Greatest challenges and Issues facing PAs today?

[muyassir]

What do you think they are?

 

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[DizzyJ]

there is not enough leadership positions for PAs

[RWMondak]

Too many young and socially immature Physician Assistant graduates with little to no work life experience. The premise of the PA profession was to take those individuals with prior medical / health care experience and enhance that knowledge to be and extension a Physician. In my 32 years of practice as a Physician Assistant, I have RARELY worked directly with a Physician, except for when there was overlap in our schedule or for the 2 years I was in a General and Transplant Surgical Practice. Because I had more that 10 years of experience (including as an Independent Duty Corpsman in the Navy)  before even being accepted in to a Training Program, my supervising Physicians (and I) felt comfortable with my independence.
In my opinion, the "2000 hours" of exposure to medical / health care professions, doesn't satisfactorily provide the opportunity to 'self-evaluate' or allow others to evaluate the potential to practice in the health care arena. 

[EMEDPA]

agree with above, but it's hard to turn back the clock so I just try to give my students the most realistic experience possible; quick orientation then hand them a chart and send them off to see patients. for procedures see one, do one.

Agree with Dizzy, above as well. More leadership positions for PAs in hospitals and health systems would be awesome. I imagine the folks who will break this barrier will be the PA, RN folks as they have a toe in both worlds.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

The only problem with our current  applicants is they have no commitment to the profession and advancing it (apathy), which combined with old guard that commits to much to tradition leaves us in a pickle. In my opinion we need young people, but they need passion. We need ones who want to do a residency, finish a doctorate, be involved in politics, not just a sweet paycheck and limited responsibility. I’ve seen the spectrum as a RN and a PA where people have a decade of experience and just plain suck. Dumb or just want a better gig because they can’t see themselves tolerate one more night of bathing a dude on a vent. I’ve also seen young with no HCE blow everyone out of the water. In the end what matters is passion. Unfortunately we have no reliable way to select that in an interview process.

[EMEDPA]

3 hours ago, LT_Oneal_PAC said:

The only problem with our current hound applicants is they have no commitment to the profession and advancing it (apathy), which combined with old guard that commits to much to tradition leaves us in a pickle. In my opinion we need young people, but they need passion. We need ones who want to do a residency, finish a doctorate, be involved in politics, not just a sweet paycheck and limited responsibility. I’ve seen the spectrum as a RN and a PA where people have a decade of experience and just plain suck. Dumb or just want a better gig because they can’t see themselves tolerate one more night of bathing a dude on a vent. I’ve also seen young with no HCE blow everyone out of the water. In the end what matters is passion. Unfortunately we have no reliable way to select that in an interview process.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a group interview. I have in my hand a single acceptance letter for our class next year. I will throw it on the floor and lock the door for 5 min. the person holding it when I open the door gets the spot....and go!

:)

(dude, I knew I should have taken judo instead of wasting my time on biochem!)

[JohnSmith1]

I would love to advance the profession, but right now I have to focus on myself. The "sweet pay check" may exist for old-timers and those whose parents paid for their higher education. Some of us more recent graduates are trying to find our way after many schools decided to charge absurd tuition when this profession had been glorified as the next best thing in many magazines .

I humbly refer to myself as a new grad nearly 3 years out or school. I live with my parents because I dont want to live paycheck to paycheck with 200k student debt. It would be nice for the oldwatch who is enjoying the recent salary increases without the debt burden to advocate on our behalf and perhaps the greedy programs could teach the business of medicine and finding of non-exploitative jobs in what is becoming a very saturated market.

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[EMEDPA]

15 hours ago, JohnSmith1 said:

I would love to advance the profession, but right now I have to focus on myself. The "sweet pay check" may exist for old-timers and those whose parents paid for their higher education. Some of us more recent graduates are trying to find our way after many schools decided to charge absurd tuition when this profession had been glorified as the next best thing in many magazines .

I humbly refer to myself as a new grad nearly 3 years out or school. I live with my parents because I dont want to live paycheck to paycheck with 200k student debt. It would be nice for the oldwatch who is enjoying the recent salary increases without the debt burden to advocate on our behalf and perhaps the greedy programs could teach the business of medicine and finding of non-exploitative jobs in what is becoming a very saturated market.

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obviously I don't know your personal situation, but have you looked into programs which will pay off your loans? many states/fed govt/public health service will pay off 25-35k/yr if you work in a rural area. If you are so inclined, the Natl guard in every state will pay off your entire debt load for a 6 yr commitment. yes, you may be deployed at some point.

As a member of the "old guard" here (not anywhere near as old as some(GMOTM)....:) ) , I hear what you are saying about us investing in the profession, and trust me, I have been and am, by serving on multiple boards, teaching, precepting, etc. I wouldn't want to be a new grad PA today. It's a tough market and a new world. Opportunities for some are good, for many they are not. I wish you all the best.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

6 hours ago, EMEDPA said:

obviously I don't know your personal situation, but have you looked into programs which will pay off your loans? many states/fed govt/public health service will pay off 25-35k/yr if you work in a rural area. If you are so inclined, the Natl guard in every state will pay off your entire debt load for a 6 yr commitment. yes, you may be deployed at some point.

As a member of the "old guard" here (not anywhere near as old as some(GMOTM)....:) ) , I hear what you are saying about us investing in the profession, and trust me, I have been and am, by serving on multiple boards, teaching, precepting, etc. I wouldn't want to be a new grad PA today. It's a tough market and a new world. Opportunities for some are good, for many they are not. I wish you all the best.

I don't think its true the guard will pay off all that debt (200k). I would do it ina heartbeat if it did (and probably would've heard about it) because I am in more debt than that from a different master's at a private university. I've never seen the military offer more than 120k for  loans, and that was for active duty not guard. I've never seen a guard or reserve benefit for more than 60k. 

Agree with all of the post otherwise :)

[EMEDPA]

1 hour ago, LT_Oneal_PAC said:

I don't think its true the guard will pay off all that debt (200k). I would do it ina heartbeat if it did (and probably would've heard about it) because I am in more debt than that from a different master's at a private university. I've never seen the military offer more than 120k for  loans, and that was for active duty not guard. I've never seen a guard or reserve benefit for more than 60k. 

Agree with all of the post otherwise :)

a friend of mine had 190k paid off in 6 years with the ANG. off course he got deployed to A-stan....I think his deal was 35/yr x 6 years, granted this was more than 10 years ago at this point and they were desperate for em pas then.

On the civilian side, pay back for both OR/WA state is 25k/yr for rural/underserved. have 2 friends doing primary care now just for that reason.