Locations:
SearchThe Short Answer from one of our experts
A: Physician assistants (PAs) team up with your doctor and other healthcare providers to care for you. They earn a master’s degree after completing an intense medical curriculum from an accredited physician assistant program (often housed in a medical school).
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Physician assistants graduate as medical generalists. They may practice in a primary care setting or a specialty setting, teaming up with a physician or a surgeon. They can assess, diagnose, treat, prescribe medication, and educate you about health conditions and about wellness.
As our population ages, physicians will rely more and more on physician assistants and other advanced care practitioners, such as nurse practitioners, to improve access to quality medical care.
— Cleveland Clinic Education Institute Executive Dean James Young, MD
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
They’re fun to watch, but medical TV shows are often more hype than reality — and you shouldn’t rely on them for factual medical information
The best way to figure out which kind you need is to first speak with your primary care provider
They practice medicine similarly, but DOs have a focus on the mind, body, spirit connection
Honey can help make a sore throat more bearable by tamping down inflammation and coating your throat
Internists see people 18 and over, while family medicine physicians can treat people of all ages — but from there, they have more similarities than differences
A combination of rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications can help you feel better fast
Changing how you breathe, gargling water and distracting yourself are all common ways to stop your diaphragm from spasming
CTs and MRIs use different technologies to show different things — neither is necessarily ‘better’ than the other
If you’re feeling short of breath, sleep can be tough — propping yourself up or sleeping on your side may help
If you fear the unknown or find yourself needing reassurance often, you may identify with this attachment style
If you’re looking to boost your gut health, it’s better to get fiber from whole foods
