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The Benefits of Changing our Title -- The Time is NOW!


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3 hours ago, pafrankc said:


This may show up again later in this chain, but.....

I am working with a small group of PAs in Colorado to get our laws and rules changed.  We have the support of the state medical society, and some legislators. 

There are some states that are submitting a title change resolution to AAPA this year--but it appears it is to create a task force to look into the ramifications of a title change. 

I have proposed to the State of Colorado that a simple sentence be put into the legislation:  "The terms physician assistant, PA, physician associate or any title approved by the AAPA shall be interchangeable."

  Main reason for this:  Colorado PA laws have not had a significant upgrade since originally written in 1983.  If we are able to get the Optimal Team Practice legislation through, an official title change will not require a major overhaul of the legislation!

What are your thoughts on the title of Medical Practitioner. 

Personally, Physician Associate seems to weak to me. Its a little bit better than Physician Assistant, but just barely. 

If we are gonna flaunt a title change we might as well go big or go home, no? 

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my only issue with medical practitioner is the initials are MP, which sounds too much like NP for my taste.

I do see some value in keeping the PA initials, but also understand the arguments against both the physician and the assistant parts. Maybe Practitioner Associate? I don't know the answer. I just know that assistant needs to go away. I would be ok with Physician associate or any title that was agreed upon by most PAs and met that goal.

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I think it's sort of a positive to have MP sound like NP. Look at what they have achieved in the last 20 years. 

Besides, when you actually say Medical Practitioner, it sounds A LOT better than Nurse Practitioner. In fact, we could just avoid the use of "MP" and only say Medical Practitioner, because, well, it just sounds so good, and it matches what we do perfectly. 

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I think Physician Associate sound too much like a physician and that is why we got changed to assistant in the first place. 

I think MP works...

You got the MD- Medical Doctor = Top of the food chain (make sure we tell AMA that)

then you have the MP- Medical Practitioner = Workhorse 

Last but not least, the NP- Nurse Practitioner = God

 

 

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4 hours ago, PACali said:

I think Physician Associate sound too much like a physician and that is why we got changed to assistant in the first place. 

I think MP works...

You got the MD- Medical Doctor = Top of the food chain (make sure we tell AMA that)

then you have the MP- Medical Practitioner = Workhorse 

Last but not least, the NP- Nurse Practitioner = God

 

 

That's a good way to look at it. It really seems like a chain. MD>MP>NP. But there really is no question, medical practitioner sounds much more qualified, and it describes what we do perfectly. 

Now that I think about it, if we did try to adopt Medical Practitioner our biggest push back might actually come from NPs. 

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I am all for the push of Medical Practitioner. I am starting my PA program in June, and I know I would like to be heavily involved in this push. I think someone posted a topic on Friday asking what are the basic steps that need to take place in order for a name change to occur. I am wondering that same thing if anyone wants to answer it would be much appreciated.

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I think a big step would be getting the right people in charge. Hopefully with the next election at AAPA we can at least get David Mittman elected president. After that I would assume some sort of consensus would need to be achieved within the profession. Then move toward action. 

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31 minutes ago, Joelseff said:

We can do like real estate agents and come up with a whole new name like "Realtor" like "Practitionor" or "Clinicianator"

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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 

OOH, OOH, I KNOW, CATHOPATHIC PHYSICIANS.....:)

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On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 1:06 PM, corpsman89 said:

From my limited understanding, I think AAPA would take the lead by sending out surveys to practicing PAs, and PA students to get their feed back on the issue. First, they would need to see if the profession WANTS to change the name, then they would need to assess what the profession wants to change the name to. Once the profession is set on a name they would vote for it at the annual gathering. Basically, what they did with OTP. 

In 2012, AAPA did, in fact, include title changes questions on the annual survey.  Despite poorly written survey questions "Considering the cost of implementing, do you think,....." the responses indicated a majority were in favor of a title change.

 

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On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 3:11 PM, corpsman89 said:

What are your thoughts on the title of Medical Practitioner. 

Personally, Physician Associate seems to weak to me. Its a little bit better than Physician Assistant, but just barely. 

If we are gonna flaunt a title change we might as well go big or go home, no? 

At this point, “flaunting” a title change is more than just a bunch of us sitting in a forum throwing the idea around.  I think Wisconsin and Ohio are doing the right thing, and PAs for Tomorrow will endorse, by submitting a resolution to evaluate a name change.  No specific title—just take a look at the ramifications, etc. by the creation of a task force.  It is my hope that such a task force creates a report as detailed as the IOM’s study, “The Future of Nursing:” That study dramatically propelled the NP profession forward and indirectly pushed ours backwards. 

During my time working for the British Government (National Health Service) as a PA, there was a very short time they we were called Medical Care Practitioners.  They never told us it was going to happen, it just showed up on our paycheck.  I asked our HR person and she explained that “physician” was a protected title.  The next month, it was back to physician assistant (long before they changed to associate at the suggestion of the Royal College of General Practitioners). 

As someone posted elsewhere, MP sounds too much like NP.

