Physician Assistants

Background

During the 1960s, the United States had a shortage of physicians. During the Vietnam War, many medical corpsmen returned from their tour of duty looking for suitable employment in which to apply the skills they learned while in military service. The physician assistant vocation was viewed as a measure to aid the delivery of primary care, while extending the practice of physicians.

The first program in the nation to train physician assistants was established at Duke University in 1967. The program's goal was to make healthcare available to all people, especially those living in underserved areas. Federal grants allowed the expansion of physician assistant programs, and between 1970 and 1980 the number of programs grew from 12 to 56.

Education Programs

Today, about 12,000 students are enrolled in 141 accredited physician assistant educational programs in the nation. Most programs (121) offer students the opportunity of earning a master's degree. The other programs allow students to earn either a bachelor's degree or an associate degree. Each program has its own admission requirements, but all require at least 4 years of college and some healthcare experience prior to admission.

Like medical students, physician assistant students take a variety of science courses, such as biology, chemistry, and mathematics. They also take courses in various subspecialties, including pharmacology, human growth and development, and human physiology. The students receive their clinical training in various medical specialties, such as obstetrics-gynecology, general surgery, and oto-laryngology. Depending on the program, some students have the option of serving on more than one clinical rotation.

Physician assistants are not bound to one specialty. That is, if a physician assistant wants additional education to gain new skills, he or she has the option of doing so. For example, it is common for physician assistants to receive additional instruction in specialties such as pediatrics or [Page 930]emergency medicine. To meet common healthcare challenges found in underserved areas, many physician assistants enroll in postgraduate educational programs that emphasize disciplines critical to rural and/or inner-city communities.

Licensure

To gain licensure, each state requires a physician assistant to complete an accredited, recognized curriculum of study as well as pass a qualifying examination. Physician assistant programs typically last 2 years and require full-time attendance. Some courses in the curricula are given in university health clinics, medical schools, and traditional colleges and universities, while others are given at community colleges, in military establishments, or in hospitals.

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