Physician assistants are formally trained to work under the supervision of physicians. Responsibilities include taking medical histories, performing physical exams, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests and x-rays, making preliminary diagnoses, treating minor injuries, and in some states, prescribing medication. Opportunities exist in areas such as surgery, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine, psychiatry, geriatrics, neurology, obstetrics/gynecology, inpatient medicine, and pediatrics.

The supervising physician may delegate to the physician assistant those medical procedures and other tasks that are performed within the normal scope of the physician's practice. The physician assistant is subject to the limitations set forth by the supervising physician in addition to the laws, rules, and regulations determined by the state. Registration or licensure of physician assistants varies from state to state. Qualifications set by the state licensing authority must be met. Typically, certification is for six years and must be accompanied by 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.

There are two routes of entry into this program. Most students are admitted directly into the three year masters program after earning a bachelor's degree and completing the required courses. Another route of entry is for students who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree. The "3+3" option allows students to apply in April of their second undergraduate year. There students may be admitted into the articulated BA/MS program.

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