A new breed of health professionals are about to graduate in Aberdeen - and the venture is already attracting interest from other Scottish health boards.
The physician associates are not doctors, but they can do most things that junior doctors can.
Scotland's first such pilot programme is being run jointly by NHS Grampian and the University of Aberdeen.
The physician associates work under the supervision of a doctor.
The two-year training course is for students who already have a science undergraduate degree, and is then followed by a one-year internship.
There are thought to be about 100,000 such physician associates in America, where the post has its roots.
Prof Steve Heys, the director of the course, told BBC Scotland: "They are not doctors on the cheap. It's an expansion."
He explained: "More and more people are requiring care for a variety of illnesses, many of which are now treatable but which require care for many years or for the whole of the patients' lives.
"The new physician assistants will make a major contribution to healthcare provision and will also enhance the quality of care provided."