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Your PA Can Handle It
With thousands of hours of medical training and a versatile skill set, PAs are expanding access to team-based care. When it comes to quality healthcare, your PA can handle it.
What is a PA?
PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative. PAs practice in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality.
150,000PAs inthe U.S.
PAs have more than
2021 AAPA Salary SurveyAll data based on clinically practicing PAs in the U.S.
400000000 patient interactions per year
2018 AAPA Salary Survey
EDUCATION BY THE NUMBERS
277
PA programs in the U.S.
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, June 2021
2000+
hours of clinical rotations
Programs are 27 monthsor 3 academic years
(Bachelor’s degree is required for acceptance)
Educated at
MASTER’SDEGREE level
Certification & Licensing
To obtain a license, PAs must:
Graduate from an accredited PA program
Pass a certification exam
To maintain their certification, PAs must complete:
PAspracticemedicine inall specialties
All data based on clinically practicing PAs in the U.S.
*Other refers to a variety of healthcare settings including but not limited to psychiatry, hospice and palliative care, obstetrics and gynecology, addiction medicine, pain management, public health and dermatology. It also includes PAs with no specialty. Pie charts may not sum to 100.0% due to rounding error.
All data based on clinically practicing PAs in the U.S.
*Other refers to a variety of work settings including but not limited to schools/universities, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and correctional facilities. Pie charts may not sum to 100.0% due to rounding error.
PAspracticein everywork setting
Research on PA Quality
PAs are trusted healthcare providers
Having a PA makes it easier to get medical appointments
PAs improve the quality of healthcare
*“Attitudes Toward PAs: A 2014 Survey by the American Academy of PAs.” The Harris online survey was conducted September 15–22, 2014 among 1,544 adults age 18 and older living in the US, including an oversample of 680 adults who have seen a PA and/or have accompanied a loved one to see a PA in the past 12 months. For full methodology visit aapa.org/media.’
PA Profession in the News
Best 100 Jobs List U.S. News & World Report 2021
Best Healthcare Jobs U.S. News & World Report 2021
Fastest Growing Jobs in America Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020