Physician assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs perform a comprehensive range of medical duties, from basic primary care to high-technology specialty procedures. PAs often act as first or second assistants in major surgery and provide pre- and postoperative care.
In some rural areas where physicians are in short supply, PAs serve as the primary providers of health care, conferring with their supervising physicians and other medical professionals as needed and as required by law. PAs can be found in virtually every medical and surgical specialty.
The PAs responsibilities depend on the type of practice, his or her experience, the working relationship with physicians and other health care providers, and state laws.
There are approximately 68,100 practicing PAs in the United States as of January 2009.
PAs perform medical functions that in the past have been performed by licensed physicians, including but not limited to:
- Taking medical histories
- Performing physical exams
- Ordering laboratory tests
- Diagnosing illnesses
- Treating illnesses
- Counseling patients
- Promoting wellness
- Assisting in surgery
The scope of practice varies according to state laws, the medical setting, and the training of the PA. PAs are authorized to prescribe in all 50 states, DC, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and in Guam.
Physician assistants have a long-standing tradition of serving in areas of need, providing care to those who might otherwise have little or no access to quality health care. PAs work everywhere, from remote rural settings to major urban centers, in doctors’ offices, hospitals, clinics, HMOs, the armed forces, and other federal government agencies.