Physician Assistant Profession

Physician assistants are nationally certified and state-licensed health care professionals who provide direct patient care and work as part of a physician-led team in delivering a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventative, and health maintenance services. They work in diverse medical and surgical specialties including family and internal medicine, emergency care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery and sub-surgical specialties, and mental and behavioral health care. PAs work in a wide variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, physicians' offices, and other health care facilities. For more information about the profession visit www.aapa.org.

The Bureau of Labor projects that the job outlook for physician assistants is very strong. Their estimate is for employment of physician assistants to grow 38 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. For more information visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.