Roles and Limitations of Physician Assistants in Dermatology

Jeong, Young In; Jue, Mihn Sook; Park, Hyang Joon; Choi, Kwang Hyun

Abstract

In Korea, physician assistants (PAs) have emerged owing to the shortage of medical residents, especially in the surgical departments of tertiary hospitals. In addition, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has been planning to reduce the number of medical residents. Hence, training hospitals decided to hire PAs to replace medical residents. PAs can perform a large part of residents' time-consuming job. However, PAs are not a common type of workforce in the field of dermatology. The aim of this study is to compare the roles of dermatology specialist, resident, PAs, and registered nurse (RN), and discuss the limitations and futures of PAs in the field of dermatology. Moreover, in Korea, the legal definition and status of PAs are absent or, if present, inconsistent. Between PAs and other positions such as residents, registered nurses, and nurse specialists, lies an unsettled conflict. Therefore, if PAs are employed, a more precise complement is needed.