About Physician Assistants

What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician. As a part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel patients, assist in surgery and write prescriptions.

PAs are trained in an intensive education program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission for PAs. Their education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine and physical diagnosis, followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, surgery, urology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine and geriatric medicine. To become certified to practice as a Physician Assistant, PAs must pass a national examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of PAs in conjunction with the National Board of Examiners.

What a Physician Assistant does varies with training, experience and state law. PAs are found in all areas of medicine including primary care and surgical subspecialties including urology. In general, a Physician Assistant will see and treat many of the same patients that their supervising physician does. PAs work in close consultation with their physicians to provide excellent care to patients.

Physician Assistants (PAs) and Northwest Metropolitan Urology Associates
The physicians of NMUA provide medical care to patients with the aid of Physician Assistants (PAs). The PAs assist the physician in surgery, visit hospitalized patients, and help assess urologic problems for hospital patients when the physicians are either in surgery or seeing patients in the office. The PAs are, at all times, in close communication with the physicians reporting findings and receiving directions.

One of our PAs, Brian Hennig, was hired to work with NMUA physicians following his year of residency training with NMUA. Click on "PA Residency Program" on the side bar for more information about the residency program. Click on "About Our Physicians" to learn more about Brian's background.

Brian works closely with the physicians for patient care, and he assists with administation of the PA residency program. Brian helps orient the PA residents, develops their work schedule, and helps with their didactic teaching schedule.