Call out to what we introduce ourselves as

[andersenpa]

So, (with the disclaimer that I am just a pre-PA starting school in the Fall) the way I see this it this issue is not just about how people see US. It also has a lot to do with giving the PATIENT confidence in the treatment being provided to them. This is especially important as physician assistants due to the number of people who do not know what a PA is or have never encountered one before. The uneducated (medically, not in general) public expects their clinicians to have a title, like Dr. Smith. I have to say, if I knew nothing about the PA profession, I would have more confidence in someone that had a title that became part of their name a-la PA Smith, as opposed to someone who introduced themselves in a less professional manner ala Jim Smith the physician assistant. Using PA Smith is more formal, and carries more authority in a situation where scared people are often looking hope/strength/comfort for the person making decisions about them and their loved one's lives. Adding formality does not have lessen being approachable/personable/compassionate.

 

This, of course, really depends on where you are and what field you practice in. In a rural FP clinic you might be much better served by working on a first name basis..... while working in a high volume urban ER, the extra formality (and authority it invests in the mind of the patient) might be the right way to go. Personally, "PA Smith" doesn't bother me because the PA I first had contact with was referred to in that fashion so it seems natural to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to meet these utterly compliant and unquestioning patients you have! My cardio-pulmonary rehab patients love to argue with me, the nurses, and the doctor. The funniest in most recent memory is the man that insisted his COPD was due to "Noxious fumes" from when his cat died in his arms. Smoking for 50 years had NOTHING to do with it! :heheh:

 

This has nothing to do with quality of care

Also there is no reason some patients will not trust someone they have a first name relationship with

For 10 yrs I have mostly been introduced by my first name and it sticks with the patient (although some still call me doc/doctor like so many other PAs)

 

To me it's a matter of how we bring the profession into its next phase

PAs are reaching out into new areas- leadership in the private and public sector, higher degrees, academics, research, etc

With that comes (IMO) the need for a branding: this is the professional PA product. You are getting a clinically and academicaly accomplished individual who can master many/all of the ailments they encounter in their specialty. Part of that brand is the way we are addressed. Associate is one part of that.

 

If we want to make that leap to the next level, to distance ourselves from the MAs, nurses, etc that we are constantly confused with....a formal title is part of that.

 

There are exceptions- but....

when they meet their nurse/secretary/aide/etc most patients instinctively address them by firs name

when they meet their doc most patients instinctively address them as Dr. ________

which group do we most want to be associated with in the professional sense when we interact with patients?

[LIPPER]

This has nothing to do with quality of care

Also there is no reason some patients will not trust someone they have a first name relationship with

For 10 yrs I have mostly been introduced by my first name and it sticks with the patient (although some still call me doc/doctor like so many other PAs)

 

To me it's a matter of how we bring the profession into its next phase

PAs are reaching out into new areas- leadership in the private and public sector, higher degrees, academics, research, etc

With that comes (IMO) the need for a branding: this is the professional PA product. You are getting a clinically and academicaly accomplished individual who can master many/all of the ailments they encounter in their specialty. Part of that brand is the way we are addressed. Associate is one part of that.

 

If we want to make that leap to the next level, to distance ourselves from the MAs, nurses, etc that we are constantly confused with....a formal title is part of that.

 

There are exceptions- but....

when they meet their nurse/secretary/aide/etc most patients instinctively address them by firs name

when they meet their doc most patients instinctively address them as Dr. ________

which group do we most want to be associated with in the professional sense when we interact with patients?

Andersen, I'll just say I respectfully disagree. In my neck of the woods (Tampa/Clearwater) PA's don't encounter this issue. We are heavily utilized. Patients and the medical community know who and what we are. title changes and first name issues have little meaning here, changing titles would just create problems for us.

 

I display my "authority" when I conclude a bedside eval by saying "if you have any problems just tell the nurse you want Brian the PA.... I will take care of any problem you have...." the calm smile that I see overcoming them confirms they "know" me...

 

13 years now I've yet to encounter a medical staffer who asks who or what I am.

