Advancing patient care

With so many types of medical professionals providing care today, it can be hard to sort through the alphabet soup of credentials and know who does what.

Thanks to shows like “The Pitt” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” most people are familiar with MD, which stands for Doctor of Medicine, or DO, which stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. But what about the other letters after a provider’s name, such as NP or PA? What do they mean, and how do these providers fit into your care?

What is an advanced practice provider?

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are part of a growing group of health care professionals known as advanced practice providers, or APPs. Today, there are more than 461,000 licensed NPs and 190,000 certified PAs across the U.S. — and their numbers continue to rise.

Also known as advanced practice clinicians (APCs), APPs are highly trained medical professionals who play a key role on care teams. They work closely with doctors to diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications and help you stay healthy — whether you’re coming in for a routine checkup or managing a more complex condition.

What do APPs do?

APPs care for patients across many specialties and settings, including primary care, specialty care, urgent care and hospitals. They undergo extensive training and provide much of the same patient-focused care as doctors.

Depending on your needs, an APP may:

• Review your medical history and symptoms

• Perform physical exams

• Order and review lab tests or imaging

• Diagnose and treat illnesses

• Prescribe medications

• Help manage chronic conditions

• Answer questions and explain your treatment plan

So, how do APPs and doctors differ?

Though their roles often overlap, doctors’ and APPs’ education and training models differ. Doctors complete four years of college, four years of medical school, and three to seven years of residency training, depending on their specialty. After residency, a doctor can take a lengthy exam and become board-certified.

Nurse practitioners start out as registered nurses and then complete a graduate-level program to earn either a master’s or a doctoral nursing degree. They must then meet state licensing requirements and pass a national certification exam in their specialty.

NPs can also specialize in specific areas, such as family medicine (FNP) or midwifery (CNM). Their training emphasizes a whole-person approach to care, with a focus on wellness, prevention and patient education.

Whether called PA or PA-C (the C stands for certified), physician assistants are trained in the medical model, similarly to doctors, with broad clinical education across multiple specialties. Their master’s-level programs include intensive classroom education and clinical rotations. After training, PAs earn the PA-C credential by passing a national certification exam, and then they can apply for a state license.

Partners in your care

Together, APPs and doctors collaborate to provide seamless, team-based care.

For patients, this often means shorter wait times for appointments, better coordination and more insights into their health. Whether you’re seeing a PA or NP, you can feel confident knowing that you're in skilled, capable hands.

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