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The best Masters to teach for a faculty or academic position?


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Hey fellow PAs...desperately need your help...I've been a pa for 10 years now and seriously considering a lateral move to a teaching position either at pa schools or other allied health care fields (nursing..maybe, if possible)...out of all the online masters such as at Stony Brook, ATSU, Univ. of Neb., PACE univ., etc..which will benefit me the most...

 

and the second question...

which degree matters the most..Msed, MPAS, MHS etc...love to have your input....thanks!

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From what I've heard from the University of Washington, they do not accept the MPAS for teaching purposes. Not sure if this is the way it is everywhere or not.

This guy is faculty at medex with an mpas:

Steven (Tony) Skaggs, MPAS, PA-C

Seattle Didactic Faculty, Lecturer

 

also a few yrs ago they offered a friend of mine a faculty appt there and he has an mpas is from nebraska

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Most faculty announcements do not specify one Masters over another: http://www.paeaonline.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/66762/pid/66762. I have worked in PA academica with people who had the MEd, MPH, MPAS, MMS and MS. The degree didn't make the educator great, the person's ability to present the information and engage student discussion was what made them great. IMHO.

 

Les

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I'm considering teaching as well. I just graduated from ATSU with a DHSc. The school is excellent, and I have heard good things from the teachers employed there that it is a good organization to work for. I agree with the other posters, from what I have read, the masters degree does not matter.

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Great discussion guys. I used to work in human resources at a prominent university (one without a PA Program). We routinely verified degrees prior to faculty employment. What we focused on was the transcript and whether the school was regionally accredited. In fact the discipline sometimes did not match the field for which they were to teach. For example i remember a professor in English with a Degree in History. Once the interview panel (made up of subject experts in the field to be taught) determined that the individual was qualified the Master's or Doctorate degree was just a check on our checklist.

 

I would think that since (comparatively speaking) there are not a HUGE number of places for PAs to get advanced degrees it wouldn't be that hard to prove one's self qualified. I mean of the places you named I had heard of all except Stony Brook and I am not even a PA yet. :=D: Anyone who would be doing the hiring would know your program. I guess I'd focus on getting the degree the soonest and cheapest route. At some point an accredited degree is an accredited degree. The letters are insignificant. It's the knowledge that pushes you through the doors.

 

 

** Edit** Upon review i am familiar with Stony Brook. Just didn't recognize the name right away. :=-0:

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Nova Southeastern offers a MHSc with a higher education concentration. If you have not had any formal instruction in education, a program with educational components would seem prudent.

 

Having graduated from Nova, the $$ for the advanced degree option back in the day was.....inflated. SO another aspect to this question is cost benefit for the given degree. Say Nebraska vs Nova for example; Does the specific degree matter, and does the benefit warrant the extra cost.

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The Nova MHSc programs are distance with summer intensives and runs $300/unit...which is pretty good considering the cost of masters programs elsewhere.

 

As an educator, not a PA educator mind you, and has someone that just completed a coursework in instructional design and delivery, find a degree that offers instruction in education as part of the program. It will make a difference, and that is why I like the Nova offering.

 

emedpa is at Nova in the DHSc program. Same school so he may be able to give you a little insight into the school. also, don't be afraid to call the school and ask to speak to a program director.

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The Stony Brook program (which I have just completed) offers a great elective class "Teaching Strategies" which covers all the basics of Education. The class itself is geared for health care providers who want to make a move into higher education or who teach as part of their clinical practice. The class is taught by a PA (who is also the head of the post-prof. masters program) and she is very passionate about both teaching and about the PA profession. When I took the class it was in taught in a classroom but it has since been moved to an online format. Good luck!

 

HAP 556 Teaching Strategies (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of the principles associated with effective teaching. Students will combine

theory and practice while developing teaching skills that promote learning and diversity within a variety of

educational settings. Topics covered in this course emphasize the practical aspects of teaching and include

teaching models, student learning styles, course objectives, learning outcomes evaluation, teaching evaluation

and classroom ethics. Students will be required to complete a final project that will be presented, discussed and

evaluated in class.

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Hey thanks jambi..i've already sent a private message to him...but i wonder also how much a masters degree helps in finding a job as an educator..since i'm being led to believe that as long as you have your typical garden variety masters credential, thats all you need...but what about ur knowledge base in teaching the courses in class...don't u have to know ur topic well enough...for example, how many of us working pas are comfortable in delivering a graduate level anatomy and physiology or pathology or pharmacology comprehensive lecture...not many i would assume...this is why i'm also thinking, how do other educators get this background

knowledge..or now in addition to my entry level masters which won't prepare me knowledge wise other than teaching strategy, do i need a grad certificate in anat and physiology course as well...love to have some input on this..keep it coming!

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If I was in your position and was looking for a work friendly program I would consider the Doctor of Health Science program at Arizona. I think doctoral degree is becoming more common among PA educators, especially Directors. I realise it is still more common to hold a Masters, and am not saying you should have to hold doctoral level degrees, rather stating a trend I am seeing. I would also consider advanced degrees outside the typical PA and Health Sciences. What about various concentrations in public health or health administration or education? With an Ed.d, PhD or Dr PH you have alot more mobility in a university setting and branching from academia into other ventures. Who knows where PA education is heading ! new faculty positions as PA programs expand may be tied to research funding which will require advanced degrees to lead studies. Also, it is hard to get tenure level faculty position in medicine as a PA (very hard). However, if you are the PA in cardiology who also has an advanced degree in public health or administration this could be a segue into a different role, one more academic.

 

My opinions ..... will be the first to admit I am not a PA educator.

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Ben-

 

Before you spend all kinds of money on a degree, you might consider going for the teaching job first. There is a shortage of instructors in many health disciplines. You might find that if you can get your foot in the door at a teaching job, one of your employment benefits might be the ability to work toward an advanced degree for free (or deeply discounted).

 

The main caveats are:

 

1. You would obviously need to find a school with a position open that has the kind of degree program you are interested in

2. You would need to work with a strong faculty that would look forward to mentoring a new teacher

 

You might not realize it, but as a clinician, you have a ton of informal teaching experience. I bet 80% of your day is spent breaking down confusing concepts into terms the average patient can understand, right?

 

Good luck!

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