Physician assistant

A physician assistant (US) or physician associate (UK) is a healthcare professional who provides healthcare within the medical model as part of a team with physicians and other providers, holding a qualification that can be gained in less time than a medical degree. In the United States, physician assistants are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician.

PAs are concerned with preventing and treating human illness and injury by providing a broad range of health care services under the supervision of a physician. Their scope of practice can vary according to jurisdiction and healthcare setting, some will require a license. Accordingly, their work may include conducting physical exams, ordering and interpreting tests, diagnosing illnesses, developing treatment plans, performing procedures, prescribing medications, advising on preventive health care, and assisting in surgery.

The occupational title originated in the United States in the 1960s; similar occupations outside the US include clinical officers in part of Africa and feldshers in countries of the former Soviet Union.