[ventana]

Enjoy the view points - to be clear I was only referencing patient introduction and was referencing using PA LAST NAME - obviously co-workers and everyone else is first name. 90% of the time I call the doc by first name - only when I am calling a specialist I don't know do I call them doc, and this is out of respect and is the norm. Hence the thought of defining the norm for PA's. Also, we all cry out that AAPA should be doing a national advertising campaingn yet we (me included) do not stress to patients exactly what we are - should we not be proud of our position and title? Honestly I think if we move towards using PA LASTNAME as our introduction it will do more for advancing awareness and enforceing that we are a group of professionals then any any type of national advertising.

 

 

I thnk that people get far to wrapped up in formal titles because of ego. Who cares? Do you really crave attention and accolades that much? You know what your practice involves. You and your fellow medical professionals do as well. Who cares what you are called? Does it change your job? Your pay? Do you really need to have your ego massaged that badly?

 

Thats Funny - a PA student piping in on a professional topic when obviously you have no voice at the table - come back after you have had your opinion discredited by a doc, or been refused to talk to about a patient's situation as you "are not the doc", or when your job hires an NP instead of PA as they get the $44,000 for EMR!

 

 

 

I'd say the people who see using a last name as a marker of their professional status are the ones who "care".

I'd say that most PAs.....if they were attention hounds who "craved accolades"....would not be PAs in the first place

I'd say that the majority of technicians/clerks/aides/etc are referred to by their first name....and if PAs want to be held in similar regard as physicians by virtue of the fact that we are professionals who practice medicine, then it really has nothing to do with ego.

 

 

This is my point. When you are talking about a new doc that came to town nobody says "john the new neurologist" it would be "Dr So&So the new neurologist" Why do we place ourselves any lower then this? First name use is causual and informal, and in the days when we are fighting to be recogonized for what we do we are likely cheapening our own stance. And for those who think this fight is not in full force right now - go try to apply for your $44k incentive money from the federal gov't for EMR use - oh sorry we don't qualify as we are "under" the physician.....

 

 

Andersen, I'll just say I respectfully disagree. In my neck of the woods (Tampa/Clearwater) PA's don't encounter this issue. We are heavily utilized. Patients and the medical community know who and what we are. title changes and first name issues have little meaning here, changing titles would just create problems for us.

.

 

Not everyone is this lucky - sounds like you are in a good area and I have to agree with anderson that the biggest reason (myself included) that I did not like PA Kellogg was that it sounded formal and was different to say. Guess what the patients did not care and instead of asking for Jeff they now ask for PA Kellogg - I have seen this have a direct and almost immediate effect on people's awareness that I am a PA and not a doc (I am the only PA in a rather large out patient Primary care office.) I really don't care what they call me but having seen the easy gains in public awareness by changing what I call myself (instead of Jeff the PA-where all they remember is Jeff) has made me rethink - and hence this thread.

 

It was difficult to change my introduction as I had the "Jeff the PA" for 10 years - but I am sticking to the PA Kellogg for introductions now. HOWEVER any patients that I see or interact with repeatedly know that they can call me what ever they are comfortable with.

 

 

The reason to post this thread was that it is a change/maturation in the way I introduce myself with the unintended side effect of the patient population suddenly understanding that I am a PA and this is nothing but a positive as we need to identify ourselves as major players in the delivery of health care that deserves a seat at the national level decisions and inclusion into health care reform.

[Ernie]

Particularly INAPPROPRIATE coming from someone who hasn't spent decades explaining what a PA is to every fifth person they encounter.

 

"Who Cares..???" Apparently the THOUSANDS of PAs who want a vote for name change "CARES."

 

Maybe your reading and comprehension is poor, but this discussion is about interacting with the PATIENTS... and has nothing to do with 'other medical professionals, job description, financial renumeration' etc.

 

Show a bit more respect for your peers ERNIE...

