NSU’s Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences PA - Orlando

4 | Physician Assistant Program PA PROFESSION TRENDS Did You Know? Today there are more than 100,000 nationally certified physician assistants (PAs) , according to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Did You Know? THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROFESSION was born at Duke Uni- versity in the mid-1960s, conceptualized by Eugene A. Stead, Jr., M.D. A lack of primary care providers prompted Stead, together with many fellow physicians and educators, to introduce a new medical professional who could work in collaboration with physicians. These professionals were called physician assistants (PAs). POSITIVE TRENDS Employment of PAs is expected to grow 37 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, as published in the 2017 Occupational Outlook Handbook . The need for primary health care providers and PAs continues to rise, due to • the increasing number of physicians entering specialty areas of medicine • a growing and aging population • an increasing number of people with access to health insurance • the cost-effectiveness of PAs OPPORTUNITIES Under the supervision of a physician, PAs practice medicine and provide health care to patients. Some PA duties include • taking medical histories • performing physical examinations • ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests • diagnosing and treating illnesses • performing health maintenance screenings • performing medical/surgical procedures, assisting in surgeries • writing prescriptions