The assistant title holds us back; a title change is critical.  I do have my personal druthers, more on that shortly.

Several issues related to the assistant title worth addressing.

*As we move toward full OTP, slowly, state by state, assistant becomes further distanced from what we do.  More autonomy = less “assisting.”

* Wisconsin is moving rapidly toward OTP, but met a roadblock by legislators and some others because of the “assistant” wording.  They basically said that we are being legislatively held back by our title.

*In 1996, a PA working for the Navy (I think) appealed to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to change his classification as a GS-11, in part claiming that NPs began at GS-12.  He appealed their decision that GS-11 was appropriate several times, and the last I can find on the appeal was in 2011.  The full appeal report can be read at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/appeal-decisions/decisions/2011-decisions/06031103.pdf. I have bolded some entries for emphasis, but even at the official government job classification level, they use the following to keep us below the NP level:

Physician’s (sic) Assistants are not required to possess and apply a professional knowledge of nursing. They are required to possess a broad background of medical knowledge and skills and are further trained in the performance of specific tasks, some of which are very similar to those performed by nurses, but which do not required a professional knowledge of nursing.

is required since the PA must function under the supervision of a physician.

However, in conformance with established standards for PAs, the appellant must practice only with supervision by a licensed physician.

From the generic position descriptions used for classification:
            PAs assist in the examination and observation of patients by performing such duties as taking case histories, conducting physical examinations, and ordering laboratory studies during hospital rounds and clinic visits.

As directed by a physician, PAs carry out special procedures; for example, they give injections or other medication, apply or change dressing, perform lumbar punctures, or suture minor lacerations (this part sounds like a tech level duty).

The GS-610, Nursing Series, and the Physician Assistant Series, GS-603, have comparable duties. The kind of work described in the GS-610, Nurse Series, standard in Benchmarks #11-1 for Nurse Practitioner, such as assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of minor illnesses; management of chronic health problems; emergency care; and skilled counseling guidance and health instructions to patients and families, are very similar to the PA duties performed by the appellant. The level of responsibility required by the appellant’s position is also more comparable to the GS-610 series in that he provides, under the general direction of a licensed physician, care and treatment.

This series covers positions that involve assisting a physician by providing diagnostic and therapeutic medical care and services under the guidance of the physician.

PAs assist in the examination and observation of patients by performing such duties as taking case histories, conducting physical examinations, and ordering laboratory studies during hospital rounds and clinic visits.

 

As you can see, the assistant needs to go.  If the Federal Government Personnel Section (OPM) can’t get it right because of the title, how can we expect local HR offices, insurance companies, etc. to get it right?

As someone posted elsewhere, MP sounds too much like NP.  Patients are already confused and to be told by the appointment desk they have an appointment with MP or NP Frank makes it even worse.  MP was considered during my UK time, but on that side of the pond the equivalent of our House of Representatives member is Minister of Parliament. 

My personal preference for a change is to physician associate, but any title change could also go the wrong way.  Consider this:  After 50 years (give or take the few that the title was physician associate in the early 1970s, the AAP Associate conference was held in Wichita Falls, Texas), patients are unaware of our training, education, and skill set.  Not much more can be applied to the health care community; physicians, nurses, technicians, and administrators do not understand out training, education, and skill set.  The NP community uses that to their advantage by saying we “only assist” and stating that our training is less than that of a NP.  A sudden title change could require a near restart to a 50 year education campaign (both public and “professional.)

Perhaps the best title is a word that hasn’t been made up yet, but begins with medic/medical.  Medicopia?  Medicologist? Medicassociate?  Maybe it is time to completely think outside the box.

 

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On 12/26/2017 at 0:57 AM, jwells78 said:

Before we do the name change thingy, maybe we could get some of the hospitals   and clinics in the US to add PA's to their list of medical personnel first?

 

Cant remember the last time I read a hospital website  ER description and saw "PA" listed anywhere in there.  Maybe never.  Get the hospitals and clinics to identify us, them I'm taking a party bus to DC and we will stop at every med school on the way and arm-wrestle the MS3's for political exposure.

 

After that, you guys can change the name.  But keep the initials similar:

(And Yes, physician associate SUCKS.  Makes me think of a gold-chain endowed chicago bookie in track pants or something)

maybe:

AP - Advanced Practitioner/Provider

AP- Allopathic provider

AMP- Advanced Medical Practitioner

 

Or my favorite:

PIMP- Physician-Intermediate Medical Provider

 

 

 

I vote for the latter.

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I really don't understand why MP sounding like NP is a bad thing. It makes sense to me to make them sound similar and I think patients would actually appreciate the similarity. 

Nurse Practitioners practice medicine in the nursing model. 

Medical Practitioners practice medicine in the medical model. 

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10 minutes ago, corpsman89 said:

I really don't understand why MP sounding like NP is a bad thing. It makes sense to me to make them sound similar and I think patients would actually appreciate the similarity. 

Nurse Practitioners practice medicine in the nursing model. 

