Medicus is proud to join in celebrating National PA Week from October 6th to the 12th! Celebrated annually, this week is dedicated to recognizing the over 159,000 clinically practicing PAs.

Physician assistants are one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 28% employment growth from 2023 to 2033. PAs play a pivotal role in healthcare, providing high-quality care across various specialties and clinical settings. As key members of a healthcare team, PAs help bridge gaps in care, improve patient outcomes and support healthcare facilities in managing increases in patient volumes.

In honor of PA Week, we're sharing a few facts about physician assistants and the vital role they play in expanding access to quality care for communities nationwide.

Did You Know?

  • To obtain a license, a PA must graduate from one of the 293 PA programs in the United States.
  • To maintain certification, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.
  • PAs have more than 500 million patient interactions every year.
  • 88% of U.S. adults say PAs improve the quality of healthcare.
  • An estimated 7,362 PAs work locum tenens.
  • PAs practice medicine in all medical and surgical specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, gerontology, and more.
  • PAs practice in every work setting, from hospitals and urgent care centers to outpatient offices and clinics, often serving as a patient’s primary care provider.

Where do physician assistants practice

Here are a Few Ways You Can Help Celebrate PAs This Week:

Spread the Word: Use #PAWeek and #PAsGoBeyond on social media to find tagged posts from others about how they are celebrating PA Week. Remember to share news, capture your celebrations, and use “#PAWeek” and share how PAs go the extra mile for their patients by using “PAsGoBeyond”!

Recognize the PAs in Your Life: Wish the physician assistants in your life a Happy PA Week and thank them for their dedication to patient care! Consider commemorating this special week by sending them a PA coffee mug, flowers, a heartfelt card, or a membership to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)!

Hold a PA Week Luncheon: Invite physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and other staff to participate by chipping in or contributing a homemade item, side dish, snack, or refreshments. Alternatively, you could host a breakfast, potluck dinner, or post-work get-together.

Thank you, PAs!

As we celebrate the many ways PAs contribute to healthcare, let’s also reflect on how they help enhance access to care, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce the strain on overextended medical teams. Their commitment to patient care is a vital part of today’s healthcare landscape, and at Medicus, we are proud to partner with so many incredible locum tenens PAs! We thank you and all other PAs for your dedication and commitment to always putting patients first!

Interested in working as a PA locum tenens? Complete the short form below to connect with a Medicus recruiter!