 

No, but I have spent the last 20 years hearing fellow paramedics complain that they were being referred to as "ambulance driver" or "ambulance attendant." Sorry, but caring about what people call you is vanity and nothing more. Don't let other people define how you feel about yourself. Don't be so worried about being "dissed" Even the above post shows that you care too much about "respect" (which is another way of saying that you care too much about what other people think)

[Ernie]

Thats Funny - a PA student piping in on a professional topic when obviously you have no voice at the table - come back after you have had your opinion discredited by a doc, or been refused to talk to about a patient's situation as you "are not the doc", or when your job hires an NP instead of PA as they get the $44,000 for EMR!

 

Again, ego. Personal attacks because I disagree. Whatever makes you feel more important, I guess. If it helps your ego to think that I am not as good as you are, fine. I guess your whole three years of experience as a PA makes you better than me. Of course, you don't even think about the fact that I began practicing as a paramedic while you were in kindergarden.

[Cideous]

I'm fine with a name change but it will never happen. To many laws on the books would need to be re-written. In the meantime I will continue to introduce myself (first & last name) then add PA. The day I start introducing myself as Mr. So and so is the day I hang it up. Patients love their PA's because of the lack of arrogance we emanate. I'm not about to start doing it different now after 18 years of practice.

[ventana]

Again, ego. Personal attacks because I disagree. Whatever makes you feel more important, I guess. If it helps your ego to think that I am not as good as you are, fine. I guess your whole three years of experience as a PA makes you better than me. Of course, you don't even think about the fact that I began practicing as a paramedic while you were in kindergarden.

 

 

wow you just don't get it - first off you started with the personal attacks calling it all about ego, we were merely answering your uninformed statement.

 

 

what part of you are not even being a PA yet do you not understand? Yes we all are entitled to our opinions but in medicine (as you will come to learn as you have obviously not learned it yet) experience counts. Those of us that have fought battles to even get to where we are now (and thank you to those that have done that) probably would cringe at your comments. Would you ask an ortho nurse how to manage sepsis in the Unit? (I hope not) Why do you think you as a medic and a PA student (BTW how far into the program are you? have you started professional phase yet or just hitting the books) has any comprehension of what it is like to function as a PA?

 

Did you know only a little more then 10 years ago Medicare did not even recognize PA's? How much luck do you think YOU will have getting a job if this was not advocated for and passed on the blood and tears of prior PA's who had been practicing long before either of us. Did you also know that PA and NP basically came about at the same time but due to advocacy NP can be PCP's, insurance companies HAVE TO credential them as such, and they can bill directly (instead of through assignement). Or how about that if we as PA's do not develop similiar successfull advocacy compaigns there is talk that primary care will be the realm of the NP's (personally I don't believe that one). This is all the history that has gone before you that you likely just have no compression of - nor should you as you are not even a licensed PA yet.

 

I am concerned of your over estimation of your knowledge base and how you are applying it this to this situation. Hey I was in the Air force and got called one thing when I was another, and not offered the respect I felt I deserved. That however does not mean I can intelligently comment on how PA's are viewed.

 

Come back after a few years of practice after you gone to bed with OCD thoughts towards a few patients, have been on call for 100 hours in a week, made life changing decisions for your patients, told someone that they have metastatic cancer and were going to die, dangled a wire across someone's heart, put in central lines and watch that air embolism travel through the heart and cross your fingers it clears, manage a critical patient for days in the hospital, heald an elderly wormens hand who is crying uncontrollably as she just lost her son, or any one of the thousands of experiences that PA do every single day---- then you get a right to have an intelligent thought out voice at the table, till then you are merely someone who thinks they know something that in reality knows very little. (and I am not discounting your EMS experience - it is just a totaly different experience - hence why PA's give orders to medics......and not the other way around)

 

 

Oh yeah, not sure where you got 3 years of experience for me as it is actually 10+ with experience in Primary care, internal medicine, geriatrics, LTC, ortho, interventional radiology, chronic pain, ER and physiatry. However, even it it was only 3 years it would be 3 more years then you have had as a PA. As well I have 4 different degrees and have been active in the policital relm locally for our hospital system. So please don't preach to me about your EMS experience when you clearly have NO PA EXPERIENCE and therefor by default are talking about a subject that you have NO FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE - (I posted this in the professional PA section as this is an issue that deals with professionals, not students, nor EMS)

[andersenpa]

Andersen, I'll just say I respectfully disagree. In my neck of the woods (Tampa/Clearwater) PA's don't encounter this issue. We are heavily utilized. Patients and the medical community know who and what we are. title changes and first name issues have little meaning here, changing titles would just create problems for us.

