October 6 – 12 is Physician Assistant Week, an opportunity to celebrate the dedicated physician assistants that make great care accessible for millions of patients every day.

Collectively, physician assistants (PAs) see more than 500 million patients in the U.S. each year. There are nearly 12,000 PAs practicing in Texas and their role within the modern healthcare system is only projected to grow in the coming years.

PAs participate in a wide range of areas across the continuum of patient care, conducting exams, diagnosing illnesses, making treatment plans, and prescribing medication with skill and expertise. Their robust medical knowledge equips them to treat a wide variety of patients across many areas of medicine, including general surgery, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and many more. This training enables hospitals and clinics to meet the care demands of their communities, shortening wait times and giving patients more face-to-face time with providers they know and trust.

In addition to earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, PAs must complete a minimum of 2,000 supervised clinical hours before passing the rigorous Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) exam to earn certification. PAs must also complete continuing medical education throughout their career and pass recertification at regular intervals.

Teaching Hospitals of Texas supports our state’s healthcare workforce, including clinical training and graduate education opportunities for PAs. Their contributions to Texas healthcare means more patients have access to quality care in their communities.

Learn more about our work to support Texas’ healthcare workforce here.