What does a Physician Assistant (PA) do?
Physician Assistants (PAs) are medical providers, most with graduate-level education. They are licensed to diagnose and treat illness and disease and to provide medication for patients. PAs work in physician offices, hospitals, and clinics in collaboration with a licensed physician. Because of their advanced education in general medicine, modeled after physician education, PAs can treat patients with significant autonomy within the physician/PA relationship – PAEA.
Physician Assistants, among other things, get the opportunity to take medical histories and perform physical exams, order and interpret laboratory tests, assist in surgery and set fractures, and counsel patients.
Choosing This Field
When figuring out if this profession is right for you, make sure to look at various resources to inform you about physician assistant career paths, engage in self reflection regularly, and seek out relevant clinical and service experiences.
To explore what your career could be in this field and what the right fit is for you, visit the following resources:
What is the required preparation?
There is no required major for pre-PA students—students are welcome to explore their major options.
As a student completing an undergraduate degree, one will need to complete the prerequisite course requirements for admittance to PA school (see as well the prerequisites listed by the AAPA).
PA PrerequisitesThere is variability when it comes to course requirements and policies on AP credits for entrance to a PA program, so applicants are encouraged to explore their specific programs of interest and research their coursework expectations.
To find a full list of PA programs with their respective requirements, click here. The typical physician assistant program takes two or three years to complete. For information on the application process and how to prepare, visit the PAEA Applying to a PA Program page.