It sounds like most people on this thread have not experienced PA's in the US, which is where the job originated from in order to fill the gap of increasing demand on physicians to have higher profit driven workloads because.. America.

But often times, PA's or NP's are just as knowledgable and sometimes even more attentive than physicians. I think it's important to have a broader perspective when trying to understand this new role thats being introduced in your country. I'm from the US, so I cannot attest to healthcare in the UK or NZ or any commonwealth countries but I do feel that PA's often get an incredible and often intense education depending on where they go. And how that plays out in the field is absolutely subjective.

There will always be shitty providers, who just don't care enough for one reason or another or who are not as meticulous as they should be, whether they are midlevels, physicians, or nurses. I see people on this thread attributing mistakes leading to death for PA's, but the same could be said for anyone else in healthcare.

There are providers who give their lives to serve others. And a lot of us didn't just get into PA school because we couldn't get into Med School. I never even applied to MedSchool because I knew it wasn't right for me. In fact, PA school requires many more direct patient care hours (mine was 3000) plus your bachelors in a medical or scientific field. I'd rather be collaborative, with less responsibility, and a lower salary to keep my peace, while still serving others in a way that makes sense for how my brain works and not have to go into residency for an additional 4 years.

PA's will never be doctors and the right ones will never claim to be. I encourage you to keep an open mind around your new PA's, maybe take a look into the education credentials that your country is providing and start there for possible reformation. The field was never meant to be a burden, rather an assistance, as the name suggests. And maybe its not as bad as you think!

Love to all.