Physicians Assistants

A Physician Assistant (PA) is a health care professional who works under the supervision of a Physician. In most settings, a PA is able to evaluate patients, perform a physical exam, order laboratory tests, make appropriate diagnoses, and develop and implement treatment plans, including writing prescriptions. PA’s are also able to work in the Operating Room, where they can assist the surgeon. The success of the PA depends both on the abilities of the PA and the relationship between the PA and the supervising Physician. Because the profession depends on the supervisory role, the relationship must be one in which open communication and trust are of the highest priority.

The typical path utilized to become a PA is through the attendance of a Master’s degree program. Most programs that provide this type of degree require that those applying have a bachelor’s degree from a University. In addition to this, most PA programs require that the applicant have taken and passed a designated number of required courses, such as Anatomy and Physiology and Organic Chemistry. Every PA program is different, with a unique set of standards regarding required prerequisite coursework.

The typical PA program is two to three years long, and implements both a didactic (or in-class) training portion as well as a hands on, or clinical training portion. Furthermore, upon completion of the program, all graduates must be pass the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE) in order to practice. Once a practicing PA, Continuing Medical Education (CME) is required to maintain an active license. CME can be acquired by reading approved articles, or attending lectures or conferences in which applicable medical information is distributed. Furthermore, every six years a PA must take and pass the Physician Assistant National Recertification Exam (PANRE) to remain certified.

For more information about the Physician Assistant profession, as well as information regarding the programs available, feel free to visit the CASPA website at https://portal.caspaonline.org/. It is an Excellent resource and provides information about every participating PA program in the country, as well as enables the initiation of the application process.