Conference report: The development of physician assistants (PAs) is a phenomenon that has accelerated since the new century and many countries are involved (1). We report on countries that have recently introduced PAs to identify opportunities for improving the transition. The 35th Annual Physician Assistant Conference of the American Academy of Physician Assistant (AAPA) held in Philadelphia, US, May 26-31, 2007 was attended by almost 8,000 delegates including PAs, students, academics and policy makers. The main purposes of this conference were to promote professional development, develop ideas and provide education. It also featured an international forum focusing on global developments