InformationHISTORY OF THE PROFESSIONThe first Physician Assistant (PA) training program was founded in 1965 at Duke University by Dr. Eugene Stead.Most programs require applicants to have at least 2 years of college experience. Applicants also need some experience in the health care setting, such as an emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant, health educator, licensed practical nurse, or associate-degree nurse. Because of the competitive environment, the average PA student has a bachelor's degree in some field and about 4 years of health-related experience. Educational programs for PAs are typically associated with colleges of medicine. They vary from 25 to 27 months in length.The first PA students were mostly military medics (or corpsmen). They were able to expand on the knowled