What Does It Mean to Be A Physician Assistant?

Physician Assistants (PAs) are Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) who work under the supervision of a physician to treat patients in a wide variety of healthcare settings – including hospitals and doctors' offices, urgent care and rehabilitation facilities, and more. Premier Health appreciates PAs for being passionate, collaborative members of our healthcare teams.

Maria Bachna, PA-C, MSBS, explains more about what it means to be a Physician Assistant:

What is the role of a Physician Assistant (PA)?

The role of a Physician Assistant (PA) varies depending on the setting in which they work and the specialty they practice. In general, PAs work within the healthcare team to provide care to patients. They take histories, perform examinations, order and interpret labs and imaging tests, make diagnoses, and offer treatment plans for diseases (including prescribing medications). Some PAs may also assist in surgery or clinical research.

How do Physician Assistants work with doctors to provide care?

PAs are committed to team practice with physicians and other health care providers. PAs work under a collaboration with a physician, called a supervising physician agreement, but maintain a great deal of autonomy in practice. Physicians may choose to work with a PA to expand their practice and provide care to more patients who need it.

How do Premier Health patients benefit from care provided by a Physician Assistant?

Studies have shown that PAs increase access to care, make care more cost-effective, and make practices more efficient. Because the number of physicians in certain specialties is limited, PAs are often able to bridge the gap between the number of patients who need care and the number of providers able to offer that care. 

What makes a great Physician Assistant?

PAs must certainly be intelligent and have a dedication to lifelong learning since the medical field is constantly evolving. PA’s must also be a critical thinker and an effective and respectful communicator. Great PAs have a passion for listening to understand their patients, for getting to the root of their symptoms, and for working with the patient to develop a multi-disciplinary treatment plan.

What training does it take to become a Physician Assistant?

Prior to entering into a PA program, prospective PAs must first obtain a bachelor's degree and complete required basic and behavioral science prerequisites. Most PA programs also require a number of health care experience hours, either in a job setting or through volunteer work. Once accepted to a PA program, PAs complete a rigorous master's level degree program which lasts about three years. During their training, they complete at least 2,000 hours of clinical rotations ranging in specialties from family medicine to surgery to OB/GYN. After graduating, PAs must pass a national board exam to become certified to practice. Once certified, PAs may then obtain state licensure and license to prescribe. To maintain their certification, PAs must obtain 100 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits every two years and pass a recertification exam every 10 years.