Can a PA employ a physician as their supervising physician?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only in outpatient clinics
• D. Only if the physician is not a surgeon

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that a physician must supervise a PA, not the other way around. The supervising physician is the licensed medical professional who accepts responsibility for the PA’s patient care, and this relationship is arranged through the employing organization or practice, not by the PA itself. So a PA cannot hire or employ a physician to supervise them; the supervisor is typically part of the same practice and compensated by that practice or institution.

That’s why the statement is not about outpatient versus inpatient settings or about the physician’s surgical status—the important point is who holds the supervisory responsibility and how the supervision relationship is established.