The Physician Assistant Explosion
The number of practicing physician assistants will be 73,893 on Wednesday, according to AAPA estimates.
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That represents an increase of 116% in only 10 years, from 34,192 on Dec. 31, 1998.
But the physician assistant explosion is just getting started.
The number of PA programs is at an all-time high of 142. Many schools are developing new programs, and some existing schools plan to expand.
Ten years from now, the number of practicing PAs will be much higher. The AAPA has estimated that the number of practicing PAs at the end of 2018 could be as high as 127,458.
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