Penn State's PA Program Analysis

One of the important acts that brought in the role of the Physician Assistants is the Affordable Care Act--ACA, passed by Congress in 2010 which created a value for the PA profession. Thus now there is a "formal recognition of PAs as providers of patient-centered, team-based primary medical care." (Hanson, Physician Assistants: Recognized, Valued in Healthcare Reform) Physician Assistants are now one of the vital parts of healthcare professionals in the U.S, and they are now integrated into newly established models of coordinated care. PAs are indispensable

I am encouraged by the growth of physician assistants in primary care and strive to one day be a primary care provider myself. With changes in health care, it is becoming increasingly important for patients to have a primary care provider that they trust and rely on, and a physician assistant is a viable option for many families. One of the main focuses of the University

The first program for physician assistants was created in 1965 at Duke University (History of the Profession, 2014). This educational program was created due to a misdistribution of physicians and to address the issues of health care delivery at the time. Dr. Eugene Stead, who was the chairman of the Department of Medicine at Duke University, established the two-year program while working on a new curriculum for undergraduates that were studying medical education. The two-year program was designed to train physician assistants on how to provide proper medical care to the less fortunate, underserved populations under direct physician supervision.

The Physician Assistant (PA) and Nurse Practitioner (NP) career fields were the medical fields’ response to the physician shortage that began in the 1960s, but the shortage still exists today. As the population continues to grow, the gap continues to grow as well. Medical schools were having a hard time producing as many doctors that were needed to fill in the gaps in a timely manner, leaving the medical field looking for ways they could have health care providers diagnose and treat patients, but educated in half the time of a doctor. The PA program was then born out of the military. Medical doctors watched as military doctors and medics came back, but they had no formal training except for on-the-job training. The NP program was derived from previous midwifery program. Currently, as the physician shortage is still impending more and more PAs and NPs are being hired to fill in the gaps. This is causing many questions to arise: Are they qualified?, What kind of education do they have?, and Should I feel safe?. Patients want to know that they are getting excellent care, and that their medical providers are qualified to diagnose and treat patients accurately.

The physician assistant (PA) profession has been described as “one of the greatest innovations of the last half of the 20th century.”1(p1) The profession has been established for less than fifty years, but it has managed to develop and expand vastly within those years consisting of more than 105,000 certified physician assistants and more than 170 accredited physician assistant programs. Simply stated, a physician assistant is defined as a certified medical professional responsible for providing medical care and treatment under the supervision of a physician. In order to completely understand the role and importance of physician assistants in the medical field, the history of the profession must be acknowledged.

Application to PA school is highly competitive so it is recommended that one has a bachelor’s degree which is about 4 years and about three years of healthcare experience before entering a program. As for licensing and certification, a PA is required by law in all 50 states to take and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying examination which is given by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA, NCCPA). Only graduates of accredited PA programs may take the exam and only those who receive a passing score may become a certified PA. A recertification exam must be completed every six years to maintain certification. In addition, PAs are required to complete 100 hours of continuing medical study every two

Physician Assistants, or PA’s, work directly under the supervision and guidance of other medical professionals, such as physicians or surgeons. Their work includes mainly examining, diagnosing, and treating patients. PA’s typically review the medical history of patients, order tests to diagnose illnesses (such as x-rays and blood tests) and then interpret the results, make a diagnosis and then provide some sort of treatment (such as a cast or sutures), give information and advice to patients and their families, and prescribe medicine when needed. Furthermore, PA’s can work in any area of medicine, including family care, psychiatry, emergency medicine, or elsewhere. PA’s are highly qualified to take care of

