The Feminization of the Physician Assistant Profession

Abstract

Although the physician assistant profession has historically been male-dominated, women now comprise over sixty percent of physician assistants (PAs) in the U.S. This paper explores the reason for the increase of women into the physician assistant profession in recent decades and whether gender differences exist in how PAs are utilized. Twenty-one qualitative interviews with male and female physician assistants and key informants were conducted to assess the reasons for the influx of women. In addition, data from the American Academy of Physician Assistants Census Survey (n = 16, 569) were analyzed to assess current gender differences in employment characteristics of PAs. In the interviews, female PAs reported entering the profession because it allowed them to practice within the medical model without having the high expense and demanding schedule of medical school. In fact, they claimed that the profession was quite compatible with family life. Significant gender differences were found in work characteristics, primary employer type, and practice specialty. Although women tend to concentrate in practice areas of women and children's health, evidence suggests that they are moving beyond these traditional roles into areas such as internal medicine and surgery.

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