 

I display my "authority" when I conclude a bedside eval by saying "if you have any problems just tell the nurse you want Brian the PA.... I will take care of any problem you have...." the calm smile that I see overcoming them confirms they "know" me...

 

13 years now I've yet to encounter a medical staffer who asks who or what I am.

 

 

again it has nothing to do with "authority" or demanding respect. Nor does it have to do with staff relations.

 

to repeat:

 

To me it's a matter of how we bring the profession into its next phase

PAs are reaching out into new areas- leadership in the private and public sector, higher degrees, academics, research, etc

With that comes (IMO) the need for a branding: this is the professional PA product. You are getting a clinically and academicaly accomplished individual who can master many/all of the ailments they encounter in their specialty. Part of that brand is the way we are addressed.

There are countless PAs who deal with problems (what they perceive as problems) in being referred to as MAs, nurses, or expecting "when do I see the doctor" etc. This is a multifactorial problem. While you may have never dealt with this in 13 yrs, others have. We know b/c we've seen it posted here.

 

Our professional title and the way we are addressed is one part of dealing with those problems. As I'm sure you realize, your personal experiences do not define those for the entirety of PAs everywhere.

[andersenpa]

No, but I have spent the last 20 years hearing fellow paramedics complain that they were being referred to as "ambulance driver" or "ambulance attendant." Sorry, but caring about what people call you is vanity and nothing more. Don't let other people define how you feel about yourself. Don't be so worried about being "dissed" Even the above post shows that you care too much about "respect" (which is another way of saying that you care too much about what other people think)

 

As a student you are a member of this profession and your opinion deserves credit.

BUT.....you should show some deference to those PAs coming before you who have more experience with these issues.

To dismiss it as vanity shows some serious failure to understand the effect how PAs are addressed has had on their professional standing/regard/advancement.

[greenmood]

ventana, I get that you profoundly disagree with him, and that a lot of people took offense at the comment he made. I didn't care for it either, as I don't believe the question is one of ego, necessarily. We all know that one solution to this won't work for every person. There are a lot of people who are comfortable with the way they introduce themselves and don't have a reason to change it. Others might really benefit from a shift to a more formal mode of address.

[Contrarian]

Again, ego. Personal attacks because I disagree.

 

Umm.... again a comprehension problem.

You simply labeling this issue as a "ego" one not only displays your poor understanding of OUR profession, but your understanding of medicine, healthcare, and human behavior.

 

First of all, you pointing your finger and claiming "EGO" is a personal attack. So, trying to claim victim when folks shoot back is silly.

 

Second, as I stated above, maybe you weren't paying attention, but everywhere you worked as a paramedic for the last 20 yrs required you to identify yourself as such by guess what... yep your TITLE. So the whole, 'you guys are only concered with titles, because you are ego-driven' is not real and a bit short sited.

 

We are REQUIRED to use titles to identify ourselves to our patients and third party payers and regulatory agencies. Its the LAW in most states that we identify ourselves by a official title and that we sign that title on all official documents. So again, your insistance on coming into the "professional" PA section of this forum, and claiming that the folks here who have been practicing for decades or better are only worried about these things because of "ego" is insulting, and a personal attack. YOU apparently have NO Idea what is required.

 

As a NON-PA... there is no way you would know that many of the things you will or will not be allowed to do will rest on your title.

 

Since according to YOU, its just a few PAs 'ego-trippin'...

 

As a PA-student...WHY are you required to sign PA-s after your name on all paperwork in class and clinical...??

 

Why are medical students required to sign MS1/2/3/4, then MD/DO on all paperwork in class and clinical...???

 

Why are nursing students required to sign: LPN-s, RN-s, FNP-s then LPN/RN/FNP on all paperwork in class and clinical...???

 

Oh... yeah, they all 'ego-tripin' right...???

