A physician associate (PA) is a licensed clinician who practices medicine in various specialties and settings. PAs are rigorously educated and trained at the master's degree level, and their generalist medical training enables them to provide a wide spectrum of patient care, including patient education, preventive care, and chronic care management. They work under the supervision of a licensed physician and are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient- team-based medical practice
. The official title of the PA profession has transitioned to "physician associate," although PAs may continue to use "physician assistant" or "PA" as their official legal title, particularly in clinical settings and with patients
. PAs are mid-level dependent medical professionals who are trained as generalists in the medical model to perform various tasks in the healthcare system
. The transition to the use of "physician associate" is aimed at clarifying the PA role on the healthcare team and better reflecting their clinical training and expertise level
