Understanding Physician Assistants (PAs): Definition & Role

PA stands for Physician Assistant. A physician assistant (PA) is a medical professional who is licensed to practice medicine in all 50 states in the United States. PAs are required to have a master's degree in physician assistant studies and must pass a national certification exam in order to practice.

PAs work in a variety of medical settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. They can perform many of the same tasks as doctors, such as diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, and performing surgery. However, PAs are not surgeons or obstetricians.

PAs work under the supervision of a doctor, but they are not doctors themselves. They are considered to be mid-level healthcare providers, which means they have more training than nurses but less training than doctors.