Partners in Medicine: Past, Present and Future

Originally designed and created by physicians, the Physician Assistant profession stretches back 50 years to a time when there was a physician shortage and more healthcare providers were needed. From its humble beginnings with four students at Duke University in 1967 to a workforce today of approximately 100,000 practitioners and over 180 training programs, the PA profession has established itself as a partner in medicine. The OHSU Library is currently exhibiting a retrospective on the PA profession and its history, with a focus on PAs in Oregon. Several cases of artifacts and continuously running video footage guide the visitor from the early days of the profession to its current status. The exhibit introduces some of the pioneers of PA history, practice, and education and highlights legislative efforts that brought the first PA program in the state to OHSU the early 1990s.
A reception to open the exhibit was held on April 23; in attendance were some of the pioneers featured in the exhibit. Over 75 guests enjoyed an evening celebrating physician assistants in Oregon and at OHSU.

The exhibit was curated by faculty from the School of Medicine, Division of Physician Assistant Education in collaboration with the OHSU Library and the History of Medicine archives. Key contributions to the exhibit were also received from private donations, the national Physician Assistant Historical Society, the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Oregon Society of Physician Assistants. The exhibit runs through July in the OHSU Biomedical Information and Communications Center (BICC) Library  and is open to the public.