What Is a Physician Assistant?

A physician assistant (PA) is a clinician licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision.  PA-C is written after the name of those physician assistants who are also certified.

PAs are required to complete a rigorous, graduate-level medical training program (usually about 2 years long).  Because they work closely with physicians and with physician supervision, PAs are trained to evaluate and manage problems in the same way physicians are taught (generally called the "medical model"--not all clinicians learn this same model).  They are also required to get ongoing education (continuing medical education (CME)) to maintain their licenses.

What is the difference between a PA and a physician?  Physicians have more extensive and longer training.  Physicians are require to complete medical school (usually 4 years), which is a doctorate-level degree.  In addition, they are required to complete post-graduate training (residency).  In family medicine, for example, residency training is 3 years long.  Because of their broad and extensive training, physicians have nearly unlimited scope of practice (types of problems they can treat).

PAs are not the same as physicians, of course, but they have appropriate training to manage a variety of acute and chronic problems.

Though PAs can work in any specialty and can see patients of all ages, their scope of practice generally involves uncomplicated medical problems.  State law also determines the scope of practice of physician assistants.  In family medicine, some examples of what a PA might treat are (not a comprehensive list):

• Acute illnesses (respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections, etc.)
• Acute injuries (lacerations, sprains, fractures, etc.)
• Uncomplicated chronic illness (hypothyroidism, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, etc.)
• Routine administrative physicals (school, sports, etc.)

In general, PAs do not manage complex medical issues, or medical issues requiring extensive treatment or management.  In family medicine, some examples of what a PA would not generally treat are:

• Patients with multiple medical problems
• Problems requiring extensive or specialized evaluation and management (premature babies, Down syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson Disease, chronic pain, etc.)
• Complicated medical problems such as conditions that are or have been difficult to control or that are requiring multiple medications (e.g. patient on several medications for hypertension)

PAs prescribe controlled substances (narcotics and others) on a very limited basis and, in a clinic like ours, do not ever prescribe schedule II drugs (e.g. Vicodin, Methadone, Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, etc.)

To help ensure the best medical care, PAs must work with physician supervision.  The supervising physician must always be available for consultation and must conduct regular chart reviews.  Always, PAs provide care in a way that is consistent with the direction of their supervision physicians.

What are the benefits of seeing a PA?  PAs allow for better availability for patients, overall improving the level of care.  In addition, the cost of a PA visit can be lower, making it easier for patients to get seen.