A Comprehensive Analysis of the Physician Assistant/Associate Orthopedics Workforce

Background: For over half a century, physician assistants/associates (PAs) in orthopedics have been a source of specialized medical and surgical labor. Given the increasing demand for orthopedic surgeons and the concurrent growth of PAs, we analyzed the characteristics of PAs in orthopedics to understand how they compare with PAs across all other medical and surgical roles in the United States. Methods: In this national cross-sectional study, we used 2022 PA workforce data from the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants. Our investigation included descriptive and bivariate data assessing PAs in orthopedics versus all other medical fields on various factors related to demographics, education/training, practice characteristics, and other important traits. Results: In this analysis, 12,599 (10.7%) of 117,748 board certified PAs who responded working in a clinical specialty indicated participating in orthopedics in 2022. The proportion of PAs practicing in orthopedics increased by nearly 39% from 2015 to 2022. Slightly more than half of PAs in orthopedics were female (52.9%), and the average age was 38 years. Most (55.3%) PAs in orthopedics work in offices and clinics, and a third (37.0%) are hospital based. PAs in orthopedics earn about 9% more than all other PAs; over half (50.5%) report working more than a 40-hour week. PAs in orthopedics report less burnout than their counterparts and are less likely to leave their principal clinical position. Conclusions: Orthopedics ranks as the third largest specialty for PAs in the United States. Furthermore, the number of PAs selecting to practice in orthopedics has escalated during orthopedic surgeon shortages. The economics and diverse roles emerging among PAs in orthopedics suggest that this specialty may be expanding.