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physician's assistant or physician assistant (PA), health-care professional who provides patient services ranging from taking medical histories and doing physical examinations to performing minor surgical procedures. Physicians' assistants work under the supervision of a physician, who can be on or off site. PAs receive two years of postgraduate training and pass a national certifying exam. They are licensed by the states. Many health-care analysts believe that physicians' assistants, who typically deliver quality routine health care less expensively than doctors, could be an important part of the American health-care system, as they are in Canada and some European countries. Despite the fact that the profession originated in the United States, strict regulations have limited opportunities there.
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