What is Physician assistant?
{{disputed|date=April 2024}} {{multiple issues| {{complex|date=April 2024}} {{globalise|date=April 2024}} {{update|date=April 2024}} }} A '''physician assistant''' or physician associate (UK) is a healthcare worker who is not a qualified [[physician]] but practices medicine under supervision. The title used and what exactly they can do is different in different countries. They started in the USA in the 1960s, but there were similar jobs during [[World War II]]. There are now similar jobs in many countries as there is a general shortage of physicians. The training for these assistant posts is much shorter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://www.aapa.org/about/history/|access-date=2023-03-15|website=AAPA|language=en-US}}</ref> A '''physician associate''' is a health-care provider working in the [[NHS]] in [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]]. They provide [[diagnosis]] and treatment of medical disorders. They work under the direct supervision of a named GMC qualified General Practitioner or [[GeneralMedicalCouncil|GMC]] Registered Consultant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fparcp.co.uk/about-fpa/who-are-physician-associates|title=Who are physician associates?|date=2023|accessdate=2023-11-06|publisher=Royal College of Physicians:Faculty of Physician Associates|archive-date=2016-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630070918/http://www.fparcp.co.uk/faqs|url-status=dead}}</ref> USA during [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]] there was a shortage of doctors. The US military began training people in more advanced skills. In 1967 the first class of advanced clinicians from [[Duke University]] Physician Assistant program on October 6, 1967 graduated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aapa.org/about/history/|title=History of AAPA & the PA Profession|date=2023|accessdate=2023-11-06}}</ref> When their training was finished they were able to provide medical and some surgical treatments within the USA military. This included ordering [[Test|tests]] and [[Prescription|pre