The changing physician assistant profession: a gender shift.

The physician assistant (PA) movement originally served as an avenue for male veterans to transition into the civilian workforce. After a half-century of development, the profession in the United States is now predominantly female and nonveteran. Using archival data and other resources, this article documents the influences on gender and age shifts in the PA profession with related policy perspectives. Now entering its sixth decade, the profession continues to evolve as demand for PA services outpaces supply.