Why a PA?
Physician Associates (PAs, formerly Physician Assistants) are advanced practice providers who collaborate with physicians to provide patient care services. PAs take complete medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic studies, such as laboratory tests and x-rays, diagnose and treat patients. Physician Associates improve the accessibility of health care of underserved individuals in both urban and rural settings.
History
In the mid-1960s, physicians and educators recognized there was a shortage of primary care physicians. To remedy this, Dr. Eugene Stead of the Duke University Medical Center put together the first class of physician associates in 1965. He selected Navy corpsmen with considerable medical training during their military service. Dr. Stead based the curriculum of the PA program on his knowledge of the fast-track training of doctors during World War II.
On October 6, 1967, Duke University PA program graduated the first PA students who went on to start practicing as PAs. Today there are more than 150,000 practicing PAs.
Physician Associates (PAs, formerly Physician Assistants) are advanced practice providers who collaborate with physicians to provide patient care services. PAs take complete medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic studies, such as laboratory tests and x-rays, diagnose and treat patients. Physician Associates improve the accessibility of health care of underserved individuals in both urban and rural settings.
History
In the mid-1960s, physicians and educators recognized there was a shortage of primary care physicians. To remedy this, Dr. Eugene Stead of the Duke University Medical Center put together the first class of physician associates in 1965. He selected Navy corpsmen with considerable medical training during their military service. Dr. Stead based the curriculum of the PA program on his knowledge of the fast-track training of doctors during World War II.
On October 6, 1967, Duke University PA program graduated the first PA students who went on to start practicing as PAs. Today there are more than 150,000 practicing PAs.
What Requirements Must PAs Meet in Order to Practice?
In order to practice medicine, PAs must have attended an accredited PA program. The PAs then must pass the national certification examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. PAs then need to obtain state authorization to practice through state licensure, registration or certification.
To maintain national certification, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and pass a recertification examination every six years.
Where Can PAs Practice?
All US states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws or regulations authorizing PA practice.
PAs are considered independent practitioners of medicine in several states including Utah and Wyoming. In Idaho, they practice medicine with a collaborating physician.
In order to practice medicine, PAs must have attended an accredited PA program. The PAs then must pass the national certification examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. PAs then need to obtain state authorization to practice through state licensure, registration or certification.
To maintain national certification, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and pass a recertification examination every six years.
Where Can PAs Practice?
All US states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws or regulations authorizing PA practice.
PAs are considered independent practitioners of medicine in several states including Utah and Wyoming. In Idaho, they practice medicine with a collaborating physician.
Benefits of Seeing a PA
PAs provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, from primary care to surgical procedures. PAs routinely perform physical exams and take patient histories, order and interpret laboratory tests, manage and treat illnesses, repair lacerations and perform office procedures, work in surgery, write prescriptions, and provide health education and patient counseling.
PAs can provide versatile medical care in all settings and specialties because of their broad general medical education.
PAs provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, from primary care to surgical procedures. PAs routinely perform physical exams and take patient histories, order and interpret laboratory tests, manage and treat illnesses, repair lacerations and perform office procedures, work in surgery, write prescriptions, and provide health education and patient counseling.
PAs can provide versatile medical care in all settings and specialties because of their broad general medical education.
Why a Doctor of Medical Science?
Doctors of Medical Science are PAs that undergo additional training above and beyond legal practice requirements. The Doctor of Medical Science (DMS/DMSc) is a new post-professional doctorate specifically for PAs. As a new educational pathway, the Doctor of Medical Science curriculum is not yet standardized and is without its own state and Federal licensure. For the time being, graduates continue to practice medicine as PAs.
Most DMSc programs focus on leadership and global health and may or may not have an emphasis in advanced clinical practice. The Doctor of Medical Science at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) was the first such program for PAs and was designed to bridge the gap between PA and physician. LMUs DMS is entirely clinically focused with students using the American Board of Family Medicine's (ABFM) physician certification exam as a benchmark. Students spend a year and a half with physician mentors from 9+ medical specialties.
The texts for the LMU DMS largely comes from MKSAP, a learning management system for internal medicine residents and physicians. The last semester of the 4 semester program has DMS students dividing into specialty cognates such as Primary Care, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine. Students are required to complete over a thousand board certification questions designed to prepare both family medicine and internal medicine physicians for board certification. Students also work through interactive cases from The New England Journal of Medicine, research individualized clinical questions, draft case reports, and learn bedside ultrasound.
Doctoral students at LMU also conduct primary research or prepare a literature review on a clinical topic of their choice.
Doctors of Medical Science are PAs that undergo additional training above and beyond legal practice requirements. The Doctor of Medical Science (DMS/DMSc) is a new post-professional doctorate specifically for PAs. As a new educational pathway, the Doctor of Medical Science curriculum is not yet standardized and is without its own state and Federal licensure. For the time being, graduates continue to practice medicine as PAs.
Most DMSc programs focus on leadership and global health and may or may not have an emphasis in advanced clinical practice. The Doctor of Medical Science at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) was the first such program for PAs and was designed to bridge the gap between PA and physician. LMUs DMS is entirely clinically focused with students using the American Board of Family Medicine's (ABFM) physician certification exam as a benchmark. Students spend a year and a half with physician mentors from 9+ medical specialties.
The texts for the LMU DMS largely comes from MKSAP, a learning management system for internal medicine residents and physicians. The last semester of the 4 semester program has DMS students dividing into specialty cognates such as Primary Care, Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine. Students are required to complete over a thousand board certification questions designed to prepare both family medicine and internal medicine physicians for board certification. Students also work through interactive cases from The New England Journal of Medicine, research individualized clinical questions, draft case reports, and learn bedside ultrasound.
Doctoral students at LMU also conduct primary research or prepare a literature review on a clinical topic of their choice.
Consider this:
- Patient satisfaction - The Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that patient satisfaction with PAs was between 89 and 96%.
- Advanced Training as Doctors of Medical Science - PAs with a clinical Doctor of Medical Science are among the most competent and capable Advanced Practice Clinicians.
1. Hiring a PA: The Benefits for Physicians and Practices. (2004, February). Retrieved from https://portal.utpa.edu/portal/page/portal/utpa_main/daa_home/hshs_home/pasp_home/pasp_jobs/jobs_files/hiring.pdf
2. How to Hire a Physician Assistant (And Why You Should). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://iapa.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=4
3. Physician Assistant History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aapa.org/the_pa_profession/history.aspx
4. Doctor of Medical Science Program at LMU. Retrieved from http://www.lmunet.edu/school-of-medical-sciences/dms/index
2. How to Hire a Physician Assistant (And Why You Should). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://iapa.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=4
3. Physician Assistant History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aapa.org/the_pa_profession/history.aspx
4. Doctor of Medical Science Program at LMU. Retrieved from http://www.lmunet.edu/school-of-medical-sciences/dms/index
