PAs: Public awareness and the popular media

From the very beginning, popular media has played an essential role in driving public awareness and recognition of physician assistants (PAs) as major contributors to healthcare. But for PAs, popular media can be a double-edged sword. Over time, the roles of PAs have evolved from bit players to leading characters on television medical dramas. Even so, on some occasions, the roles of PAs have been marginalized and misrepresented. In the future, the PA profession will need to remain vigilant about how PAs are portrayed in the popular media and must learn how to use the full benefit of the media to promote the profession's diversity, flexibility, collegiality, and civic-mindedness.