 

Why are Occupational Therapists, Sonographers, Respirtory Therapist, Physical Therapists, Medical Social Workers, Patient Care Techs, Lab Techs, etc... all required to display and use their "titles" from the time they enter the work place to the time they leave...???

 

Oh.. yeah... according to you it cause they simply ego-trippin.

 

Ventana gave you a great example of this when he alluded to the "meaningful use" law that pays a practice a extra $45k if they use a EMR. So if the practice is a 3 provider practice that has a MD, PA and a NP in it... and all three of them are using the EMR to see 90 patients a day, the practice will recieve $88k because the NP and MD use the EMR but will recieve no cash for the PA using the same EMR... why???? Title..!!

 

Here, last year... we had a battle where we had to clear some nonsense about PAs being able to swear out a affidavit to have a patient involuntarily detained and PAs being able to testify as a mental health professional in the mental health court. The law specifically stated that people with "titles" as Physicians and ARNPs and Psychologists, and Social Workers, and Masters level Counselors and even Psych RNs/LPNs could do these things. PAs were NOT listed, and therefore assumed NOT allowed to do these things. Sort of the same way it is in many places with L&I, DOT, Handicap parking, Disability forms death certificates, etc. PA is not listed as a title allowed to (or dis-allowed to) sign/complete these forms or exam so by default it is often assumed that we can't.

 

Third, I noticed you were very specific in letting all the readers here know that YOU spent 20 yrs as a (Para)medic.

You didn't write EMT... you didn't write medic... you wrote Paramedic. Why...???

 

I ask because, first off... the time you spent on the bus isn't in any way relevent to this discussion... and lends NO credibility to you possibly knowing ANYTHING about professional practice as a Physician Assistant... but YOU seemed to NEED to let us know what your TITLE was over the last 20 yrs. Why...??

[LIPPER]

again it has nothing to do with "authority" or demanding respect. Nor does it have to do with staff relations.

 

to repeat:

 

To me it's a matter of how we bring the profession into its next phase

PAs are reaching out into new areas- leadership in the private and public sector, higher degrees, academics, research, etc

With that comes (IMO) the need for a branding: this is the professional PA product. You are getting a clinically and academicaly accomplished individual who can master many/all of the ailments they encounter in their specialty. Part of that brand is the way we are addressed.

There are countless PAs who deal with problems (what they perceive as problems) in being referred to as MAs, nurses, or expecting "when do I see the doctor" etc. This is a multifactorial problem. While you may have never dealt with this in 13 yrs, others have. We know b/c we've seen it posted here.

 

Our professional title and the way we are addressed is one part of dealing with those problems. As I'm sure you realize, your personal experiences do not define those for the entirety of PAs everywhere.

 

Again I'll respectfully disagree regarding what issues take priority bringing the profession along.... Advancing private ownership, prescriptive privilege among other issues take much more precedent over how I/others refer to me, or assistant/associate...

 

They matter to you and others and that's fine...

[Joelseff]

Again I'll respectfully disagree regarding what issues take priority bringing the profession along.... Advancing private ownership, prescriptive privilege among other issues take much more precedent over how I/others refer to me, or assistant/associate...

 

They matter to you and others and that's fine...

 

I am either way with this issue but I am beginning to lean towards the PA so and so side.

 

Lipper, you say those other issues "take much more precedent" than this and I agree those issues are important even more important than this, but how does addressing ourselves as PA so and so take away from those other issues?

 

It doesn't cost us lobby money to simply change how we are called in the office (assistant/associate is another issue) be it Mr./Ms./Mrs. Or PA ....

 

I'm just confused because whenever title comes up, It's importance is usually challenged by the argument that we have "bigger fish to fry" again while true, in this instance, I don't see how it would interfere w/ the bigger issues

 

Sent from my HTC MT4GS using Tapatalk

[LIPPER]

 

 

I'm just confused because whenever title comes up, It's importance is usually challenged by the argument that we have "bigger fish to fry" again while true, in this instance, I don't see how it would interfere w/ the bigger issues

 

Sent from my HTC MT4GS using Tapatalk

B/c I'm certainly not alone when I say that the issue simply isn't worth expending my energy on... Not when I have family, and other job related issues... I just don't let it affect me..an argument could be made simply giving it credence fuels the discord.

