What does a physician extender do?
Physician extenders are not physicians. However, physician extenders perform a vital task in the overall care of patients. They diagnose and treat medical conditions, document and update patient records, consult patients, and perform physical exams. They may serve either as physician assistants or nurse practitioners. In becoming a physician extender, they must be a registered nurse or must have medical experience by working in the medical field even at a lower level. They need to be a regulatory agency certified and licensed instructor in their region or state.
Physician extender responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real physician extender resumes:
- Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
- Render emergency medical treatment and transport patients.
- Initial reading of EKG's.
- Assess patients' symptoms while conducting initial injury evaluation.
- Work in an outpatient orthopedic clinic with emphasis on physical medicine, rehabilitation of both chronic and acute orthopedic conditions.
- Perform wound care.perform laceration repair including suturing.
Physician extender skills and personality traits
We calculated that 43% of Physician Extenders are proficient in Patients, Patient Care, and Medical Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Physician Extenders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 43%
Worked under direct supervision of a Doctor providing detailed assessments of patients.
- Patient Care, 15%
Drive daily clinic operations and patient care in alignment with the overall business strategy.
- Medical Care, 5%
Assisted health care professionals in providing medical care to active duty and dependents.
- Rehabilitation, 4%
Functioned as a Physician Extender under the supervision of the attending physicians in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine.
- Physical Therapy, 3%
Distribute PR and marketing materials for company physicians to neighboring primary care offices, physical therapy clinics, and high schools.
- Clinical Care, 3%
Coordinate and complete hospital rounds and postoperative clinical care.
"patients," "patient care," and "medical care" are among the most common skills that physician extenders use at work. You can find even more physician extender responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a physician extender to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "physician assistants must explain complex medical issues in a way that patients can understand." Physician extenders often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "staff nurse * provided skilled nursing care to clinically-needy pediatric patients * direct conduit of communication between patient caregivers and healthcare providers"
Compassion. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling physician extender duties is compassion. The role rewards competence in this skill because "physician assistants deal with patients who are sick or injured and who may be in extreme pain or distress." According to a physician extender resume, here's how physician extenders can utilize compassion in their job responsibilities: "developed a caring, compassionate, and trusting rapport with all patients. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of physician extenders is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday physician extender duties, as "physician assistants should be observant and have a strong ability to focus when evaluating and treating patients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed initial patient evaluations and obtained detailed subjective and objective history. "
Emotional stability. physician extender responsibilities often require "emotional stability." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "physician assistants, particularly those working in surgery or emergency medicine, should work well under pressure." This resume example shows what physician extenders do with emotional stability on a typical day: "provide emotional support to patients during medical care. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for physician extender responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of physician extenders all the time, as "physician assistants need to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments." An excerpt from a real physician extender resume shows how this skill is central to what a physician extender does: "set up of iv solutions daily. "
The three companies that hire the most physician extenders are:
- UnitedHealth Group11 physician extenders jobs
- Alliance Health3 physician extenders jobs
- New Bridge Medical Center3 physician extenders jobs
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Compare different physician extenders
Physician extender vs. Exercise specialist
An Exercise Specialist creates exercise plans designed to improve health for clients, such as those at high risk for heart, metabolic, or lung disease. They work at health clubs, hotels, gyms, and hospitals.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between physician extenders and exercise specialist. For instance, physician extender responsibilities require skills such as "medical care," "clinical care," "physical examinations," and "medical treatment." Whereas a exercise specialist is skilled in "customer service," "cpr," "cardiac rehabilitation," and "cleanliness." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Exercise specialists really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $42,086. Comparatively, physician extenders tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $188,925.exercise specialists tend to reach lower levels of education than physician extenders. In fact, exercise specialists are 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Physician extender vs. Rehabilitation technician
A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises. They may also perform administrative and clerical duties such as updating patients' information on the database, writing reports, processing payments for medical procedures, and maintaining medical charts for reference.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that physician extender responsibilities requires skills like "patient care," "medical care," "clinical care," and "physical examinations." But a rehabilitation technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cpr," "customer service," "occupational therapy," and "rehabilitation services."
Rehabilitation technicians earn a lower average salary than physician extenders. But rehabilitation technicians earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $30,968. Additionally, physician extenders earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $188,925 annually.rehabilitation technicians earn lower levels of education than physician extenders in general. They're 13.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Physician extender vs. Cardiovascular technician
A cardiovascular technician is responsible for monitoring and administering treatment plans for patients with cardiovascular illnesses. Cardiovascular technicians operate various equipment and machinery to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis and determine the medical procedures to take. They also assist the doctors in performing medical operations, observing the patients' condition, and explaining the test findings to the patients. A cardiovascular technician keeps a record of medical charts for reference, as well as providing progress updates to the doctors and the patients' families.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a physician extender is likely to be skilled in "medical care," "physical therapy," "clinical care," and "physical examinations," while a typical cardiovascular technician is skilled in "bls," "acls," "cardiovascular technologist," and "cardiology."
Cardiovascular technicians earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $57,887. Physician extenders earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $188,925.When it comes to education, cardiovascular technicians tend to earn lower degree levels compared to physician extenders. In fact, they're 15.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Physician extender vs. Certified athletic trainer
A certified athletic trainer is a health and medical expert who specializes in providing health care assistance to athletes. They typically devise strategies to prevent injuries during training sessions and other activities, develop health care plans, and provide immediate care or first aid when injuries occur. There are also instances where they work together with physicians and other health care professionals, such as when diagnosing and treating injuries, developing rehabilitation structures, and administrating other health care services.
Types of physician extender
Updated January 8, 2025
