The American Academy of Physician Assistants welcomes your interest in the physician assistant profession and would like to take the opportunity to share with you some information on one of the fastest-growing health careers in the country.
The PA profession promises a rewarding future for you as a member of a health care delivery team. Participating on the physician-physician assistant team, a PA improves access to quality medical care for all.
Acceptance of PAs by patients and physicians has been very positive. Pri¬vate practices, clinics, hospitals, and other health care institutions employ PAs to increase the quality as well as the quantity of medical care services.
The PA profession is a dynamic profession and is proud of its important and ongoing contribution to the improved delivery of medical services in this country.
Since its inception, the PA profession has evolved and adapted to meet changing needs in the health care delivery system. Becoming a PA will give you a rewarding career as an important member of the health care team.
What Is a Physician Assistant?
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 PA’s 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.
How Did the Profession Get Started?
The PA profession emerged in the mid-1960s to alleviate a problem of physician maldistribution and to increase the public’s access to quality health care. The first PA educational program was started at Duke Uni¬versity in North Carolina. The first PAs were former medical corpsmen who wanted to use their medical skills in civilian life.
Where Can I Attend a PA Program?
There are more than 140 accredited PA programs located throughout the United States. They are generally affiliated with two- and four-year colleges and university schools of medicine or allied health. Most program application deadlines fall between November and March and most programs begin between May and September. A list of PA programs can be found on the Web site of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA).
An On-line PA Programs Directory, published by the PAEA, lists contact information, admission deadlines, entrance requirements, tuition fees, financial aid, clinical affiliations, and other information for every member program.
PA Program Accreditation
Physician assistant programs must obtain accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). All accredited PA programs must adhere to the national standards developed by the ARC-PA.
Accredited programs are reviewed regularly by the ARC-PA to assure their continued compliance with the standards. Programs that fail to meet the standards may be placed on probation. Programs on probation are still accredited, but must correct their deficiencies in a relatively short period of time or face loss of accreditation.
Accreditation is withdrawn from any PA program — whether new or well-established — that fails to demonstrate substantial compliance with the national standards.
New programs must obtain provisional accreditation from the ARC-PA prior to the matriculation of students. Programs with provisional accredi¬tation must apply for continuing accreditation no later than six months after graduation of their first class.
A program must have been accredited by the ARC-PA at the time that students matriculate in order for its graduates to be eligible for the national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certifi¬cation of Physician Assistants.
There is no ranking system for PA programs. All accredited pro¬grams meet the same minimum standards.
What Is the Curriculum in a PA Educational Program?
The average PA program takes 26.5 months to complete. The first year generally is composed of classroom studies — the essential medical sciences such as microbiology, anatomy, and physiology — followed by a year of clinical rotations in private practice and institutional settings.
What Degrees Are Available?
Currently, it is possible to obtain an associate, baccalaureate, or mas¬ter’s degree. Regardless of the academic degree awarded, all graduates sit for the same national certifying exam.
Approximately 12,000 students are expected to be enrolled in PA programs during this academic year.
What Are the Prerequisites for Entering a PA Program?
Programs offering baccalaureate degrees require a minimum two years of college credits, and virtually all require health care experience prior to admission.
Programs offering master’s degrees require appropriate undergraduate credits with a minimum GPA and virtually all require previous health care experience. Suggested studies prior to applying to a PA program include:
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.
Where Will I Be Able to Practice?
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.
The PA profession promises a rewarding future for you as a member of a health care delivery team. Participating on the physician-physician assistant team, a PA improves access to quality medical care for all.
Acceptance of PAs by patients and physicians has been very positive. Pri¬vate practices, clinics, hospitals, and other health care institutions employ PAs to increase the quality as well as the quantity of medical care services.
The PA profession is a dynamic profession and is proud of its important and ongoing contribution to the improved delivery of medical services in this country.
Since its inception, the PA profession has evolved and adapted to meet changing needs in the health care delivery system. Becoming a PA will give you a rewarding career as an important member of the health care team.
What Is a Physician Assistant?
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 PA’s 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.
How Did the Profession Get Started?
The PA profession emerged in the mid-1960s to alleviate a problem of physician maldistribution and to increase the public’s access to quality health care. The first PA educational program was started at Duke Uni¬versity in North Carolina. The first PAs were former medical corpsmen who wanted to use their medical skills in civilian life.
Where Can I Attend a PA Program?
There are more than 140 accredited PA programs located throughout the United States. They are generally affiliated with two- and four-year colleges and university schools of medicine or allied health. Most program application deadlines fall between November and March and most programs begin between May and September. A list of PA programs can be found on the Web site of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA).
An On-line PA Programs Directory, published by the PAEA, lists contact information, admission deadlines, entrance requirements, tuition fees, financial aid, clinical affiliations, and other information for every member program.
PA Program Accreditation
Physician assistant programs must obtain accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). All accredited PA programs must adhere to the national standards developed by the ARC-PA.
Accredited programs are reviewed regularly by the ARC-PA to assure their continued compliance with the standards. Programs that fail to meet the standards may be placed on probation. Programs on probation are still accredited, but must correct their deficiencies in a relatively short period of time or face loss of accreditation.
Accreditation is withdrawn from any PA program — whether new or well-established — that fails to demonstrate substantial compliance with the national standards.
New programs must obtain provisional accreditation from the ARC-PA prior to the matriculation of students. Programs with provisional accredi¬tation must apply for continuing accreditation no later than six months after graduation of their first class.
A program must have been accredited by the ARC-PA at the time that students matriculate in order for its graduates to be eligible for the national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certifi¬cation of Physician Assistants.
There is no ranking system for PA programs. All accredited pro¬grams meet the same minimum standards.
What Is the Curriculum in a PA Educational Program?
The average PA program takes 26.5 months to complete. The first year generally is composed of classroom studies — the essential medical sciences such as microbiology, anatomy, and physiology — followed by a year of clinical rotations in private practice and institutional settings.
| 1st Year of Study Classroom Studies Anatomy Physiology Pharmacology Microbiology Biochemistry Pathology Clinical Lab Health Promotion Clinical Medicine Medical Ethics |
2nd Year of Study Clinical Rotations Family Medicine Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine Pediatrics Geriatric Medicine Obstetrics/gynecology Surgery Orthopedics Psychiatry Radiology |
What Degrees Are Available?
Currently, it is possible to obtain an associate, baccalaureate, or mas¬ter’s degree. Regardless of the academic degree awarded, all graduates sit for the same national certifying exam.
Approximately 12,000 students are expected to be enrolled in PA programs during this academic year.
What Are the Prerequisites for Entering a PA Program?
Programs offering baccalaureate degrees require a minimum two years of college credits, and virtually all require health care experience prior to admission.
Programs offering master’s degrees require appropriate undergraduate credits with a minimum GPA and virtually all require previous health care experience. Suggested studies prior to applying to a PA program include:
| Anatomy Biological Sciences Chemistry College Math Computer Sciences English Humanities/Psychology |
Medical Terminology Nutrition Organic Chemistry Physiology Social Science Statistics |
*You should contact the programs for complete details of prerequisites.
What Credentials Will I Have After Completing a PA Program?
On graduation from an accredited program, PAs are eligible to take the national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only those passing the test can use the title Physician Assistant-Certified(PA-C). PAs keep up with medical advances through continuing medical education (CME) courses. To maintain national certification, PAs must complete 100 hours of CME every two years and take a recertification exam every six years. Graduation from an accredited PA pro¬gram and passage of the NCCPA exam are required for state licensure.
What Will I Be Able to Do As a PA?
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.
Where Will I Be Able to Practice?
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.
