What does a Physician Assistant do? Many of you are probably visiting this site because you have some basic questions about this occupation. A logical place to start is to answer the general question “What is a Physician Assistant?”.
Physician Assistant (PA)
A Physician Assistant, or PA, is a licensed health professional who practices medicine with physician supervision. This does not mean that a physician must always be present merely that they must always be available for consultation. Physician assistants perform a wide range of medical duties ranging from primary care to highly specialized procedures. A PA will often assist with major surgeries and also provide both pre and post operative care.
PAs have been around since the 1960s when the idea first emerged as a means to help address problems with the distribution of physician in certain areas or regions of the country. Physician Assistants serve a vital role in helping to provide improved access to quality medical care for all. PAs are well accepted by physicians and patients alike as they improve both the quality and quantity of medical care services which benefits everyone.
Physician Assistant Responsibilities
The responsibilities a Physician Assistant will have depends to a great extent on the type of practice, his or her experience and in some cases applicable state laws. PAs can be found in both rural settings and urban centres, hospitals, doctors’ offices, HMOs, clinics, federal government agencies and even the armed forces. In fact the first PAs were actually former medical corpsmen who wanted to use their medical skills in civilian life.
Some examples of medical functions that PAs may perform are; performing physical exams, ordering lab tests, taking medical histories, diagnosing and treating illnesses, assisting in surgery, patient counselling and general wellness promotion. Physician Assistants are authorized to prescribe medication in all fifty states. Often in say a rural setting where there can be a shortage of Physicians, PAs will serve as the primary health care provider (but always under the supervision of a physician).
Approximately half of all Physican Assistants practice in either family and general medicine or general surgery and surgical sub-specialties. You can find more detailed information on the breakdown in other articles on this website.
Physician Assistant Programs
The average Physician Assistant program takes just over 2 years to complete. The 1st year is mainly classroom studies — the medical science courses you would expect such as anatomy, microbiology, and physiology. The 2nd year is generally clinical rotations in private practice and/or various institutions
Now that you know what a Physician Assistant is and what they do, make sure to check-out the rest of the site to find out more about this rewarding career and see if this is the right profession for you.