Physician Assistant

Physician assistants (PAs) relieve doctors of routine chores, allowing them to devote more of their time to patient care that requires highly specialized training. Although they are not doctors, physician assistants practice medicine and do many of the jobs doctors do. Physician assistants can take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, make diagnoses, treat minor injuries, instruct and counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy. In most states, PAs can also prescribe medicines.

Physician assistants, who work only under the supervision of doctors, are employed in hospitals, clinics, and private offices. In rural areas, PAs may provide most of the medical care, with a physician available only one or two days each week.