Do you experience bias in patient perception of MD vs PA-C?

Hi Angela, this is an excellent question. I have practiced as a physician assistant for almost 7 years now. While some patients do prefer seeing an MD over a PA, it is rare that I feel negative bias toward physician assistants from my patients. Patients are correct that MDs have more training, education, and in most specialties more expertise than PAs, but that does not mean PAs provide inferior patient care. The part I love about being a physician assistant is that my supervising physician and I function as a team! I provide excellent care to my patients, but I also know when to ask for help - this is a very important part of being a physician assistant. I work in orthopedics, and if a patient requires a surgical decision, I leave that up to the SURGEON. The MD went to school for years longer than I did, and I defer to his decision when it comes to surgery. But when the MD is in the operating room, I am able to see our patients in followup and manage their care outside of the surgical setting. I can use all the tools of labs, imaging, exam, and patient history to figure out the best course of action for the patient, and if that means they need surgery, then they get to have a conversation with the MD who will be operating on them. It's a fantastic dynamic, and the surgeon I work for trusts me to take care of our patients in his absence. I also know that when I need his help, I can call/text/or see him when I need to. To be honest, when a patient says they don't want to see the physician assistant, I always let them see the MD. They may have their reasons to not want to see a PA, but if I get the chance to treat them one day, I hope to change their mind and let them know what great care physician assistants can and do provide!