Whither the PA doctorate?
Journal
JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
ISSN: 1547-1896
Titre abrégé: JAAPA
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9513102
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Feb 2023
01 Feb 2023
Historique:
entrez:
26
1
2023
pubmed:
27
1
2023
medline:
31
1
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
New perspectives have been brought to bear in the discussion of the topic of the physician associate/assistant (PA) doctoral degree in general and the entry-level PA doctorate in particular. Both the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) have sought and supported formal research investigations into the question. Evidence from studies shows that perceived benefits and risks are strongly influenced by the lens of the various stakeholders; that most PAs believe that the master's degree is enough for clinical practice; and that most clinical PAs and PA students are not in favor of an entry-level doctorate. Lessons learned from other healthcare professions that have transitioned to a clinical doctorate only marginally serve as a model for the PA profession. PA organizations need to fully own and embrace the task of leading the discussion and reaching a definitive conclusion in the determination of PA doctoral education. Failure of the PA profession to act decisively on the doctoral degree question would essentially default this decision to colleges and universities, which tend to have a vested economic interest in new types of degrees.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36701585
doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000911216.02925.52
pii: 01720610-202302000-00015
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
1-6Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Physician Associates.
Références
American Academy of Physician Associates. Research into the entry-level doctorate across four health professions: an annotated bibliography. 2020. www.aapa.org/download/72187 . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Physician Assistant Education Association. Call for proposals: PA entry-level doctoral degree research. https://paeaonline.org/resources/public-resources/paea-news/call-for-proposals-pa-entry-level-doctoral-degree-research . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Gordes K, Fleming S, Kulo V, et al. An exploration into the physician assistant entry-level doctoral degree: lessons learned from across health professions. J Physician Assist Educ . 2022;33:24–33.
Miller AA, Coplan B. Assessing the economics of an entry-level physician assistant doctoral degree. J Physician Assist Educ . 2022;33:34–40.
Brown D, Quincy B, Snyder J. Physician assistant education community assumptions about an entry-level doctoral degree. J Physician Assist Educ . 2021;32:207–224.
Kulo V, Fleming S, Gordes KL, et al. A physician assistant entry-level doctoral degree: more harm than good. BMC Med Educ . 2021;21:274.
American Academy of Physician Associates. AAPA Policy Manual. www.aapa.org/download/104320 . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Academy of Doctoral PAs. Mission statement. www.padoc.org . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Physician Assistant Education Association. Physician assistant clinical doctorate summit: final report and summary. J Physician Assist Educ . 2009;20(2):22–28.
American Academy of Physician Associates. 2021-2022 AAPA Policy Manual, Policy HP-3200.1.4.1. www.aapa.org/about/aapa-governance-leadership/governance-documents-policies/ . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. The trend toward the clinical doctorate in allied health: implications for rural communities. Final Report No. 94. Chapel Hill, NC, August 2008. www.shepscenter.unc.edu/workforce_product/move-toward-clinical-doctorate . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Muma RD, Smith BS, Anderson N, et al. Perceptions of U.S. physicians regarding the entry-level doctoral degree in physician assistant education: a comparative study with physician assistants and PA faculty. J Allied Health . 2011;40(1):25–33.
Menezes P, Senkomago V, Coniglio D. Physician assistant students' attitudes towards a clinical doctoral degree. J Physician Assist Educ . 2015;26(1):3–9.
Miller AA, Coplan B. Physician assistant doctorate: a ticket to autonomy. J Physician Assist Educ . 2017;28(suppl 1):S33–S37.
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. 2020 statistical profile of recently certified physician assistants. www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2020-Statistical-Profile-of-Recently-Certified-PAs-Final-2_23_22.pdf . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Physician Assistant Education Association. By the Numbers: Program Report 35: Data from the 2019 Program Survey. https://paeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/program-report35-20201014.pdf . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. www.arc-pa.org/accreditation/accredited-programs . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Hooker RS, Kulo V, Kayingo G, et al. Forecasting the physician assistant/associate workforce: 2020-2035. Future Healthc J . 2022;9(1):57–63.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Kayingo G. COVID-19 and US PA workforce. Presentation at the AAPA conference in Indianapolis, IN, May 2022.
Hanover Research. Market Analysis Doctor of Medical Science. Prepared for Northeastern University, July 2020. https://faculty.northeastern.edu/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/Exec.-Summary-DMSc-10-28-21.pdf . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Valentin V. Is a doctoral degree right for you? https://paeaonline.org/resources/public-resources/paea-news/is-a-doctoral-degree-right-for-you . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Morgan P, Himmerick K, Leach B, et al. Scarcity of primary care positions may divert physician assistants into specialty practice. JAAPA . 2016;29(10):1.
Kayingo G, Kibe L, Venzon A, et al. Assessing demand for doctoral-prepared PA faculty: a five-year longitudinal study. BMC Med Educ . 2022;22(1):331.
Physician Assistant Education Association. By the Numbers: Faculty Report 4: Data from the 2019 Faculty & Directors Survey. Washington, DC: PAEA; 2020. https://paeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/PAEA_FacultyReport4_2020_updated07-20.pdf . Accessed November 7, 2022.
Kibe LW, Kayingo G, Cawley JF. Postprofessional PA doctorates: a new era. JAAPA . 2018;31(11):46–51.
Kibe LW, Cawley JF. Doctoral education for physician assistants: demand, design, and drawbacks. In: Kayingo G, Haas VM, eds. The Health Professions Educator: A Practical Guide for New and Established Faculty . New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.; 2017:397–406.
Coplan B, Bautista TG, Dehn RW. PA program characteristics and diversity in the profession. JAAPA . 2018;31(3):38–46.
Physician Assistant Education Association. Thirteenth Annual Report on Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States, 1996-1997. https://paeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/imported-files/13th-Annual-Report-on-Physician-Assistant-Educational-Programs-in-the-United-States-1996-1997.pdf . Accessed November 3, 2022.
Fleming S. Does transitioning to a terminal doctoral degree affect diversity in health professions? Preliminary investigation from a secondary data analysis. Presentation at the AAPA conference in Indianapolis, IN, May 2022.
Bollag B. Credential creep. Chronicle Higher Educ . 2007;53(42):A10.
Salsberg E, Richwine C, Westergaard S, et al. Estimation and comparison of current and future racial/ethnic representation in the US health care workforce. JAMA Netw Open . 2021;4(3):e213789.