title: The profession in 2002 and beyond.
abstract: Although a period of extraordinary growth in the number and utilization of physician assistants (PAs) appears to be stabilizing, the forces that shaped the profession during its years of integration and acceptance are yielding to a new set of demographic, educational, and practice realities. This article reviews the factors that have brought PAs to their present position and examines the trends that may shape the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cawley
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000639:trends*; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000639:trends*; D024382:Professional Role; D014481:United States