The PA profession was born out of war-time necessity. Over the last 50 years, however, PAs have evolved into an integral part of modern medicine. PAs are the primary care providers for millions of Americans while similarly trained clinicians treat millions more across the world. Captain Larry Aguirre of the …
I just posted my last weekly reflection for the cardiology module–that’s one module down and eight more to go in LMU’s Doctor of Medical Science program for PAs. For the next five weeks, we’ll be studying nephrology, with a retired nephrologist as our instructor.
Burnout is the new buzzword in medicine. Physician burnout, PA burnout, nurse burnout. It’s what everyone is talking about and what too many have experienced. But what does it mean exactly? What are the signs of burnout? Can it be treated–or better yet–prevented?
We are now 2 weeks into our cardiology module and the LMU DMS program as a whole. While I feel like I’m starting to get a hang my new schedule–this was a tougher a week. The assigned reading was 15 pages covering heart failure and myocardial diseases. There was only …
We are halfway into our first week as Doctor of Medical Science students at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU)! Admittedly, I am still feeling a bit intimidated as it’s been almost 10 years since I graduated from PA School. I thought I was ready to jump back into nightly homework but …
As a primary care provider, I manage heart disease, high blood pressure, and everything in between. One of the medications I prescribe most often are the statins that lower cholesterol and risk of heart attack and stroke. Statin drugs are not without side effects and they are quite misunderstood and maligned by many. What is the truth about statin drugs?
It’s finally here! The start of my LMU Doctor of Medical Science program.
It’s been 8 months since I was accepted into the program and I’ve been anxiously awaiting this journey. This blog was actually first conceptualized as a way to document my path from PA to Doctor of Medical Science.
When students are deciding on specialties they’d like to pursue, they often talk about “The ROAD” or “The ROAD to Happiness” also known as the fields of Radiology, Opthalmology, Anesthesia, or Dermatology. Medical and PA students are not known for being stupid. They’re well aware of the mountainous debt and …
Dr. Susan Fernandes is an expert in health policy. She is also a skilled clinician. But Dr. Fernandes isn’t an MD. She’s a PA–a PA Doctor. Dr. Fernandes has been a PA for over 25 years but she’s only been a doctor for 8. Already an experienced clinician, she went …
In last month’s issue of JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of PAs), PAs James Cawley, Richard Dehn, and Dr. Christine Everett discussed whether or not the educational paradigm for primary care providers is changing, an issue already addressed by physician assistant education. The authors raise the question: Are physicians …
