• What a PA Does: Physician Assistants (PAs) are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision.  They conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order tests and interpret results, advise in preventative medicine, assist in surgery and write prescriptions (in most states). PAs are trained mostly in primary care, but also can work in specialty fields like surgery and orthopedics.
• Fast-Growing Career Field: This is one of the fastest growing careers in the health professions.  There are 18 PA programs listed in Pennsylvania alone. 
• PA Programs Shorter than Med School: The structure of PA programs is similar to that of medical schools, but PA programs are much shorter in length.  Most accredited programs (229 in the US) take 25-27 months to complete.
• High Job Satisfaction: There is high job satisfaction among the majority of practicing PAs.

Career Planning

• Learn More About Planning for a Career as a Physician Assistant