Physician Assistants
Official O*NET title: Physician Assistants (29-1071.00)
Also called: cardiology physician assistant, certified physician assistant, emergency medicine physician assistant, family practice physician assistant, orthopaedic physician assistant
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing physician assistants work
2 of 12 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 17%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Administer or order diagnostic tests (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Instruct and counsel patients about prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, emotional problems of daily living, and health maintenance (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Perform therapeutic procedures (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Visit and observe patients on hospital rounds or house calls, updating charts, ordering therapy, and reporting back to physician (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide physicians with assistance during surgery or complicated medical procedures (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Supervise and coordinate activities of technicians and technical assistants (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Order medical and laboratory supplies and equipment (main task) — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal”. Try the prompt for: “Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and physician assistants
Will AI replace physician assistants?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 2 of the 12 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 10 of the 12 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which physician assistant tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal; obtain, compile, and record patient medical data.
Which physician assistant tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients; prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval; examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 12% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a physician assistant start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Physician Assistants ranks #397 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #48 of 80 in Healthcare.
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