Video Player

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .mil

A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.

Secure .mil websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Video by Javon Spence, Thomas Webster

Innovations in Navy Medicine: A Short History of Navy Physician Assistants

Visual Information Directorate-NMLPDC

Nov. 7, 2023 | 3:33

Navy Physician Assistants (PAs) serve globally in Military Treatment Facilities, on the front lines with our warfighters and bring the best in Navy Medicine on humanitarian relief missions.

This brief video explores PAs origins as far back as 1904, when the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery sent two Navy physicians to observe the medical practices of Russian “feldshers” in the Russo-Japanese War.

This Innovations in Navy Medicine video is part of an award-winning series dedicated to showcasing the important innovations and hallmarks in Navy Medicine history. Stay tuned to DVIDS and Navy Medicine’s social media platforms for future releases.

Produced for BUMED Historian, Communications Directorate.