Physician Associates (PAs) are Advanced Practice Healthcare Providers who are trained to practise medicine in collaboration, and under supervisory agreement/relationship, with doctors.
PAs are trained to take patient histories and perform examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests and radiographic/imaging studies, diagnose and treat disease, perform medical procedures, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery.
PAs typically have prior healthcare experience and direct patient care as an EMT/paramedic or other allied health role, as well as an undergraduate degree and pre-medical prerequisite coursework, before going to PA school to be trained in the medical model, completing ~2000 hours of clinical rotations in outpatient, hospital, specialty, and surgical disciplines, and receiving a Masters-level degree. PAs then pass certification exams and are licensed to practise in their jurisdiction.
PAs were created, named, and trained by doctors in the US in the 1960’s to meet workforce needs and extend access to team-based care. Now PAs work in ~40 countries and every area/aspect of medicine and have a 60-year history of success increasing patient access to care, decreasing wait times, helping fill workforce needs, while maintaining the standard of care.
More about the growing body of NZ PAs can be found here: