Physician Assistant (PA)
A pysician assistant (PA) is licensed to practice medicine with a physician's supervision. This supervision, in most cases, need not be direct or on site, and many PAs practice in remote or underserved areas in satellite clinics. Physician assistants perform medical histories and examinations, order treatments, diagnose acute and chronic illnesses, prescribe medication, interpret diagnostic tests, perform invasive and noninvasive procedures, refer patients to specialists when appropriate and first assist in surgery. The education of a physician assistant is a generalist approach, modeled after the medical school curriculum. Their scope of practice and autonomy are only limited by their supervising physician and their clinical experience, allowing PA's to work in any area of medicine, surgery, or research. PAs work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, public health clinics, nursing homes, schools, prisons, and home health care agencies.Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician_assistant