What is a Physician Associate?
Posted October 27, 2021
Have you met Amanda Papp, our new Physician Associate? Amanda has recently joined the Bellissimo family and will be working both as a provider with Dr. Antimarino as well as an injector. We are so excited to have her as part of our team.
You may be wondering, what exactly is a Physician Associate or “PA”? Are they a doctor? Are they still in school to become a doctor? Are they a nurse? I asked Amanda if she could give us the definition so here it is:
A Physician Assistant or Associate (PA) is a medical provider who can diagnose, treat, prescribe, and serve as a patient’s healthcare provider. Extensive training and education are required to become a PA including a two-to-three-year graduate program of classroom education combined with 2,000+ hours of clinical rotations, ultimately obtaining a master’s degree. PAs are committed to a collaborative team practice with physicians/surgeons, and other healthcare providers. A PA must work under the direct or indirect supervision of a doctor. They can first assist in surgeries and perform in-office procedures such as excisions and injectables independently. PAs are patient advocates and educators that can help patients use the health care system more efficiently and effectively.
