Like nurse practitioners, physician assistants are in demand in rural areas.

What's the difference?

The University of California, Davis, offers nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs and on its Web sites states:

"Their respective fields have quite different origins and histories. A NP comes from a nursing background, while a PA may have a different career background. PAs are licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician. NPs may work independently or in collaboration with a physician."

Here are some differences the university notes:

"Almost all NPs are educationally prepared at the master's level. NPs are authorized to practice as advanced practice nurses by individual state regulating boards."

"Physician assistants are trained in intensive accredited education programs that use the medical model. Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination; graduation from an accredited physician assistant program and passage of the national certifying exam are required for state licensure."

The U.S. Department of Labor says many education programs for physician assistants require at least two years of college and some work experience in the health care field. The American Academy of Physician Assistants says the typical applicant already has a bachelor's degree and about four years of health care experience.

Patients may soon have another option for health care. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that "200 nursing schools have established or plan to launch doctorate of nursing practice programs to equip graduates with skills the schools say are equivalent to primary-care physicians."