1 More than 90 percent of PAs practicing emergency medicine identify the hospital emergency room as their primary work setting. 2 Physician assistants practice medicine with supervision by licensed physicians. PAs serve in many roles in emergency medicine, including those in prehospital patient care, patient triage, patient care in the ED, and selective administrative functions. PAs in emergency medicine are not limited to practicing in emergency departments. They also provide emergency care for patients in various settings, including, but not limited to, critical care units, prehospital situations, and ground or air transport of patients.
PAs serve patients in communities of every type and size.
2 Practice Credentials Physician assistants are trained in intensive medical education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its predecessor organizations. The average PA program curriculum is 26 months. The typical PA student is at least 28 years old, has a bachelor's degree and four years of health care experience prior to admission to a PA program. The programs are offered at medical schools, colleges and universities, and teaching hospitals. There are currently three postgraduate residency programs for physician assistants in emergency medicine, two of which are through the Armed Forces, although postgraduate residencies are not a requirement for PA practice.