If you no longer have the "C"

[TWR]

Whether by choice or failure to pass the PANRE,  I wonder how it has effected your professional life.  Do you think that PANRE is an accurate method to assess your competency to practice what you have been doing for say 25 plus years?  Just wondering.

[mgriffiths]

I have not been doing this for 25+ years, but I can say that if I were to lose my "-C" I would lose my job effective immediately.  I don't know what Michigan's requirements are for the "-C," but for every job I've had within MI it has been a requirement for employment.  There is a grace period with my current employer before I would truly lose my job...but if I did lose the "-C" I would not be allowed to work (without pay of course, or use up PTO) until I got it back.

 

Do I feel that the PANRE is effective?  I've not had the wonderful opportunity to take this exam, but can say the PANCE that I took and passed with ease several years ago was not an effective evaluation of my medical knowledge.  Far too many specialty questions that were esoteric in nature or laboratory questions that have nothing to do with a PA's role (or any other provider for that matter) and no one outside of a laboratory has any business knowing.

[sas5814]

I have been pretty clear on this.... recertification testing is hurting the profession not just the individual provider. The exam, which has been determined to bring nothing to the provider in terms of improved skills or patient outcomes, can cause people to lose their livlihood. The further implication is the loss of a qualified provider that could be caring for people, the cost to practices and institutions both the cost of testing and the cost of replacing people who lose their certifications. It just goes on an on. Despite all this factual information the NCCPA merely explores other methods of high stakes testing.

Even worse from my perspective the whole operation is under the control of an organization that answers to nobody but themselves and whose primary drive is to remain in business. the IRS scares me but at least they answer to someone besides themselves. The NCCPA can thumb its nose at all of us and do as it pleases because it has no outside restraint. Simply put they frighten me.

The only place I have worked that didn't require certification was a community health center and they were thinking about requiring it.

I helped create a position paper for PAFT re-stating this information and calling for the immediate cessation of high stakes testing and we sent it to the NCCPA where it will be laughed at. We have also asked the AAPA to join this cause.

If, before I retire in 5 or 6 years, I can help kill off this harmful process I will consider my career to have been successful.

here is a nice article about the costs of PA turnover:

PA Replacement Costs

Edited July 26, 2019 by sas5814

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

I would say that in our state Tom/Scott the ignorance of employers with regard to whether or not it is required to practice here can actually work in ones favor.  If the state pulled the requirement to work x number of hours over a two year period as well, considering that I couldn't find said requirement the last time that I looked in the state regs, I guess I can keep both for several years to come (license is about to renew for the new two year cycle) even though I won't be using either.  In my current setting I think that there is a stipulation that we have to maintain the -C though they don't fully understand what the -C actually is.  Go figure...

Edited July 26, 2019 by GetMeOuttaThisMess

[sas5814]

Just so. I asked what would happen if, when my current certification expires 1 year before I want to retire I didn't renew. The immediate knee jerk answer was I would be terminated.

I pointed out it wasn't required for licensure and they gavce me some hooey about having higher standards.

Ok.....

[surgblumm]

Unless you use your PA-C emeritus for writing or speaking, your participation as a practicing clinician is gone.Your years of experience and your skills have been negated. This does not happen to physicians and it sure as hell should not happen to PAs.

[rev ronin]

On 7/26/2019 at 5:54 AM, sas5814 said:

Even worse from my perspective the whole operation is under the control of an organization that answers to nobody but themselves and whose primary drive is to remain in business. the IRS scares me but at least they answer to someone besides themselves. The NCCPA can thumb its nose at all of us and do as it pleases because it has no outside restraint.

This is key.  If we can have 51% of the board democratically elected from among certified PAs, we have a meaningful say.  We currently have 0%.

[surgblumm]

The 51% has been the goal of members of PAFT since is inception. Both Jim Piotrowski who was the first President and myself who was the first vice-presedent , both ran for the BOD or Secretary on the first year. This wa still in the Crane years and the disadvantage was that if the AAPA administration and staff accepted you , they would find reasons to take you around the country and to places that the board met to give you an unfair advantage of support. I was pissed for a year because of it but encouraged others to attempt, Dave being one of the first and as a board member. Our goal was 51% so that we could topple this anarchy.

[TWR]

I should clarify that my objection is not actually the "C" but the written test  100 hours of CME every 2 years should be sufficient to maintain thew "C" and not threaten someone's livelihood.  As previously stated by some, the written test is not any indication that one PA is better than another. 

[Cideous]

We have so many self inflicted wounds in this profession it's just nuts.  Almost like we have been afraid to succeed as a profession, so we constantly try and sabotage ourselves and any success we may have earned through good old fashioned hard work.  Well, all that sabotage is finally paying off as self loving and self promoting professions like NP's leap forward and lap up.

[surgblumm]

Both Incideous and rev ronin are likeminded an probably correct. Unless we rise up and do something , we will become the invisible profession.

[TWR]

Bob,  The "extinct" profession.  Pretty much invisible already judging by the want ads I have seen.  Most don't even mention us.  The exception being being some of the high end surgical specialties that are dominated by PAs.

[surgblumm]

We are not extinct until we are no longer a profession or it’s not over until it’s over. I empathize greatly with my brothers and sisters in medicine, if this is a national Provo. There seems to be an abundance of jobs for new and middle aged PAs in the northeast and I am ignorant of what may be happening elsewhere. 

The senior PAs of ages 55 and above find themselves in a different but hostile situations of being highly experienced and perhaps less motivated and desiring higher pay. The institutions and the Doc’s just don’t want to pay higher salaries for better care.