Hey EVERYONE who supports Physician ASSOCIATE, I HAVE THE FIRST PICTURE OF YOUR NEW LAB JACKETS!

[Cideous]

 

 

The Associate.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by Cideous

[LKPAC]

why can't people debate without sarcasm, meanness, or even downright hatred of those with whom they disagree.

[Cideous]

Because this is how the general public sees an Associate and I firmly believe that this next 12 months will determine the fate of our profession....forever.  Sometimes shocking people into reality is all that works.   Although in this case, most seem hell bent on becoming Associates.  Hence, a picture of a fellow Associate.  Let that sink in.

[RadAssPA]

IMHO it makes no sense to incorporate physician into our title. The title should be about US. And what WE provide, although we very much enjoy our professional collaboration with physicians. Medical Practitioner is the ONLY and BEST name for OUR profession. Associate is a weak noun with no real substance. Again, just my opinion. Happy Holidays!!!

Edited December 11, 2019 by RadAssPA

[Hope2PA]

Even if it becomes new title, the physicians I’ve talked with will NEVER consider PA’s as Associate. PA’s are Not a physician and sure as hell not their associate, they have physicians that are considered Associates. Physicians  are supportive up to a point. They have not been as put off by Medical Care Practitioner, because it doesn’t use word physiatrist or state PA’s are an associate. The only thing PA related they like is to have an “Assistant” to help with a lot of work that increases their own personal revenue. Also, talked with a few lobbyists and state legislators, out of curiosity, who say they can understand and see better legislation possibilities for the title of Medical Care Practitioner much better than Physician Associate, which is still better than assistant, but for time, $$$ and long term goal, why just go better for the ease? Why not best option for long term. But then I guess the 50+% who voted Physician Associate do care about any of the above(Yep that was a little sarcasm).  

[Mayamom]

LOL!  At this point I'd be happy with that for my job!! 

[Reality Check 2]

28 yrs in for me. Nearly 55 yrs in for the profession.

We got a crap name - we have evolved and proven ourselves so many times now - we can't let a name kill us.

I am not sure a name is all there is to this - or any job.

Help people - help patients - do good things - do good things well and with style.

When someone asks who you are - you can honestly say "I am the medical professional who helped you. Titles don't matter".

Just in that kind of mood today - everybody work - everybody work together ----------

 

[camoman1234]

9 hours ago, Cideous said:

Because this is how the general public sees an Associate and I firmly believe that this next 12 months will determine the fate of our profession....forever.  Sometimes shocking people into reality is all that works.   Although in this case, most seem hell bent on becoming Associates.  Hence, a picture of a fellow Associate.  Let that sink in.

I think you are wrong on this. They are working for a corporation. It is not worth the fight with you since your mind is made up, but I don't see how anyone would look at this in that light. Good try though. 

[Hope2PA]

49 minutes ago, camoman1234 said:

I think you are wrong on this. They are working for a corporation. It is not worth the fight with you since your mind is made up, but I don't see how anyone would look at this in that light. Good try though. 

Associate; noun; 1. a partner or colleague in a business (nope) 2. A  person with limited or subordinate membership(yep). 

Physician Associate; medical provider with LIMITED and SUBORDINATE membership in the healthcare world. Never would Nursing leaders allow their members to have such a title, but so many PA’s want it because it is comfortable and easy. 

[CAdamsPAC]

For 18 years my job title was "PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE"! I was required to be a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant Program, certified as a Physician Assistant, maintain a valid Connecticut Physician Assistant License! I've held many other positions titled "Physician Assistant" in every position I strove to provide the best care that I could deliver and worked in concert with all appropriate professions to help my patients. If one's title is so debilitating one's ability to provide care appropriate to the patient's needs, IMHO said individual should seek another profession. Personally and professionally I DON"T CARE what moniker is assigned to my job, all that matters to me is the quality of the care I render to those in need. Oh yes, call me names, mock me or look down your nose at me for this position because I truly don't care about this exercise in fatuity and after 32 years of PA practice I can proudly hold my head up for the care that I've provided in multiple settings and services.

[Hope2PA]

1 hour ago, CAdamsPAC said:

For 18 years my job title was "PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE"! I was required to be a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant Program, certified as a Physician Assistant, maintain a valid Connecticut Physician Assistant License! I've held many other positions titled "Physician Assistant" in every position I strove to provide the best care that I could deliver and worked in concert with all appropriate professions to help my patients. If one's title is so debilitating one's ability to provide care appropriate to the patient's needs, IMHO said individual should seek another profession. Personally and professionally I DON"T CARE what moniker is assigned to my job, all that matters to me is the quality of the care I render to those in need. Oh yes, call me names, mock me or look down your nose at me for this position because I truly don't care about this exercise in fatuity and after 32 years of PA practice I can proudly hold my head up for the care that I've provided in multiple settings and services.

