Physician Assistant Studies | University of Iowa

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 29-1071.00

Skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingService OrientationActive ListeningWritingSpeakingSocial Perceptiveness

Knowledge

Medicine and DentistryBiologyEnglish LanguagePsychologyTherapy and Counseling

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionInformation OrderingSpeech RecognitionSpeech Clarity

Tasks

Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
Refer patients to other healthcare providers.

Technology

Medical softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwareWord processing software

Tools

Anesthesia equipmentAnesthesia ventilatorsAnoscopesArterial blood gas monitoring equipmentArterial line cathetersArtery forcepsAspirating needlesAudiometersBinocular light compound microscopesBlood collection needlesBlood collection syringesBone marrow biopsy equipmentBreath alcohol testersBull dog nose clampsCanes

Work Values

RelationshipsWorking ConditionsAchievementSupportIndependenceRecognition

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: high29-1071.00	Physician Assistants	title_inference	$133,260 median$182,200 top	+20.34%	3,320

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: advanced (Level 4)(based on Master's Degree)

Clinical practice standards — establish and champion evidence-based protocols and scope-of-practice policies across a department or health system to elevate patient care quality.
PA workforce development — design and lead structured mentorship, onboarding, and continuing education programs that build clinical competency across an organization's PA staff.
Organizational diagnostic strategy — direct enterprise-wide diagnostic utilization initiatives, reducing unnecessary testing while improving accuracy across a multi-site health network.
Interdisciplinary leadership — lead collaborative, cross-functional care teams including physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals in delivering complex patient care programs.
Health system quality improvement — drive institution-level quality and patient safety initiatives by analyzing clinical outcome data and implementing systemic corrective measures.
Advanced prescribing governance — develop formulary guidance and prescribing policy frameworks adopted across a hospital system or regional integrated health network.
Strategic patient education programs — architect system-level patient counseling and health literacy initiatives targeting chronic disease, family planning, and behavioral health outcomes.
Clinical technology integration — lead the evaluation and implementation of medical software, EHR upgrades, and telehealth platforms to optimize clinical operations at an organizational level.
Regulatory and credentialing leadership — represent the PA profession in institutional credentialing committees, regulatory bodies, and scope-of-practice advocacy forums at state or national level.
Research and knowledge translation — lead applied clinical research, publish findings, and translate emerging evidence into actionable practice changes across a healthcare system or academic institution.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.