physician assistant (redirected from Physicians' assistant)

assistant /as·sis·tant/ (ah-sis´tant) one who aids or helps another; an auxiliary.

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physician assistant  see under physician.

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physician /phy·si·cian/ (fĭ-zish´in)

1. an authorized practitioner of medicine, as one graduated from a college of medicine or osteopathy and licensed by the appropriate board; see also doctor.

2. one who practices medicine as distinct from surgery.

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physician assistant  one who has been trained in an accredited program and certified by an appropriate board to perform certain of a physician's duties, including history taking, physical examination, diagnostic tests, treatment, and certain minor surgical procedures, all under the responsible supervision of a licensed physician. Abbreviated P.A.

attending physician 

1. a physician who has admitting privileges at a hospital.

2. the physician with primary responsibility for the care of a patient in a particular case.

emergency physician  a specialist in emergency medicine.

family physician  a medical specialist who plans and provides the comprehensive primary health care of all members of a family, regardless of age or sex, on a continuous basis.

resident physician  a graduate and licensed physician receiving training in a specialty, usually in a hospital.

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physician assistant (PA),

a person academically and clinically prepared to practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy. Within the physician/PA relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decisions and provide a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. Training programs average 25 to 27 months. National certification is available to graduates of approved training programs, a master's degree level in most states.

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physician assistant 

a health care professional who is able to perform certain of a physician's duties, serving in either of two roles: assistant to the primary care physician (PA) or surgeon assistant (SA). The PA possesses the knowledge and skill to perform history taking, physical examination, drawing of blood samples, urinalysis, electrocardiographic examination, and routine therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, and suturing of wounds, all under the supervision of a physician. Graduates of accredited physician assistant programs who successfully complete the National Certifying Examination for Primary Care Physician Assistants are designated PA-C, Physician Assistant–Certified. The address of the American Academy of Physician Assistants is 950 N. Washington Ave., Alexandria, VA 22314.

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physician assistant

PA Medtalk A person qualified to perform various physician-supervised medical tasks–eg, taking Pt Hx, performing physical exams and autopsies Education 2 yrs beyond college or university. See Pathologists' assistant, Physician extender.

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Patient discussion about physician assistant.

Q. What is a physician assistant? What are the differences betwwen it and MD? My son want to be a doctor (MD). I think it might be to hard for him. I know that there is something called physician assistant can someone elaborate more about this profession?

A. physician assistant are just like full doctors except they need a MD to sign some of the forms they have.
You can see more about the academic program here
http://paprogram.mc.duke.edu/