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Attention all New York PAs


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I just received a message from Stony Brook via NYSSPA, cutting and pasting here for you to read.

 

Dear Fellow New York PA,

 

NYSSPA needs your help. We are extremely concerned that recently introduced legislation (S.7585(LaValle)/A.10077 (Lavine)) would allow graduates of foreign schools deemed to be equivalent to PA schools to practice as PAs without graudating from an accredited PA program or passing the PANCE. We need you and your supervising physician to TAKE ACTION TODAY to help us defeat these bills.
 
Here is the relevant bill language with the provisions in all caps:

The term "approved program" means a program for the education of physician assistants which has been formerly approved by the department, OR A PROGRAM DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO BE COMPARABLE AND RECOGNIZED BY THE APPROPRIATE CIVIL AUTHORITIES OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED AS AN ACCEPTABLE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

In the case of an applicant for a license as a physician assistant, has obtained a passing score on an examination acceptable to the department, PROVIDED THAT ACCESS TO ANY SUCH EXAMINATION SHALL BE GRANTED TO ALL STUDENTS OR GRADUATES OF ANY APPROVED PROGRAM.

Contact your legislators (find them here and here) as well as the following New York Legislators who sponsored these bills TODAY and tell them why any bill that would allow individuals who have not graduated from an accredited PA program and passed the PANCE exam to practice as PAs is dangerous for patients.
 
Senator Ken LaValle
(518) 455-3121

Assemblyman Charles Lavine
(518) 455-5456

Assemblywoman Debra Glick
(518) 455-4841

Here are some point to be sure to make when you call or email your legislator:

  • New York has already determined that both patient safety and practitioner competency are best assured by requiring that individuals who wish to practice as PAs both graduate from an accredited PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the only certifying organization for PAs in the United States.
  • All states and the District of Columbia require these two criteria for PA licensure. New York would be the lone state to lower licensure requirements. 
  • This bill has the potential to license international medical graduates who are unable to be licensed as physicians to be licensed as PAs absent PA education. Every institution that has tried to develop educational programs based on the assumption that unlicensed international medical graduates have the knowledge and skills to perform effectively as PAs, as well as every state that has tried to develop legislation based on this assumption has failed to be successful.
  • Many international medical graduates have attended accredited PA programs, passed the certifying exam, and are now licensed PAs. We welcome them into the ranks of the profession, once they have completed these critical steps.
  • Passage of these bills would dilute the definition of PA and renege on the state's promise to protect its patients by lowering licensure requirements.
Thank you,

David Jackson, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA
Governmental Affairs Chair
New York State Society of Physician Assistants
New York State Society of Physician Assistants | | info@nysspa.org |www.nysspa.org

 

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You know, you may want to consider talking to the medical licensing board as well.  If you can find allies there, they can have a very powerful voice.  They're the primary advisors in this role.  If they tell the legislature it's a bad idea, they may listen.

 

New York State Board for Medicine (Licensure)
Stephen J. Boese, Executive Secretary
89 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor, West Wing
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-3817 / Fax:(518) 486-4846
www.op.nysed.gov

 

See....I can be helpful occasionally :-)

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Thanks for the support. I couldn't help but throw my hands in the air when I read this. NYC in particular has a lot of FMGs, but this is not going to help anyone. One of these 3 is actually a rep of mine in NYS, so I'm hoping they'll at least read my email. 

 

Also I realized, after I sent an email of course, NYSSPA listed the senate bill incorrectly. It's S.7582, not S.7585.

 

@Steve: Let's Go Rangers

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Guest Paula

Just saw this now. I predicted this will happen.

 

You are the WINNER! Your reward will be a crystal ball and you can set up a really good consulting business with it!!!   

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Still trying to wrap my head around this madness.

 

This is most likely a response from recent NPs legislation passed in NYS. Unfortunately, PAs are cut in between.

 

Since NPs wants to take over primary care, let's get bunch of FMG/IMG and have them work as PA in primary care literally.

 

 

 

 

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This stinks of sloppiness. Distressing. The general complaint in my western international city from lawyers and medical board people ( the few Ive had access to) is that we are full of recent FMG and the care is sub-par from many. (Not all. But many and not the one who have been here decades.) One member says they are considering forming committes to discuss the impacts and possible ways to curb this, such as developing a research institution associated with university or med school and improving the academic setting to create compet standards and minimum standards. I dont fully understand this with out more details but its having enough of an impact on quality of care and high number of lawsuits that people are talking abuout FMG specifically.

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Here is my confusion on this:

(e) in the case of an applicant for a license as a  physician  assist-   14  ant,  has  obtained  a passing score on an examination acceptable to the   15  department, PROVIDED THAT ACCESS TO ANY SUCH EXAMINATION SHALL BE GRANT-   16  ED TO ALL STUDENTS OR GRADUATES OF ANY APPROVED PROGRAM.

I take this to mean the person must past the PANCE? Couldn't the PANCE people just close the exam to anyone who has not completed an approved US PA program?

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I emailed a colleague of mine who's very active in NYSSPA. He told me that the bill is unlikely to pass since the legislative session in NY ends in 3 days, and the bill has not made it out of committee. He also stated that one of the bill's sponsors was approached by a contingent of FMGs within his district, and they are responsible for pushing the legislation. The bill's sponsors represent areas of Manhattan, eastern Suffolk County and northern Nassau County.

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MD/DO residency training recent merged. Increasingly difficult to match as a Caribbean MD grad. Suddenly, carrib MD program are just realizing that. Panic set-in. They (Caribbean schools) are becoming very creative. Looking for other avenue for marketing tools. Selling point: Caribbean MD, return to state side and work as a PA if you don't match. Really? Whether it would pass or not. We've got to take this legislation seriously. If the sponsor are Caribbean MD stakeholder. These folks are rich. Still getting the facts.

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If the sponsor are Caribbean MD stakeholder. These folks are rich. Still getting the facts.

You're correct.  These are for-profit schools which charge an outlandish sum of money.  I doubt they're behind this in any way, but definitely an interesting thought.  Caribbean MDs can match much easier than typical FMG though because they do their M3/M4 years in the U.S.  They also have higher pass rates.  The FMG issue is definitely not new in the physician world.  

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I received this email yesterday from NYS Senator John Flanagan who represents Stony Brook's district:

 

Thank you for your interest in S7582. Today is the last day of the
legislative session and the bill will not be voted on.The Assembly hasn't
voted on it either, so no further action will be taken on this legislation.

-Office of Senator John J. Flanagan

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Their are 15K unmatched FMGs in last year match ..they are adding 1000 FMGs in this pool every year , mostly concentrated in North east ...if residency spots remain same ..y the ECFMG is letting anyone or everyone pay 3K fee and take exam USMLE any where and any time in the world ...This is market economy pay fee and get certificate degree , license and .....they should only  allow as many student to take exam as many residency spots ..but that make business less profitable ...profits...

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