Physician assistants (PA) are mid-level health practitioners who are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of the physician/PA team, PA’s exercise autonomy in diagnosing and treating illnesses. They deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. In orthopaedics, a PA provides care to new and post-op patients, first assists in surgery, casts and splints, interprets x-rays, performs history and physicals for surgical clearance, and rounds on inpatients at the hospital. They can prescribe medicine in 48 of the 50 states. PA’s educational background/training is a bachelor or masters degree taught under the medical model like physicians. A physician assistant who has passed the national certification exam will have the title, PA-C (Physician Assistant-Certified) after their name. Overall, a physician/physician assistant team promotes patient education, greater time with a health care provider and overall patient care.
