What is a Physician Assistant?- by Jonny Wood, PA-C, ATC

Physician assistants are healthcare professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions.

Typically, a PA who is interested in
sports medicine will pursue working
with an orthopedic surgeon or a primary
care physician who specializes in
sports medicine.

Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.¹

Where can PAs be found?

• Certified Physician Assistants (PA-C) are found in all areas of medicine, including both inpatient and outpatient settings.


This article written and contributed by
Jonathan R. Wood, PA-C, ATC


If you are in Central Virginia, call 804.452.1635
at Go Orthopedics and ask for Jonny.

They practice in the areas of:

• Primary care medicine
  • Family medicine
  • Internal medicine
  • Emergency medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Geriatrics
  • Obstetrics and gynecology
• Surgical areas & specialties
  • General surgery
  • Cardiothoracic surgery
  • Orthopedics

Typically, a PA who is interested in sports medicine will pursue working with an orthopedic surgeon or a primary care physician who specializes in sports medicine.

How does one become a PA-C?

• First, one must attend an accredited PA program. PAs are trained in intensive education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) . The typical PA school applicant already has a bachelor's degree and approximately 4 years of healthcare experience.
• Candidates must complete the extensive application via the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) which is sent off the various PA programs of the applicant’s choice. This application will be reviewed by the prospective admission boards for screening purposes. If one of these programs has interest in an applicant, there is an interview process, after which a successful candidate is offered admission.
• Because of the close working relationship PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated in a medical model designed to complement physician training. PA students are taught, as are medical students, to diagnose and treat medical problems.¹
• The program is usually 24-27 continuous months, the first year being spent primarily in the cadaver lab and classroom with instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis). The second year is devoted to training while out on clinical rotations in various areas of medicine (see list above).
  
  
• After completion of the program, a successful candidate must pass the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE). One an applicant passes the exam, he/she will have earned the PA-C credential.
  
  
• State licensure, DEA prescription and hospital privileges, and insurance company credentialing must obtained through completion of appropriate paperwork.
  
  
• After jumping through all of the proverbial hoops, a practicing PA must maintain certification by earning continuing medical education units (CME’s), staying current on medical concepts and treatments. In addition to these requirements, a PA must re certify every 5-6 years by passing another national re certification exam (PANRE).

For more information about becoming a Physician Assistant, visit:

• American Academy of Physician Assistants – www.aapa.org
• Central Application Service for Physician Assistants - portal.caspaonline.org
• Physician Assistant Education Association - www.paeaonline.org

Article courtesy of Jonathan R. Wood, PA-C, ATC. See Mr. Wood's bio. If you are in central virginia and go to Go Ortho, ask for Jonny.
(PA=Physician Assistant, PA-C= The "C" means the PA is nationally certified, ATC=Athletic Trainer, Certified)

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¹American Academy of Physician Assistants web page (http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html)