What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, Pas conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventative health care, assist in surgery and in can write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PAs practice may also include education, research and administrative services.
Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care professionals trained and licensed to practice medicine as delegated by and with the supervision of a physician. PAs are qualified by graduation from an accredited PA program and/or by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In the health care setting, a PA can take a complete health history, perform physical exams, order diagnostic tests, prescribe most medications, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, and provide patient education and preventive health care counseling. Along with handling most routine medical problems, PAs can do more extensive procedures that fall within their specialties. The initials PA-C after their surname means the physician assistant is certified and has passed the certification exam developed jointly by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the NCCPA. Back to top.
Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs employed by the federal government are credentialed to practice. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and in virtually all states can write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA’s practice may also include education, research, and administrative services. PAs are trained in intensive education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) . Because of the close working relationship the PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated in the medical model designed to complement physician training. Upon graduation, physicia
