“Money Magazine confirmed what we at USD have known for years,” Nilson said. “A career as a physician assistant is very rewarding.”

The magazine listed the 100 best jobs with systems engineer as the top job, physician assistant second and college professor third. The magazine said physician assistant ranked high for a number of reasons:

  • PAs can perform 85-90 percent of the duties of a physician without the expense and time of medical school
  • PAs receive the reward of helping people without the avalanche of administrative chores a physician faces
  • PA jobs are recession-proof and growing due to the ongoing shortage of primary care doctors, especially in rural areas

USD’s Physician Assistant Studies Program accepts 20 students annually in its rigorous 28-month master’s program. Half of the time is spent in the classroom with the additional time spent at a clinical training site. For several years, the program has had a 100 percent job placement rate. Last year’s class received an average starting salary of $73,000.

For more information about the Physician Assistant Studies Program, which is part of USD’s School of Health Sciences, please visit www.usd.edu/pa.

A photo of Jerry Schrier, a PA student at USD, performing an exam during the clinical phase of his training in Sioux Falls is available for download at www.usd.edu/urelations/images/Jerry_Schrier.jpg.

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