PA Basics

A Physician Assistant (PA) is a member of the healthcare team who is trained, nationally certified, and state licensed to practice medicine in collaboration with a supervising physician in a variety of health care settings.

PAs can see patients in a way similar to a physician. They can perform comprehensive physical exams, order and interpret diagnostic tests, diagnose and initiate treatment. Additionally, they are trained to first assist in surgery, perform bedside procedures, and much more.

In Ohio, PAs are licensed and regulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio, the same as physicians.

Most PA schools are 27-30 months in duration, a Masters level of education, and typically divided into didactic and clinical curricula.

Didactic year is rigorous and mirrors the first two years of a typical medical school curriculum with emphasis in the areas of clinical medicine, pathophysiology, anatomy, and pharmacology.

Clinical year typically entails 4-6 week clinical rotations in the core areas of family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, mental and behavioral health, women’s health, and pediatrics.

Upon graduation from an accredited PA program, students must sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) which is the national certification process administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Upon becoming nationally certified, PA-Cs are generally permitted to obtain state licensure and prescribing abilities. PAs are required to engage in Continuing Medical Education (CME). Nationally, PAs are required to obtain 100 CME every 24 months. The state of Ohio specifically requires an additional 12 hours of CME dedicated specifically to pharmacology.