National PA Week runs October 6 to 12 each year. It recognizes physician associates and physician assistants (PAs) for their role in patient care, and it gives the PA community a moment to celebrate the profession together.
When Is National PA Week?
National PA Week takes place every year from October 6 to 12. The dates stay fixed and do not shift with the calendar year. October 6 marks the anniversary of the founding of the PA profession in 1967, when the first class of PAs graduated from Duke University.
What Does National PA Week Celebrate?
National PA Week celebrates the contributions of PAs to patient care across nearly every medical specialty. PAs diagnose illness, develop treatment plans, prescribe medication, and often serve as a patient's primary point of contact within a care team. The week gives hospitals, clinics, PA programs, and professional associations a chance to publicly recognize that work.
Who Recognizes PA Week?
PA Week is recognized by professional and educational organizations across the PA community, including PA programs, hospital systems, and national associations that represent the profession. Many institutions mark the week with internal recognition events, social media campaigns, or continuing education activities.
How Do PA Students Fit Into PA Week?
PA Week is not only for practicing PAs. It also falls during a season when many PA students are deep into didactic coursework or clinical rotations. For current PA students, the week is a good checkpoint to recognize the profession they are training to join and to reset study habits heading into the fall stretch.
Does PA Week Overlap With Other PA Events?
Yes. In 2026, National PA Week (October 6 to 12) overlaps with the PAEA Education Forum, held annually. The Education Forum is a national gathering for PA educators and program leadership, which means the week carries extra visibility for the PA education community.
How OnlineMedEd Supports PA Students
OnlineMedEd's PA Program is built to support PA students through didactic coursework, PANCE preparation, and clinical rotations with structured video lessons and study tools designed for the way PA curricula are paced.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National PA Week?
October 6 to 12 every year.
Why does PA Week start on October 6?
October 6, 1967, is the date the first class of PAs graduated from Duke University, so the week begins on that anniversary.
Is PA Week the same as PAEA Education Forum?
No. PA Week is a broader recognition week for the profession. The PAEA Education Forum is a separate conference for PA educators that happens to overlap with PA Week.
Do PA students celebrate PA Week too?
Yes. Many PA students mark the week alongside practicing PAs, since it recognizes the profession as a whole, including those training to enter it.
