The practitioner is a PHYSICIAN Assistant.
NOT Physician'S Assistant.
They aren't anybody's assistant.
I'll be damned, I honestly never knew that! I guess you learn something new every day...especially here, eh?
They have to be somebody's assistant or it would not be in the name.
Now, there is a certain logic in this. However, even just looking at the expression without all the recent discussion here, it's also clear (to me, at any rate) that the assisting that's being done, while being done by the PA, is not being done on behalf of a physician. At best, you could say that the one being assisted is an "unspecified other" and that's all you can glean from the term.
You need to google the profession PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT. That is the name of the profession.
Splendiferous idea! I did just that, and on that fount of always perfectly accurate information, wikipedia, I found this:
In 1961 Charles Hudson recommended to the American Medical Association (AMA), the "creation of two new groups of assistants to doctors from non-medical and non-nursing personnel."
You can read more if you like (just click here... http://lmgtfy.com/?q=physician+assistant), but I think it's clear even from this single bit of history that the assistance was intended to be provided to... the medical community as a whole! Simply to assist getting people the help they need without requiring a physician to be present for each and every diagnosis and treatment determination.
Capice? Everyone?
A certain someone desperately needs to go back on his meds.
I gotta agree here... I learned long ago before the interwebs were even a thing that taking offense from a pointed or tersely worded email or post could only lead to pain, suffering, heartbreak, and a lot of unnecessary YELLING and subsequent APOLOGIZING for having misconstrued someone's intention. Probably. Regardless, it's still the best approach.
SEE THIS:
https://www.mypatraining.com/physicians-assistant-or-physician-assistant/
A "medical assistant" is an assistant, but a PA is not.
You are ignorant on this topic.
I cannot teach a person who does not want to learn.
I am done with you.
Still, you gotta admit, she's pretty cute when she gets snippy!
I now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion, Surprises at the Doctor.
Respectfully, your Chief Pedant,
-g