[RK]

The other people in this category (in the US) are physician assistants. As with many things, there is a religious level war over who is more competent.

In my experience, I have had less than satisfactory experiences seeing NP's and PA's, primarily because they clearly did not have the same depth of knowledge in a primary care setting. I remember once wondering if I was being seen by a medical student or something, then I looked at the name tag and saw that he was a PA. (Apply anecdotal disclaimers accordingly.)