Is the term mid-level provider offensive? Yes, yes it is. And worse yet it’s not an accurate description of the care provided by PAs and NPs. So where did the term mid-level provider or mid-level practitioner come from and what should we be saying instead? Let’s start with the origin of the term itself.
Acne vulgaris and acne rosacea are two common skin conditions that affect adolescents and adults. They’re both inflammatory conditions that can be frustrating to treat for both patients and providers. At times, their presentations can be difficult to differentiate; however, teasing out the differences is important since treatments for acne …
Almost done with the 5th module of LMU’s Doctor of Medical Science program. We completed 3 modules the first semester: cardiology, nephrology, and heme/onc. The second semester started with endocrinology and we’re now finishing up infectious disease. I really enjoyed the endo module, the physician was an excellent discussion leader. …
Physician assistant residencies have been around for roughly five decades now and continue to be a hot topic. They average from one to two years in length and span from surgical to non-surgical specialties. Most studies have focused on similar parameters of these residency programs such as short and long-term …
$21 million is a lot of money especially when it won’t change a single thing about PA practice. Those more important battles would likely have to wait years until a name change is complete. There is a better option. Focus on the future. Focus on becoming, and better yet earning, the title of doctor. Spend that $21 million on untethering PAs and PA Doctors from physicians. “Just say MCP?” Naw, just say Doctor.
PA faculty often find themselves in a quandary about how to generate scholarship. The traditional bench research is rarely a solution due to a lack of traditional research-PhD background of many faculty members. The good news is that with some creativity and mentoring faculty can find opportunities for scholarship embedded within their everyday lives. The classroom provides a fertile laboratory for data collection and analysis. Pedagogical innovations can be documented and prove suitable for publication. The scholar-practitioner model is arguably the most successful route for PA faculty to achieve tenure and higher rank.
Physician assistants (PA) are number #1 in healthcare, so getting a job for an experienced PA should be super simple. Right? Maybe not always. My personal awakening to the looming problems in the physician assistant profession came in 2018. I had always enjoyed an easy time finding a position, and …
My first semester of the LMU Doctor of Medical Science program is officially complete. I’m writing this in early January and we’ll be starting the next module on the 11th.
There are many reasons to become a PA. It might be job security, earning a decent income, or helping others. You’re not alone, however. You might have noticed that Physician Assistants (PAs) seem to have one of the top jobs in the country.
Just forty years ago, most PA programs were not offering a graduate degree—the program I attended only granted an associate degree. Years would pass before the master’s degree became the entry-level credential for pre-PAs.
