The Physician Assistant (PA) Profession
What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants (PAs) are highly trained, licensed healthcare professionals who diagnose, treat, and manage patient care in collaboration with physicians. Practicing within an interprofessional care team, PAs provide high-quality medical services that expand access to care and improve health outcomes for diverse populations.
PAs perform a wide range of clinical responsibilities, including:
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Taking detailed medical histories and performing physical examinations
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Ordering and interpreting laboratory and imaging studies
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Formulating patient-centered treatment plans
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Prescribing medications and managing chronic conditions
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Delivering preventive care and patient education
PAs are educated to practice across the healthcare continuum, from primary care to medical and surgical specialties. They serve in settings such as family medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health, surgery, and more.
National Workforce Snapshot
The PA profession continues to grow rapidly as a critical part of the U.S. healthcare workforce. By the end of 2024, there were nearly 190,000 Board Certified PAs practicing nationwide — a more than 25% increase over the past five years. PAs collectively care for millions of patients weekly, helping meet escalating healthcare needs in both urban and rural communities.
According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, PA employment is expected to grow at a rate significantly faster than the national average through the next decade, with tens of thousands of new openings each year driven by population aging and chronic disease prevalence.
Advancing Health Equity and Community Impact
PAs play a crucial role in addressing disparities in access to care, particularly in underserved and rural areas. By working in community health centers, free clinics, schools, and mobile health programs, PAs help eliminate barriers to care and ensure that historically marginalized populations receive comprehensive services. Many PAs serve as primary providers for patients who might otherwise have limited access to medical care, supporting preventive health, chronic disease management, and continuity of care.
Practice Settings and Professional Pathways
PAs work in diverse environments, including:
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Physician practices and multispecialty clinics
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Hospitals and emergency departments
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Community and rural health centers
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Schools, correctional facilities, and occupational health programs
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Federal agencies and military medicine
In addition to clinical practice, PAs contribute meaningfully in research, healthcare leadership, policy, education, and quality improvement initiatives.
The Growth and Legacy of the Profession
The PA profession was founded in the 1960s at Duke University by Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr., who envisioned a new role to help expand access to medical care during a time of provider shortages. Since that first class of four ex-Navy corpsmen, the profession has matured into a dynamic, evidence-based practice profession integral to U.S. healthcare.
As demand for equitable, team-based care continues to rise nationwide, PAs are uniquely positioned to help meet these demands with compassionate, collaborative, and community-oriented practice.
For more information on the Physician Assistant profession, please visit the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).
Physician Assistant (PA) Core Competencies
The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Physician Assistant (PA) Program offers quality graduate medical curricula that empowers students to prioritize and address community health outcomes through civic engagement, ethical leadership and global social responsibility. To ensure students understand their role in providing high-quality care for the physical and emotional support of patients and families, the MSM PA Program has adopted competencies that are consistent with the national standards for the PA Profession. The Program recognizes the importance of life-long learning and professional behavior in delivering equitable and sustainable health care. Students must demonstrate competency in applying appropriate and effective medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, patient care, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice.