Which of the following is NOT a typical PA duty?

• A. Take a medical history
• B. Maintain hospital dietary services
• C. Write prescriptions
• D. Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is understanding what a physician assistant typically does in patient care. PAs are trained for direct clinical duties: interviewing patients and taking medical histories, performing exams, assisting in diagnosing and treating conditions, and prescribing medications under supervision. They also participate in rounds to monitor hospitalized or long-term-care patients and coordinate ongoing care.

Maintaining hospital dietary services is not a clinical duty of PAs. That function falls under hospital nutrition and food-service operations (dietitians and food-service managers), not under the direct patient-care tasks PAs are responsible for. So, while a PA may discuss nutrition with a patient, managing or overseeing dietary services isn’t within their typical scope.

Therefore, the option describing maintaining hospital dietary services is not a typical PA duty, whereas taking a medical history, writing prescriptions, and making rounds are standard clinical responsibilities.