At which institution was the PA profession founded?

The PA profession was founded at Duke University Medical Center in the mid-1960s. This institution is recognized for creating the first Physician Assistant program, which was initiated in response to a growing need for healthcare providers, particularly in underserved areas. The program was developed by Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr., who was instrumental in shaping the role of PAs. Duke’s innovative approach focused on bridging the gap between medicine and nursing by training individuals, often former military corpsmen, to extend the reach of physicians in patient care.

Other institutions mentioned in the choices have contributed significantly to medical education and specialty training but did not establish the PA profession itself. For example, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University Medical Center are renowned for their research and medical programs but were not the birthplace of the PA role. The University of Pennsylvania has also made strides in medical training but is not credited with the establishment of the PA profession in the way Duke University Medical Center is.