physician assistant

noun

variants or physician associate or less commonly physician's assistant or physician's associate

plural physician assistants or physician associates also physician's assistants or physician's associates

: a health care professional who is licensed and certified to provide patient care (such as in diagnosing and treating illness or injury, prescribing drugs, ordering lab tests, and assisting in surgeries) under the supervision of a licensed physician

The fields that physician assistants work in today range from primary care to surgery to oncology to geriatrics …

—Martha E. Mangelsdorf

… she was part of a workforce that included tens of thousands of physician associates … seeing her work for years alongside doctors in both family medicine and emergency care.

—The Post

A physician's assistant would admit the patients and do the workup. … He would prescribe medications …

—Joan G. O'Leary

Note: In 2021, the American Academy of Physician Associates officially changed the title physician assistant to physician associate to better reflect the clinical expertise and advanced medical training required.

called also PA

Examples of physician assistant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kayla, a physician assistant, and her husband spent five years searching for a house; Mindy, a product manager in health-care technology, looked for housing for three years. — Kelly Marie Coyne, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

In some cases, these medicines are prescribed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants with psychiatric qualifications, but most are written by primary care providers, who are not specialists in mental health. — Andrew McLean, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

The team also includes a physician assistant with experience across ICU neurosurgery, dermatology and aesthetics, an office manager and receptionist. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Sofia Sosa graduated from Florida International University with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies in December 2023, according to a school spokesperson. — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for physician assistant

• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent
• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• resistant
• subsistent
• distant

Medical Definition

physician assistant

noun

physician as·​sis·​tant

-ə-ˈsis-tənt

variants or physician associate also physician's assistant or physician's associate

: a health care professional who is licensed and certified to provide patient care (such as in diagnosing and treating illness or injury, prescribing drugs, ordering lab tests, and assisting in surgeries) under the supervision of a licensed physician

Note: In 2021, the American Academy of Physician Associates officially changed the title physician assistant to physician associate to better reflect the clinical expertise and advanced medical training required.

called also PA