What is a Physician Assistant?

By Sarah A. Gibson, MPAS, PA-C, CCD

Physician assistants (PAs) are healthcare professionals licensed to practice medicine while working as a team with the physician. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, perform in-office procedures, and prescribe medications. Physician Assistant education requires schooling after college, usually 26 months divided into two-three years at the Master’s Degree level.

Because of the close working relationship the physician assistants have with physicians, PAs are educated in the medical model designed to complement physician training. Originating in the mid-1960s, the PA curriculum was created by Dr. Eugene Stead of Duke University Medical Center to maintain a high quality of care for patients. Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination and must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years, as well as sit for a recertification every six years. To achieve state licensure, PAs must graduate from an accredited program and pass the national certifying exam.

Physician assistants are found in all areas of medicine. The scope of practice for a PA varies with training, experience, and state law. In addition, the supervising physician’s practice also dictates the role the PA will play. In general, a physician assistant will see many of the same types of patients as the physician. The cases handled by physicians are generally the more complicated medical cases or those cases which require care that is not a routine part of the PA’s scope of work. Physician assistants are not physicians, and therefore work as a team with the physician in mutual trust and respect. The physician assistant is a representative of the physician, treating the patient in the style and manner developed and directed by the supervising physician.