Physician Assistant Week is an annual national celebration recognizing the contributions of physician assistants (PAs) to the healthcare system across the United States. This dedicated week honors the nearly 190,000 PAs who practice medicine in all settings and specialties, highlighting their impact on patient care and access to medical services. The celebration emphasizes the profession’s growth and its ability to improve health outcomes. It is a time for the profession to showcase its value and for the public to better understand the PA role in modern medicine.
The Annual Dates for PA Week
Physician Assistant Week is observed consistently every year from October 6th through October 12th. This fixed period provides a reliable timeframe for organized events, educational initiatives, and formal acknowledgments across hospitals, clinics, and academic institutions nationwide. The dates were officially adopted to expand an earlier recognition period, ensuring a full week is dedicated to honoring the profession. The consistency of the dates helps professional organizations plan advocacy and awareness campaigns well in advance.
The Historical Significance of the Dates
The selection of October 6th as the starting date has specific historical roots within the profession. This day marks the birthday of Eugene A. Stead Jr., M.D., the founder of the PA profession. Dr. Stead launched the first formal educational program for PAs at Duke University in 1965 to address a shortage of medical providers. October 6th also represents the anniversary of the first PA class graduating from Duke University in 1967. The American Academy of PAs (AAPA) later expanded the observance from a single day to a full week in May 2004, recognizing the profession’s growing size and influence.
Why PA Week Matters
PA Week serves as a significant opportunity for active advocacy and public education regarding the profession’s scope of practice. It allows PAs and their supporters to communicate directly with patients, policymakers, and other healthcare stakeholders about their high level of training and versatility. The visibility generated during this week helps to inform legislative efforts aimed at modernizing practice laws and maximizing PA utilization. Increased public understanding can also influence healthcare policy by demonstrating the profession’s ability to function in team-based medical models, while also playing a role in recruitment. Media campaigns and local events focus on showcasing PAs in various specialties, underscoring their adaptability and positive impact on patient outcomes.
How to Celebrate Physician Assistants
Recognition during PA Week can be executed by employers, colleagues, and the general public.
Employer and Institutional Recognition
Healthcare institutions can host formal appreciation events, such as catered meals, awards ceremonies, or providing professional development stipends as tangible acknowledgments of PA contributions. Creating a supportive work environment includes ensuring PAs have access to resources that enhance their practice, such as specialized equipment or advanced continuing medical education opportunities.
Public and Colleague Engagement
Colleagues can publicly share positive patient testimonials or highlight the PAs’ roles in successful clinical outcomes within internal communications. Social media is an effective tool for broader awareness, with the official hashtag #PAWeek used to share stories, statistics, and photos that illustrate the daily work of PAs. Media outreach efforts, including securing local news features or publishing opinion pieces, can further educate the community. For the public, a simple note of thanks to a PA who has provided care contributes to the overall goal of raising awareness.
Understanding the PA Profession
Physician assistants are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals who complete a rigorous, graduate-level education based on the medical model. PA education requires a Master’s degree from an accredited program, which typically involves two to three years of intensive academic and clinical training. This training includes extensive coursework in basic sciences and clinical medicine, followed by thousands of hours of supervised clinical rotations across various specialties. PAs practice medicine in a team-based approach, collaborating with physicians and other members of the healthcare team. They are trained as generalists, which provides them with a foundational understanding that allows them to move between medical specialties, such as primary care, surgery, pediatrics, and emergency medicine, throughout their careers. Their scope of practice includes obtaining medical histories, performing physical examinations, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and prescribing medications. PAs are highly qualified providers who significantly increase access to quality care for patients.