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A surgical physician assistant is a PA who focuses his/her practice in caring for the surgical patient. He needs to be trained as a PA and holds the job scope as a nurse practitioner in a surgical discipline. The 27-month PA program at Cornell University's Weill Medical School has a specific surgical focus. It's the only program of its kind in the country. It's a very popular and competitive program.

A surgical PA is not the same as an OR nurse. A surgical PA actually participates and performs part or some of the procedures with the surgeon. He also earns much more than an OR nurse.

You go to school to be a physician's assistant, then you specialize later. As in, you go to work for a surgeon and gain surgical experience there. Good Luck..

Yes. It's a specialty of a PA. But you know, an OR nurse does the same thing, makes the same money, and goes to school for 1/2 of the time.

A PA with a specialty can make anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000. And thats depending on the area. Some make 100,000 plus per patient where they make 300,000. It all depends in that degree. But you'll be making 6 figures.