Nurse Practitioners are advanced practice nurses that can diagnose, treat, consult, and do other things to help patients. They are also able to conduct physicals, order tests, prescribe medication, and more. In some states, NP's don't need an MD's supervision and can even run their own clinic. Many people used to be RN's before they became an NP so they have years of experience. To be an NP, they need to enter a Masters or Doctorate program which can last from 2-4 years. The good thing about NP programs is that they are very flexible. Some do part time programs, others do full time, some can even do online or hybrid.

Physician Assistants are very similar to NP's. They can also diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication to help patients. Unlike NP's, PA's need to have MD supervision therefore they cannot run their own clinic without an MD. This does not mean that PA's are being babysat with every patient. MD supervision is more like a second pair of eyes in case they need help. Some people go directly to PA school after majoring in any subject in college. Others are first nurses (or other) and then advance their career to PA school. PA programs are about 2-3 years but there is not much flexibility. People have to go to PA school full time.