I've had both knees replaced by an excellent ortho surgeon based at a major university medical center, and I'm doing great. I've seen his Physician's Assistant on several occasions for routine checks and procedures. I like her very much, find her personable and professional, and she has done an excellent job on each occasion. P.A.'s and nurse practitioners are highly trained individuals who work closely with many doctors nowadays. They work as part of the doctor's patient care team and are often called "physician extenders", as they enable the physician's office to handle more patients and free the doctor up to do complex assessments, procedures, surgeries, etc. Might as well get used to it; we're all going to see more and more of these medical professionals! I'm an old medical assistant and have worked with these folks frequently in medical offices. They generally have time and skill to share with patients, can handle a whole variety of routine medical tasks, know when to refer problems to the doctor, and are usually very well liked by patients. Many patients would rather see the P.A. than the doctor!