Physician assistants work closely with doctors to examine and evaluate patients, perform physical exams, prescribe medications, order tests, and assist in surgery.
Physician assistants can also diagnose minor injuries and illnesses and are an important part of the health care team.
Demand for PA’s are growing, especially in rural areas with few doctors.
There many kinds of physicians, with many specializations: Family medicine and primary care, surgery, internal medicine, dermatology, radiology, and many, many more. There are two different types of medical degrees: DO’s and MD’s. Both MD’s and DO’s can specialize in every type of medicine, but have different educational philosophies. Learn more about DO’s here..
In order to become a practicing doctor, students must complete a rigorous bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school, three to five years of a residency, and often additional fellowship training. Learn more about different medical specialties here.
