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Guest GD09335

Many PA Academic Program Directors are University of Nebraska MPAS Alumni- as am I now.

 

I finished my MPAS from Nebraska this past August. Excellent for getting GS13 in the VA system I am told. Time will tell.

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Guest ddpacnva

The only doctoral program that even has a focus on PA studies, is AT Still. I also went through the Nebraska program, mainly because I wanted to be involved in education. I have now become full time in education of PA's and recently started the AT Still DHSc program. The only reason I am doing this is to maintain my ability to be an educator. It does not and will not ever change my clinical practice, which I also still do part time. the MPAS from Nebraska was sufficient for my admission to AT Still. I do not use the MPAS after my name clinically and will not be Dr. such and such. I think that it is appropriate to be thinking down the road for those, like me, who graduated from PA school with a bachelor's, or some with certificates. The degree inflation we have experienced is the reason for this. It is perfectly appropriate to have those degrees in the realm of education but again, it does not change clinical practice for most. Just another opinion.

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Hello All,

This is my first post, but I have been reading for a long time now.

I currently live in Nebraska and have just enrolled at the univeristy for my undergrad. I will be an incomming Frosh this May. They are offering a Pre-PA undergrad which is what I am going for as I have no previous degree. My question is, once I finish that and apply for the UNMC PA program, will I leave with a masters degree or a certificate? Im talking about real on campus 27 month long program.

 

From all the different posts and what not im very confused......Thanks for you help!

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  • 1 month later...

paramedic age 23, RN at age 32, PA at age 48 witha BGS and a certificate. Solo in a rural ,critical access hosp ER sees 7K a year. Love my job. Adv. degree? maybe to teach in a few years. Terribly motivated?? not so much. Willing to do so ?? probably. Degree creep, eduflation no doubt. There was a conferencre in Atl. recently that stated entry and terminal degree be a masters. Prob a good idea. Its really disturbing to have that much education ( money) invested without experience in the field. and a little age on you. A little bit of the Doogie effect on some i fear.

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  • 3 weeks later...

God, I do miss the days when it was the certificate and not the degree that mattered!

 

I know how Brookspa feels. Army medic @ 18, Paramedic @ 23. Finished the RN @ 32. Duel cert PA/NP-C @ 38, post grad residency @ 40. I'm 55 now, and looking to upgrade again due to competitive forces in the market. IS IT EVER GOING TO END!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ok, breathing new life into this long standing post. I am currently looking to upgrade to the masters level now. My PA program was an AS degree back in the day some 17+ years ago. I am looking into programs with a Bachelors equivalency option since even with additional undergraduate class work over the years (while active duty Air Force) and beyond I never completed my BS degree. After reading this post and others, I have checked ATSU and they still offer this option with a $13k price tag. Univ of Nebraska does not offer this option.

 

Anyone know of any other programs that currently offer an online Bachelors Equiv, for there Masters program, or a decent Bachelors completion I could do and then move on to the Nebraska program? Cost is of some concern, but I do get a reasonable employer paid tuition assistance so I am really just looking for the best options available. I now work M-F with no weekends or holidays unless I choose to do extra ER shifts, so have plenty of off time for school.

 

Thanks,

CVTPA

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  • 2 months later...

I was responding to the "decent Bachelors completion I could do and then move on to the Nebraska program?" part with the BHSc at NSU (see my post above). If you do that, you get a decent bachelor's degree relatively quickly and cheaply, and then you can decide between many master's programs. I would bet that the BHSc + the Nebraska Masters is probably it a tiny bcheaper than the AT Still no bachelor's option Masters but it would be close in $$$$ and time, probably. At AT Still you have to go there for graduation, but that is not really a hardship.

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God, I do miss the days when it was the certificate and not the degree that mattered!

