PA Program - What is a PA?
Physician Assistants (PA) are health care professionals
licensed to practice medicine with supervision from a
doctor of medicine (MD) or doctor of osteopathic
medicine (DO). As a team with the supervising physician,
the PA provides diagnostic and therapeutic patient care,
takes patient histories, performs physical examinations,
orders diagnostic studies and develops and carries out
treatment plans. PAs also work in research,
administrative and academic positions.PAs work in
private physician offices, clinics, hospitals, health
maintenance organizations, neighborhood health centers,
federal and state facilities, the Armed Services,
industries, universities, medical schools and many other
settings.
HOW ARE PAs TRAINED?
The first PA training program began in 1965 at Duke
University to assist in alleviating the shortage and
maldistribution of physicians. Four ex-Navy corpsmen were
in the first class of the Duke University PA program.
Today, there are 141 accredited PA programs in the
United States that are operating as part of medical
schools, universities and colleges. PA programs are
accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on
Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).
PAs are trained in primary care, but have the
opportunity to work in other specialties of medicine. In
order to practice as a PA, the student must graduate
from an accredited physician assistant program in order
to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying
Examination (PANCE). The graduate must pass the PANCE in
order to obtain state licensure. PAs must participate in
continuing medical education to maintain their
certification.
PA PROFESSION VALUES
Adopted by the AAPA (2000)
PAs:
- hold as their primary responsibility the health,
safety, welfare and dignity of all human beings
- uphold the tenets of patient autonomy,
beneficence and justice
- recognize and promote the value of diversity
- hold in confidence the information shared in the
course of medical practice
- assess their personal capabilities and
limitations, striving always to improve their
medical practice
- actively seek to expand their knowledge and
skills, keeping current with medical advances
- work with other members of the health-care team
to provide compassionate and effective patient care
- use knowledge and experience to contribute to an
improved community
- respect their professional relationship with
physicians
- share and expand knowledge within the
profession.
PA CORE COMPETENCIES
More information on the PA profession can be found
at the following websites:
American Academy of Physician
Assistants:
www.aapa.org
Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician
Assistants:
www.saaapa.aapa.org
Physician Assistant Education Association:
www.paeaonline.org
National Commission on Certification for Physician
Assistants:
www.nccpa.net
Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants:
www.tnpa.com
Physician Assistant History:
www.pahx.org
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the
Physician Assistant, Inc.
www.arc-pa.org
Dr. Michelle Heinan, PAC, DFAAPA
Director, Physician Assistant Program
800-325-0900, ext. 6669 (toll-free)
423-869-6669 (direct)
PAAdmissions@lmunet.edu The LMU-DCOM Physician Assistant
Program is applying for provisional accreditation from
the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the
Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). Accreditation is
anticipated to be granted in March, 2009. Provisional
accreditation is required prior to starting the program
in order for graduates to be able to sit for the
national certification examination for physician
assistants, a credential required for state licensure.
Should the program not receive provisional
accreditation, all deposits will be returned to
candidates. Information on accreditation is available at
www.arc-pa.org. |