 

Heck, I'm ashamed to say this is interrupting my garage cleaning. But that's just me...

[burnpac]

Interesting discussion. I lean toward patients just calling me "Steve." Like others on this thread, our urban area is heavily penetrated by PAs, and there are many working at my hospital in ER, surgery, hospital medicine, etc. The most common profession that I'm confused with is physician. I always introduce my self, "Hello, my name is Steve and I'm a PA." If someone calls me Doc or something similar, I immediately tell them Please just call me Steve, and I'm a PA.

 

I'm on a first name basis with nearly all the physicians I associate with on regular basis in the social setting, but always refer to them as Dr. _______ in the profession setting, because I'm old school in that regard. I don't think it affects my peer status with them whatsoever. I'm comfortable with who I am and what I do. I fell very respected in my work setting, and I can't remember the last time I had to explain to a patient, co-worker or anyone else who I was or what I do. I realize that this is different for different folks in other areas and settings.

 

I got a good laugh out of traveling circulating RN the other day as she was entering into the surgical EHR those attending the case. She asked, "....and your name is doctor?" I gave her my name and medical staff number and told her, "Im a PA, I just act like a surgeon...." :-)

[Contrarian]

*** [Double-Tap}***

[Contrarian]

As a student you are a member of this profession and your opinion deserves credit.

 

Agree... but small point of clarification.

 

Students are still "future" members of this profession.

They still have to make it through training (Didactic & Clinicals), graduate and pass the PANCE.

While the attrition rate in programs is low, there is still a percentage that never make it to the end for various reasons and therefore never become "members of this profession" because they never work as PAs. Even though they were once PA students.

 

Some even re-group, get it together and complete other healthcare programs.

For example, I know of a Physician who failed out of a PA program. He says it was due to his life stressors, maturity level and the sheer volume of info at that time that caused him to fail out. Fortunately he doesn't seem to harbor any resentment against PAs for his shortcoming back before he was admitted to DO school.

 

I don't consider him a "member of this profession" simply because he was admitted to a PA program.

[physasst]

Interesting thought. I didn't really know what attrition rates were, so I looked them up...

 

PA- 4.6%

MD-4%

DHSc- ???, but I thought I heard about 28% or so.

PhD-40-50%, trending more towards 50%.

PharmD- 3.46%

OD- 5.5%

DNP- Cannot find national data, but several sources seem to vary from 9.9% to 13.8%

[andersenpa]

Again I'll respectfully disagree regarding what issues take priority bringing the profession along.... Advancing private ownership, prescriptive privilege among other issues take much more precedent over how I/others refer to me, or assistant/associate...

 

They matter to you and others and that's fine...

 

They matter in how they directly relate to advancing private ownership, prescriptive privilege and others that you state. The two are interrelated and cannot really be discussed as separate.

the funny thing is that it really doesn't affect me as a subspecialty PA. Most of my pts are sedated or delirious...they might think I'm the Duke of Windsor for all I know.

but to the primary folks- ventana et al- this is a big deal. My PA/NP colleagues in the clinic and solo settings feel the most benefit from bringing them into the fold of autonomous primary providers.

[andersenpa]

B/c I'm certainly not alone when I say that the issue simply isn't worth expending my energy on... Not when I have family, and other job related issues... I just don't let it affect me..an argument could be made simply giving it credence fuels the discord.

 

Heck, I'm ashamed to say this is interrupting my garage cleaning. But that's just me...

 

Discord amongst which parties?

[ventana]

B/c I'm certainly not alone when I say that the issue simply isn't worth expending my energy on... Not when I have family, and other job related issues... I just don't let it affect me..an argument could be made simply giving it credence fuels the discord.

 

Heck, I'm ashamed to say this is interrupting my garage cleaning. But that's just me...