 

I know how Brookspa feels. Army medic @ 18, Paramedic @ 23. Finished the RN @ 32. Duel cert PA/NP-C @ 38, post grad residency @ 40. I'm 55 now, and looking to upgrade again due to competitive forces in the market. IS IT EVER GOING TO END!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Welcome to my world...lol;)

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Originally Posted by istat2 viewpost.gif

God, I do miss the days when it was the certificate and not the degree that mattered!

 

I know how Brookspa feels. Army medic @ 18, Paramedic @ 23. Finished the RN @ 32. Duel cert PA/NP-C @ 38, post grad residency @ 40. I'm 55 now, and looking to upgrade again due to competitive forces in the market. IS IT EVER GOING TO END!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Yeah:

Army medic @ 17, Paramedic @ 23. Finished the RN @ 27. Duel CERTIFICATE PA/NP (thanks Stanford...!!!:D)@ 32, Contemplating a Psych post grad residency/MPAS @ 40....

 

Then... maybe a PsychD...

 

N0... it seems that it NEVER ends...:rolleyes:

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Yeah:

Army medic @ 17, Paramedic @ 23. Finished the RN @ 27. Duel CERTIFICATE PA/NP (thanks Stanford...!!!:D)@ 32, Contemplating a Psych post grad residency/MPAS @ 40....

 

Then... maybe a PsychD...

 

N0... it seems that it NEVER ends...:rolleyes:

 

I thought you were working on an online msn to go with the fnp(?).

the 2 psych residencies out there do look good and there are a few approved online psyd programs but as an fnp/msn with a psych residency there really isn't anything the psyd adds except for saying " I have a doctorate". scope of practice in an np friendly state should allow the same practice(if not better) than the psyd who can't rx.

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I thought you were working on an online msn to go with the fnp(?).

the 2 psych residencies out there do look good and there are a few approved online psyd programs but as an fnp/msn with a psych residency there really isn't anything the psyd adds except for saying " I have a doctorate". scope of practice in an np friendly state should allow the same practice(if not better) than the psyd who can't rx.

 

I thought about doing the online MSN... but decided that it wouldn't add much clinically except some autonomy/liability and debt...;) ALL psych NPs are EMPLOYED... meaning they are NOT working autonomously... unless they are also PsychDs. So setting out a Psych shingle wouldn't pay the bills.

 

After working Behavioral/Addiction/Psych for a while... I'm starting to like it. It also seems that there is going to be a really, really big need for Psych PAs ($$$) very soon as there are simply not enough Psychiatrists to handle all of the dementia/psychosis/TBI/Addiction.

 

I could just get a MPAS concentrated in Psych from Nebraska... but I know me... and know that doing so would be the "path of least resistance" so to speak... I'd simply do the least required to get the degree... and in the end... know very little about psych....:o

 

I'd prefer to do a residency so that I would have a structured learning/testing/clinical/grading situation and then I won't be able to simply "gloss/skim over" the info... and get a piece of paper that claims I know something.

 

In the interest of academic intergrity...

I've met several PAs with Nebraska Specialty Masters... that didn't know any more about the field of medicine that their masters claimed... than I did without one...:(:rolleyes:;)

 

I don't wanna be one of those...:rolleyes:

 

Think about it....

A PA-C that works 36hrs a week in a Urgent Care center attached to a hospital COULD show up at your ED with a MPAS in "Emergency Medicine"... :(:rolleyes:

 

Or

 

A PA-C that works 36hrs a week doing post-op follow-ups in the office (no OR/Hospital time EVER... not even credentialed at hosp) of a Solo Surgical doc COULD earn a MPAS in "General Surgery"...

 

 

So I've been thinking: 1 year Psych Residency - MPAS in Psych, PsychD, PA-C

Just thoughts

Contrarian

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  • 4 weeks later...