Medical Practitioners practice medicine in the medical model. 

do you want someone to think you did an online np program with 500 hrs of clinicals that you arranged with your cousin morty? that's why it is a bad thing. I'm proud of the 54 weeks/3000 hrs of clinical I did in all the major fields and don't want to be confused for someone with a less rigorous educational process. it's the same argument for why I don't want to be confused with a medical assistant.

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3 hours ago, EMEDPA said:

do you want someone to think you did an online np program with 500 hrs of clinicals that you arranged with your cousin morty? that's why it is a bad thing. I'm proud of the 54 weeks/3000 hrs of clinical I did in all the major fields and don't want to be confused for someone with a less rigorous educational process. it's the same argument for why I don't want to be confused with a medical assistant.

I understand that concern (and agree with it to an extent), but any name recognition or confusion between NP and MP would likely come from those who don't understand the training differences anyway but have respect for NPs (the general public), so it would likely be to our benefit in that case. It's the  "assistant" part of our name that causes us to be confused for medical assistants, and it would solve that issue; I don't think "medical practitioner" would have the same baggage.

Most people that are familiar with the training differences between PAs and NPs already understand that PAs have stronger training and would be able to tease out the difference when we say "medical practitioner" if a title change is made. In any case the title change itself would stir up some news and would be a perfect time for our professional organisations to use that spotlight to elucidate the rigorous training that we go through. 

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On 3/30/2018 at 11:04 AM, EMEDPA said:

do you want someone to think you did an online np program with 500 hrs of clinicals that you arranged with your cousin morty? that's why it is a bad thing. I'm proud of the 54 weeks/3000 hrs of clinical I did in all the major fields and don't want to be confused for someone with a less rigorous educational process. it's the same argument for why I don't want to be confused with a medical assistant.

I really don't think the average people will associate Medical Practitioner with 500hrs of training. I really don't.   

On 3/30/2018 at 10:52 AM, corpsman89 said:

I really don't understand why MP sounding like NP is a bad thing. It makes sense to me to make them sound similar and I think patients would actually appreciate the similarity. 

Nurse Practitioners practice medicine in the nursing model. 

Medical Practitioners practice medicine in the medical model. 

To me,  MP brings us closer to MD. (Which AMA will have problem with this). Because they know we are doing something right. 

By the way, who really introduce themselves with only initials? (besides the PA profession) "Hi I'm your doctor/physician." " I'm your nurse" "I'm the pharmacist in charge" "I am your audiologist" " I am your physical therapist" " I am your dental Hygienist" "Hi I am your Optometrist." 

I just can't imagine someone would introduce himself to my grandmom " Hi, I'm your DH, PharmD, audD, DPT, DOT, DO" 

Can you imagine your optometrist introduced himself as " Hi I am OD Larry"?

I think initial is for writing professional documents or name tags. I think MP looks good, similar to MD. 

Medical Practitioner let the patient know in less than 1 second that they are qualified to practice medicine.  Remember the last time your patient asked you if you are a doctor? They are not being rude. All they want to know is ARE You qualified to practice medicine? ARE you qualified to treat me?  To the average people, Doctors and physicians are qualified. But so is Medical practitioner.. because it is in the name.

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1 hour ago, SoCal_PA said:

Who that is running for for AAPA is strongly in favor for a name change? They will have my vote 

Out of the two candidates running for president-elect, Dave Mittman seems to be the one that definitely supports a change in our professional title. He addresses the importance of a title change directly in his platform (on the AAPA election page), stating that it needs to change to strengthen the push for OTP and that he would take steps to make it happen.

On a side note, I was actually just reading an article from 2011 that was talking about the rumblings in the PA community for a change in the title of the profession, and Dave Mittman was in the comments making the case for a title change, which shows he has been a proponent for quite a long time.

As far as the director-at-large candidates, James Cannon and Beth Smolko are proponents of a title change as well (again, they address it directly in their platforms), and seem to be strong candidates overall. Those would all be wise votes to cast. 

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On 12/18/2017 at 0:39 PM, Cideous said:

24 years now I have been advocating for Medical Practitioner.  Nothing ever happens.  I've given up hope.  For some reason, those in leadership are bound to the "PA" letters.  It's ridiculous and does not even come close to accurately describing what we do.  I am no Physician's "assistant".  I talk to my doc once a month because it is required by law....that's it.  Our name has been and always will be a joke.  Mark my words, NP's will steamroll us as a profession and it is 90% because of our stupid name.

If we changed to MP, the AAPA would have to become the AAMP...and change ALL their stationery, cards, website, etc....haha of course they would oppose that!!

As an aside, what is the popular opinion on the AAPA and what it does for us? For my part, all I would ever need them for, besides PR and advocacy (which I sense isn't really happening), would be to try to lower the DEA costs for PAs, and for the salary report (which is, in my opinion, far too expensive at $200 a pop, and from what I hear, not super-accurate).  Has anyone here had direct experience/contact with the AAPA and can vouch that they are at least semi-useful to us? (i.e, convince me to join!)

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