 

understand completely and that is why I posted the thread. To many of us (esp subspeciality) the title means little - and I get that it really doesn't matter in their eyes. To some of us though trying to branch out the title is almost a handcuff - how can an assistant own anything? How can an assistant be a partner? Why should and assistant get a seat at the "doctors" meeting where they talk about things like patient flow, staff moral, office issues (and every other doc partner and employee is there).

 

So if we can all agree on using PA Lastname as an introduction, and in your own words this really is not worth expending energy on so it would be fairly easy to change your ways, to help advance the profession as a whole (I am taking a leap of faith here, but how can it hurt - and as C so nicely pointed out it is part of who all health care providers are) it seems like a simple choice..... help the profession and one day it might just come back and benefit everyone!

 

 

 

I am really thankful that everyone offers opinions - I am at times stuck in my own little world of 30 patient days in primary care/ER and reflection to other estblished professional PA's is great. As for me - after this thread I am even more convinced that I will refer to myself as PA Lastname from now on - all the examples really do make a point that we are not assistants and we should be proud of our standing (but oh boy do we need a change away from assistant).

 

And to top it all off - with a $1 bill we can change our behavior and buy a cup of coffee (behavior change is free.....)

 

 

 

"C" - is it nice to agree with you on a point.....

[Joelseff]

understand completely and that is why I posted the thread. To many of us (esp subspeciality) the title means little - and I get that it really doesn't matter in their eyes. To some of us though trying to branch out the title is almost a handcuff - how can an assistant own anything? How can an assistant be a partner? Why should and assistant get a seat at the "doctors" meeting where they talk about things like patient flow, staff moral, office issues (and every other doc partner and employee is there).

 

So if we can all agree on using PA Lastname as an introduction, and in your own words this really is not worth expending energy on so it would be fairly easy to change your ways, to help advance the profession as a whole (I am taking a leap of faith here, but how can it hurt - and as C so nicely pointed out it is part of who all health care providers are) it seems like a simple choice..... help the profession and one day it might just come back and benefit everyone!

 

 

 

I am really thankful that everyone offers opinions - I am at times stuck in my own little world of 30 patient days in primary care/ER and reflection to other estblished professional PA's is great. As for me - after this thread I am even more convinced that I will refer to myself as PA Lastname from now on - all the examples really do make a point that we are not assistants and we should be proud of our standing (but oh boy do we need a change away from assistant).

 

And to top it all off - with a $1 bill we can change our behavior and buy a cup of coffee (behavior change is free.....)

 

 

 

"C" - is it nice to agree with you on a point.....

 

Agree, but....Where can I buy a $1 cup o Joe?

And is it good? Lol

 

 

Sent from my HTC MT4GS using Tapatalk

[LIPPER]

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So if we can all agree on using PA Lastname as an introduction, and in your own words this really is not worth expending energy on so it would be fairly easy to change your ways, to help advance the profession as a whole (I am taking a leap of faith here, but how can it hurt - and as C so nicely pointed out it is part of who all health care providers are) it seems like a simple choice..... help the profession and one day it might just come back and benefit everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"C" - is it nice to agree with you on a point.....

let me rephrase.... I like it the way it is. Formality is too....constraining.... I like the status-quo as it pertains to title and how I'm addressed. and since I work in Internal Med and encounter cognizant patients who like the approachability a first name engenders, I'd like it stay that way.

 

As well, ad far as advancing the profession, nothing will make that happen faster then quality medical care and good outcomes...they're really isn't a substitute for that... Certainly not a title change or Mr PA-C.....

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

How long has there been quality medical care an good outcomes? Is this something new that is happening to win hearts and minds?

 

I agree that nothing can substitute that, but to say that is all we should be doing doesn't sound logical. You can do a great job, but if you never negotiate a raise, what reason does your boss have to give you one?

[andersenpa]

How long has there been quality medical care an good outcomes? Is this something new that is happening to win hearts and minds?

 

I agree that nothing can substitute that, but to say that is all we should be doing doesn't sound logical. You can do a great job, but if you never negotiate a raise, what reason does your boss have to give you one?

 

Agree

We have provided top notch care all along

 

Can't keep doing the same thing and expecting better results