The nurse practitioner will see you now

In 2021, Nicole Barbosa, a media relations specialist in Austin, Texas, moved back to the US after more than a decade abroad. Getting medical care established stateside was a priority for her — but when she tried to make an appointment with a primary care doctor at a local health care system she trusted, she was surprised to find herself at the end of a months-long wait list.

Meanwhile, a physician assistant in the same practice was available within days. At first, Barbosa wasn’t sure how physician assistants were different from doctors....