Anticipating the profession's future.

Abstract

This article considers the future of the physician assistant (PA) profession in light of trends in the US health care system. A bright job outlook is highlighted, and potential new professional roles are discussed. The author predicts opportunities for PAs in health care administration and entrepreneurship, syndromic surveillance and other public health efforts, and health workforce research, among other areas. PAs will be ideal proponents of new models of patients care, particularly with regard to helping health care consumers navigate the changes that will occur as a result of ongoing genetic discoveries. PAs' communication abilities, accessibility to patients, and socialization as team members make them well suited for these new roles.