I finished my BS in health sciences from TUI University through their degree completion program. They have a degree completion program specifically for PAs. After completing a zillion credits that didn't add up to a BS degree, it was a little aggravating. However, it was doable and affordable. My PA program allowed me to complete a masters degree program with the agreement that my BS would be complete with in two years. This was with Saint Francis University. Also, an affordable and doable program. I am happy to say as of 3/2009 that I have earned my PA-C, BSHS, and MMS.

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  • 9 months later...

What about us OLD PA's, with only a certificate No Degree and 20 years of in trench medicine any degree completion programs for us?

Governor Signs New York Bill on PA Education Standards

 

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Terms:New York

 

 

New York Governor David Patterson has signed S. 6958, legislation requiring PAs who apply for a new registration in New York State to have received an education including a bachelor's or equivalent degree. Previously, the law had only required PAs to have completed a high school-level education.

New York has 22 PA programs according to PAEA, which is more than any other state, and all PA programs in New York offer a bachelor's degree or higher. The New York State Society of Physician Assistants, which supported the legislation, made sure that the change would not affect PAs who are currently practicing in New York, even if the PA program they attended did not offer a bachelor's degree or higher. The requirement applies only to PAs who are seeking registration as a PA in New York for the first time. NYSSPA believed the legislation was needed to reflect current standards for PA education.

The fact that the law previously required a high school level of education only was often cited by opponents of PA-supported legislation to argue that PAs were not as qualified as other health care professionals. In practice, the overwhelming majority of PAs in New York have completed much higher levels of education than what was previously required by law. It is NYSSPA's hope that changing the law to reflect current educational standards, while exempting PAs who are currently practicing in New York so that patient care is not interrupted, will result in a better understanding of the PA profession among legislators and other stakeholders. For more information, please contact David Ashner, AAPA Assistant Director for State Advocacy & Outreach, at dashner@aapa.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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AT Still worked out great for me. I had only a certificate from MEDEX and 10 years experience so the bachelors equivelent was the ticket with no other online masters option. The classes were good and they did change the way I practice. I think what we seek from and gleen from education is different going back to school 10 years then if I would have had the masters from day one.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I did the ASHS (Arizona School of Health Science) MS program and got in on the "bachelors equivalence" option. I had no bachelors...in 1979 did not need one to get in and did not get one coming out....

 

I am now two semesters from completing my Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) degree from Nova Southeastern. I completely recommend Arizona's program, excellent course, great instructors PLUS...the DEAN of the college is a PA (Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C)

 

 

This thread is a GREAT idea

 

 

Just curious does your Masters degree read from "Arizona School of Health Science" or from "AT Still"?

 

Did they actually grant a Bachelors degree to you or simply allow entry to their MA Program?

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Great Thread!! I am finishing PA school in less than 2 months :=D::=D::=D::=D::=D::=D: and have contacted ATSU. I am planning on applying in March. I think its awesome that they would take me sans a BA/BS (I will have 2 Associates, Liberal Arts and AS in PA). The BS Equiv program is for Practicing PA's so you not only need to be certified but working as a PA (Which I hope to be in feb) because you do 400 clinical hours at your work site. You also can specify your specialty with the clinical track e.g MSPAS in Internal Medicine etc...I am excited about it! I'll keep you guys posted.

 

Tuition: 13K

Online, only 40 units, and BACHELORS EQUIV=ATSU FTW!!!!!

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Great Thread!! I am finishing PA school in less than 2 months :=D::=D::=D::=D::=D::=D: and have contacted ATSU. I am planning on applying in March. I think its awesome that they would take me sans a BA/BS (I will have 2 Associates, Liberal Arts and AS in PA). The BS Equiv program is for Practicing PA's so you not only need to be certified but working as a PA (Which I hope to be in feb) because you do 400 clinical hours at your work site. You also can specify your specialty with the clinical track e.g MSPAS in Internal Medicine etc...I am excited about it! I'll keep you guys posted.

 

Tuition: 13K

Online, only 40 units, and BACHELORS EQUIV=ATSU FTW!!!!!

 

 

where are you getting your associates in PA from?

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