Physician assistants have been firmly established in healthcare systems around the world, including the USA, for many decades. They also work in countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Ghana, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

In Germany, too, the job description is now 20 years old. The first degree programme ‘Physician Assistance (B. Sc.)’ started in 2005 at the Steinbeis University in Berlin. The course can now be studied at various universities in Germany.

In principle, two important rules apply to the use of physician assistants:

1. When a physician assistant performs medical activities, the delegation principle applies.
2. Activities that may only be performed by a physician may not be carried out by physician assistants.

Prof. Dr. med. Volkmar Falk (Medical Director of the DHZC) and Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Starck (Senior Physician at the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery) were part of a renowned group of authors of the position paper of the German Society of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery e.V. (DGTHG) ‘Physician Assistants - An effective and meaningful extension of the cardiac surgical treatment team’, which can be accessed here.

Physician assistants (PAs) are highly qualified non-physician members of the medical team. PAs have completed at least a six-semester bachelor's degree in Physician Assistance (B.Sc.) and take on medical tasks within the framework of the delegation principle. They complement the medical team, carry out their tasks with a high quality of results and ensure consistency in routine medical tasks that can be delegated.
Thus, the use of Physician Assistants helps to strengthen the medical team by taking over routine medical tasks, enabling physicians to focus on more complex medical activities.

Both physician assistants and nurses contribute to multiprofessional patient care and work closely together.
Unlike nurses, physician assistants are members of the medical team. They take on medical tasks that can be delegated under supervision. These include, among other things, first and second assistant in the operating theatre, taking on routine medical tasks for inpatients and preparatory sonography.

Specialist book “Physician Assistants in Germany”

On 272 pages, the reference book highlights the requirements, framework conditions and concepts for the study and practice of this comparatively new profession. It was published in March 2025 by Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft. The co-editor is Daria Hunfeld, who heads the PA team at the DHZC. Five chapters were written by DHZC authors.

More information

Bundesärztekammer: Physician Assistance - An established profession in the German healthcare system

Position paper of the German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery on the use of physician assistants in cardiac surgery: Physician Assistants – An effective and useful addition to the cardiac surgical treatment team

Website of the German Society of Physician Assistants (DGPA)

What is special about working as a Physician Assistant at the DHZC is that the profession has been firmly established in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery for years. Accordingly, Physician Assistants work as an integral part of interprofessional understanding in the various areas and support the respective medical team in the context of delegable medical activities. There are currently twelve Physician Assistants and two PA students working in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery.
At the DHZC, PA work at the highest level. In addition, numerous training opportunities are offered that, in addition to possible rotations in the individual areas, enable a PA to specialise.

Physician assistants take on medical tasks that are delegated to them by physicians. In doing so, they help to ensure medical care. Only activities that do not require the specific expertise and experience of physicians themselves may be delegated.
For example, physician assistants can support the medical team in the operating theatre, from preoperative preparation to perioperative assistance and postoperative follow-up. On the peripheral wards of the HTG, physician assistants also have direct patient contact and take on numerous tasks, such as taking preliminary medical histories and postoperative patient care.

Physician assistants are part of an established profession at the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the German Heart Centre Cologne (DHZC). The profession has existed in Germany for almost 20 years, and for just as long at the DHZC. The team, which currently consists of fourteen physician assistants (including two PA students), performs a wide range of tasks and is an integral part of the clinic's medical team.

Physician assistants perform a wide range of responsible tasks that can be delegated in various areas of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the DHZC, in the outpatient clinic, in the operating theatre and on various normal care wards.

Physician assistants are part of the academic non-physician profession. They are members of the medical team and work in a diverse and at the same time clearly defined range of activities.

At the DHZC, physician assistants are part of a large team within a department. In regular team meetings, they exchange information with their colleagues about current challenges and overarching developments.

Applications as a Physician Assistant at the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery  at the DHZC are possible via our careers page.

You are also welcome to send us an unsolicited application. If you are interested, please contact Daria Hunfeld.

Currently, physician assistants from abroad can have their foreign certificates and diplomas translated and notarised after passing a language test (at least C1). They then submit the certified documents to the German Society for Physician Assistants (DGPA). This verification is free of charge for DGPA members.
The DGPA compares the content with the content of the German degree programme. If the content is equivalent, the professional association issues a corresponding certificate. This means that the foreign PA degree is also recognised in Germany.
In addition, foreign physician assistants receive a consultation from the DGPA regarding the deployment and areas of work of PAs in Germany.