The PA Platform is an online community targeted towards pre-physician assistants, physician assistants, as well as certified physician assistants.4 For certified physician assistants, there are many publications in this blog regarding topics such as: searching for a job in the physician assistant profession, tips for medical conferences, what to expect during your first year working as a physician assistant, how to properly respect patients and much more.5 All submissions for this blog are posted by Savanna Perry of Georgia.6 On this blog, there are posts on current news regarding the profession, tips to strive in the physician assistant profession, service opportunities, etc. The most current post on the blog was a volunteer opportunity the author of the blog participated in in Kenya, Africa providing health care services to the underserved population.7 This blog is an additional resource for physician assistant professionals to connect with other PA’s as well as learn what could be considered less formal information, such as tips. Although I am currently not a certified physician assistant, this blog also provides many resources for pre-physician assistant students such as mock interviews and even practice acceptance exams,8 which I intend to take advantage of these resources to prepare myself for my future as a physician

The health care system is flawed, and I believe every individual who pursues a career in the health field has the ability to help fix it. During college, I was still exploring and researching potential career paths. The decision to pursue a career as a physician assistant (PA) came from a thirst to help others and to improve quality of life of individuals.

Physician Assistants are also known as a PA’s; they practice medicine under the direction of physicians and surgeons. They formally trained to examine patients, diagnose injures and illness, and provide treatment. Physician Assistants also evaluate and treat patients under the supervision of doctors and surgeons. A Physician Assistants is a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant educational program who is nationally certified and state- licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician. Core tasks of a Physician Assistant are they take medical histories and examine patients. They Interpret lab test and make diagnoses, Treat minor injuries with stitches, splints, casts, and prescribes certain medications, The

I believe people everywhere should always have access to adequate medical care. Where you live should not determine whether you live. The PA profession was created to make healthcare more available in rural and underserved areas. As a PA, I would be eager to help people who in the past may have not had the availability to the care they needed. I want to serve those that need medical attention, but don’t have the means to obtain it whether in rural Mississippi, the inner city of Atlanta, or the backwoods of Arkansas. Widening the availability of great medical care is crucial to improving public health, a necessity across this country and the world. I want to be on the front lines of that undertaking as a physician assistant.

Penn State is known for its ecstatic culture, bright students, top- notch academic programs, and most of all, next to academics, the popular football program. It is when certain events unfold that Penn State’s motto “We Are Penn State” will be severely tested. Alleged accusations of child endangerment and sexual assault against Gerald “Jerry” Sandusky would throw Penn States leaders into a state of denial. Penn State’s lack of morals and poor use of Corporate Social Responsibility by officials ultimately lead to a different meaning of “We Are Penn State”.

I am passionate about both education and the practical services it can be used for. My goal was formed as I gained understanding in both the classroom and clinical setting watching skilled physicians serve the community they cared deeply about. As a physician assistant, I firmly believe that it is all about serving and bettering the community. As a part of the medical community, I will dedicate myself to doing what is best for others. This first starts by admitting I do not know everything which is why I so deeply value continual education Secondly I believe in approaching all scenarios humbly. Everyday provides an opportunity to learn, grow and gain a greater understanding of the needs of the community. Without continual growth, there is little difference made in society. I see the physician assistant as a needed asset in today’s high demand for medical

I have had the opportunity to work with many health professionals, but my experience with PAs has solidified my path to becoming a PA. Devoting over 200 hours to shadow PAs of various specialties had allowed me to learn about pulmonary diseases and read CT scans in pulmonary, watch in awe at an ingrown toenail removal in urgent care, and observe patience and individual care in pediatrics. Although I was at the clinics for observation, I eagerly wanted to assist the PAs and care for the patients. I was fully immersed in the topics that were taught to me and found myself lusting for the knowledge and skills to become a PA.

There is so much that I feel should have been covered in the didactic year and so much that could have been taught with greater success now that I am at the end of my rotations. After reviewing the material from the Duke University PA program and comparing it to the Loma Linda program I feel that there is great room for improvement and a higher standard to be achieved. I am bewildered at the minimal clinical exposure, which was required of us during the didactic year given the close proximity of a world renowned hospital just walking distance from the classrooms. I am still completely shocked that not a single student that I know of rotated through the main Loma Linda hospital or