Physician Assistant

Overview
Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs employed by the federal government are credentialed to practice. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and in virtually all states can write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA's practice may also include education, research, and administrative services.

Transfer Degree: Associate of Arts & Sciences Option A for Allied Health

There is only one training program in Washington State: it is at the University of Washington. This is a Masters Degree Program. For more information, please see the Information for SCC students on University of Washington Health Professional Programs handout.

Useful Links

• WOIS: the Washington Occupational Information System provides information about a large number of Health Sciences careers at www.wois.org (click on “Occupations”, click on “By Cluster” and scroll down)
• U of Washington MEDEX program offers Physician Assistant Training: http://www.washington.edu/medicine/som/depts/medex/
• American Academy of Physician Assistants: http://www.aapa.org/
• A list of PA Education Programs is at http://www.aapa.org/pgmlist.php3

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