Physician Assistants

Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision and are vital members of the medical team. With large numbers of patients and busy physician schedules, PAs work as liaisons between doctors and nurses to ensure comprehensive care for every one of our patients. In the Leukemia Department at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, PAs and APNs operate the Fast Track Clinic, so certain patients can be treated on an out-patient basis.

PAs perform physical exams and medical histories, diagnose and treat illnesses, and order and interpret tests. While examining a patient, the PA looks for potential problems and, when it is appropriate,notifies the attending physician to arrange for the proper treatment. This interaction is essential to the success of our team approach.

In addition, PAs perform medical procedures, including bone marrow aspiration/biopsy and lumbar puncture with administration of intrathecal chemotherapy. Their work frees up attending physicians to concentrate on more complex treatment issues.

For further information on the Physician Assistant profession, see the peer-reviewed Internet Journal of Academic PAs