Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 7, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 7, 2014 Some of you may remember DWB/MSF has a policy regarding not using PAs. PAFT sent them a letter a few months ago regarding this. there response, although not encouraging, is understandable. please see attached. PAFT_MSF_responce_letter_6_March_2014.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Interesting response, and I think rather respectful considering it's not what we want to hear (and I think they know this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmdpac Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Agreed. It's a well written, thoughtful and respectful response. I wonder how much clout DWB/MSF has with the nations into which they send teams. Would it, could it, reach the point where DWB/MSF simply said, "This is our medical team" and have that be sufficient regardless of the inclusion of PAs or not? I'll admit to some ignorance regarding the logistics of their mission so I really have no idea if such a statement would even be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 7, 2014 Author Moderator Share Posted March 7, 2014 Agreed. It's a well written, thoughtful and respectful response. I wonder how much clout DWB/MSF has with the nations into which they send teams. Would it, could it, reach the point where DWB/MSF simply said, "This is our medical team" and have that be sufficient regardless of the inclusion of PAs or not? I'll admit to some ignorance regarding the logistics of their mission so I really have no idea if such a statement would even be possible. other teams already do this. DWB does have a good point that hiring in country clinicians is a good way to support the countries in which they work. just wish they would do that in addition to using us. I was unaware before this letter that NPs who work with them work as nurses. I suppose this means a PA who is also a nurse could work with them(as a nurse). I know they use PAs with MPH credentials as non-clinical public health workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted March 7, 2014 Administrator Share Posted March 7, 2014 I wonder if they use American DOs? One of my biggest problems with the LECOM bridge problem is the only real reason I would want a doctorate is to practice internationally.... and DOs have the same sorts of international recognition problems PAs do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z PA-C Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I wonder if they use American DOs? One of my biggest problems with the LECOM bridge problem is the only real reason I would want a doctorate is to practice internationally.... and DOs have the same sorts of international recognition problems PAs do. Does MSF Consider Doctors Of Osteopathic Medicine? Yes, as long as applicants fulfill the other minimum requirements, i.e. completion of residency and appropriate licensure. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/work-with-us/work-in-the-field/recruitment-faq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 7, 2014 Author Moderator Share Posted March 7, 2014 DO recognition internationally has actually grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade. I would not let that hold you back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 DOs have international practice rights on 65 countries. Check the map: https://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/development/international-osteopathic-medicine/Pages/international-practice-rights-map.aspx Definitely not a reason to let it hold you back :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddoc Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 dmdpac - the DWB/MSF teams stay in place for extended periods - hence the hiring of locally trained folks when they can. Unless and until there are uniform qualifications for PA analogue training programs, the credentialing of American PA's internationally will continue to be problematic. For example, technically American PAs can work in South Africa as clinical associates but in fact, it is so difficult to get credentialed through the HPC that those "in country" work as teacher/trainers - not as clinicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted March 8, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 8, 2014 When going to honduras the Honduran Gov't recognizes PAs and physicians........ Just saying.... BUT I can see why this is in effect, a new grad, (licensed and all) is very very different then a new grad doc...... and should not be practicing with out some type of supervision..... Although I think they should utilize PAs - but they did write a nice reply..... and I would advocate for a PA to be allowed to go with DWB but with an established MD/DO (yeah I know.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 8, 2014 Author Moderator Share Posted March 8, 2014 When going to honduras the Honduran Gov't recognizes PAs and physicians........ Just saying.... BUT I can see why this is in effect, a new grad, (licensed and all) is very very different then a new grad doc...... and should not be practicing with out some type of supervision..... Although I think they should utilize PAs - but they did write a nice reply..... and I would advocate for a PA to be allowed to go with DWB but with an established MD/DO (yeah I know.....) if they had a criteria of 5 years of experience before consideration that would do away with the need for a doc to chaperone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted March 8, 2014 Moderator Share Posted March 8, 2014 if they had a criteria of 5 years of experience before consideration that would do away with the need for a doc to chaperone... very true, maybe suggest this to them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conordc Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 So I realize this may be a tired topic, but I'm going to breath life into it and try to spin it in a different way... I'm a joint PA/MPH student, in the process of writing a paper to MSF about why they should change this policy (for a class yes, but my life's ambition is to work for MSF). I understand there are similar organizations out there that hire PA's, but none with the clout, resources, and recognition of MSF. Many have already posted the reasons that MSF gives for not hiring PA's... namely 1 - "The traditional Physician Assistant role of primary health care provider is done by the national staff in the field". 2 - The nature of their work is not conducive to the MD-dependent model that PA's must abide 3 - The certification regulations abroad are too much red tape to be worth dealing with. I can pick apart any of these, but they are not what I believe to be the root of the matter.MSF understands the good that PA's have done for the American medical model, but I think the difficulty lies in convincing them of the advantages that PA's could confer to their organization. The major barriers to this that I see are that MSF doesn't have any trouble recruiting willing and skillful doctors since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, and their priorities at the moment are hospital/clinic safety, cheaper access to medicines, and addressing refugee/IDP health. Adding PA's to their repertoire would likely do nothing for the first two, and they have massive numbers of qualified docs and nurses (as well as non-medical staff) chomping at the bit to help them address the third.But given the magnitude and breadth of MSF's operations (nowadays they seem to be hiring professionals with every background imaginable but PA), it would seem that PA's (a highly versatile, competent, and willing cohort) could contribute in ways that MSF is currently missing out. For anyone with some experience fighting this fight, with more first-hand knowledge of MSF or working as a PA in disaster relief abroad, or with some ideas of where PA's could uniquely benefit the organization, your contributions could push this fight in some small way a little further to what we're working toward. Yes, I've scoured this forum and read related posts, no need for reiteration. I would welcome any ideas or personal experience that would guide both this policy brief paper of mine, and this dream of ours....Any ideas, that is, except "become a doctor". Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted October 27, 2016 Author Moderator Share Posted October 27, 2016 I would argue that Partners in Health (Paul Farner's organization) is a big name organization that uses PAs well if you are looking for an organization to compare to. they used physicians and PAs interchangeably in their response to Ebola in W. Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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