Dr. Jonathan Corrigan is one of those old-school PAs who’s been around for a while. He entered the medical field almost 20 years ago when PAs were still getting Bachelor’s degrees. Demonstrating the flexibility and legendary lateral mobility of the generalist PA, Dr. Corrigan has done everything from hospital and emergency medicine to being the VP of Health Services at an occupational health company.
Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine is trying to fill care gaps in rural communities by training more primary care physicians. The new Lincoln Scholars program aims to fill those gaps by fast-tracking physician training. How exactly are they doing that? By having select medical students train with the PAs.
PAs serve a crucial role in improving patient access to healthcare. This data indicates that participants attribute a decline in PA employment opportunities to state legislative restrictions, which was exacerbated by SARS-CoV-2 in many states. Supervisory laws may be reducing patient access to care across all states and specialties. Participants suggested that the PA profession should seek to remove these practice barriers and better educate employers and the public to keep the PA profession viable in a constantly evolving healthcare landscape. As the clinician shortage in the US continues to worsen, barriers to PA employment will further exacerbate patient access to care.
Becoming a Physician Associate had been a lifelong dream. After entering the Air Force at age 18 and attending the initial medical technician training program, my military career led me from ward work to a clinic far from the main base. Never did it occur to me, however, that correctional health was in my future.
You have just completed an arduous course of study which has demanded a lot of sacrifices: study, financial cost, neglected friendships, and delayed marriage plans. The initial goal was just to graduate; now you are required to take a certification examination to determine if all of your hard work was fruitful. When the large envelope arrives with your certification from the NCCPA you are then ready to start. Correct? No! Now you will now need to make more decisions that determine your future. And these decisions are just as complex as your clinical training.
Congratulations! You have chosen a great career! Physician Assistant (Associate) remains one of the best career choices in the nation. The unique personalities and professional abilities of PAs combine to create tremendous financial opportunities! Continue your journey by becoming the best version of yourself and establish a basis of financial education. The PAs Guide To Financial Planning is a one-stop-shop for PAs to begin or improve their personal finances!
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.
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.
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.