I don’t think there is any mocking, calling names or looking down on the amazing work and service provided by PA’s over the past 50 years. To suggest that wanting the profession to progress is looking down on you or others is just wrong. PA’s have been so busy taking care of patients and trying to maintain good standing with physicians,  they have been overlooking the need to evolve. The profession should maintain high standards of care, but if it doesn’t grow and change, younger providers Will have a very difficult time finding jobs to even have the opportunity to care for patients. This has become even more important as NP’s  continue to promote their profession as being superior to PA and nearly on par with physicians. Hold your head high for the work you have done, but try to think of professional needs of those that have 32 years left to practice. You may not care personally or professionally, but it is not very professional of you or others hold back the future just because the bad title and supervision worked OK in the past. 

[MediMike]

3 hours ago, CAdamsPAC said:

For 18 years my job title was "PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE"! I was required to be a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant Program, certified as a Physician Assistant, maintain a valid Connecticut Physician Assistant License! I've held many other positions titled "Physician Assistant" in every position I strove to provide the best care that I could deliver and worked in concert with all appropriate professions to help my patients. If one's title is so debilitating one's ability to provide care appropriate to the patient's needs, IMHO said individual should seek another profession. Personally and professionally I DON"T CARE what moniker is assigned to my job, all that matters to me is the quality of the care I render to those in need. Oh yes, call me names, mock me or look down your nose at me for this position because I truly don't care about this exercise in fatuity and after 32 years of PA practice I can proudly hold my head up for the care that I've provided in multiple settings and services.

Can you say that in your 32 years of practice you've seen no change in the field in regards to our ability to practice, expanded scope or actual shift in what our career actually is? Can you say there has been no change in the ability of new graduates in our field to find a position? That there has not been massive encroachment by the nursing lobby and world that represents a danger to our future? 

Look man, I respect the hell out of all of you who paved the way for us, you've fought harder battles than I likely will in my lifetime. The fact is people aren't saying the moniker upsets them and provides a hindrance to their clinical ability to take care of patients but it may very well be a hindrance to their ACTUAL ability to provide care to patients as they may not have jobs when an NP is hired preferentially.

When you're coming up in this world and that moniker may be the deciding factor between you or an independent practitioner getting a position well... people should care at that point.

Thanks for fighting the fights you did, we appreciate it 

[Cideous]

10 hours ago, CAdamsPAC said:

For 18 years my job title was "PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE"! I was required to be a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant Program, certified as a Physician Assistant, maintain a valid Connecticut Physician Assistant License! I've held many other positions titled "Physician Assistant" in every position I strove to provide the best care that I could deliver and worked in concert with all appropriate professions to help my patients. If one's title is so debilitating one's ability to provide care appropriate to the patient's needs, IMHO said individual should seek another profession. Personally and professionally I DON"T CARE what moniker is assigned to my job, all that matters to me is the quality of the care I render to those in need. Oh yes, call me names, mock me or look down your nose at me for this position because I truly don't care about this exercise in fatuity and after 32 years of PA practice I can proudly hold my head up for the care that I've provided in multiple settings and services.

 

 

This is exactly what I've been talking about.  "Back in my day, Physician Assistant was good enough for me, it should be good enough for these young ones coming out of school now...."  

Except, it's not.

No one is questioning anybodies quality of care ....jesh.  What we are saying is that the names Physician Assistant and Physician Associate have NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE DO ANYMORE.  If older PA's can't see that and work against the seismic shift needed in our name, then you are selfishly dooming the next generation of PA's to a dark future while you ride off into the sunset.

I refuse to do that.  Our new PA's deserve a name that reflects what they do and a name they can take to the fight legislatively against those that seek to marginalize us.  

Mark my words.  If we keep "assistants" in our name or trade "assistant" for "associate", we will loose in the fight for parity against NP's.  That fight after all these years folks is now here.......and we are losing it.

[PickleRick]

Don't care.  

[CAdamsPAC]

10 hours ago, Hope2PA said:

I don’t think there is any mocking, calling names or looking down on the amazing work and service provided by PA’s over the past 50 years. To suggest that wanting the profession to progress is looking down on you or others is just wrong. PA’s have been so busy taking care of patients and trying to maintain good standing with physicians,  they have been overlooking the need to evolve. The profession should maintain high standards of care, but if it doesn’t grow and change, younger providers Will have a very difficult time finding jobs to even have the opportunity to care for patients. This has become even more important as NP’s  continue to promote their profession as being superior to PA and nearly on par with physicians. Hold your head high for the work you have done, but try to think of professional needs of those that have 32 years left to practice. You may not care personally or professionally, but it is not very professional of you or others hold back the future just because the bad title and supervision worked OK in the past. 

Please cite specifically where I am "holding back" anyone or anything! The very fact you choose to claim that MY opinion is harming the profession's development is specious at best and BS at worst!  I've witnessed the evolution of the PA profession first hand from 1973 evolve from Diploma to Doctorate level, virtually no job prospects to every medical specialty employing PAs nationwide not to mention the creation of international PA practice. All the while being called Physician Assistants!!! The fact that the national PA leadership has consistently failed to be as assertive and aggressive in advancing this profession to the public compared to the nursing profession  (which predates us by hundreds of years) is what should raise the ire of all PAs. To tolerate or accept the NP's campaign of distortion and misleading the public on their skills versus physicians and PAs ranks as another substantive  failure of "PA Leadership" .

 

[CAdamsPAC]

2 hours ago, Cideous said:

 

 

This is exactly what I've been talking about.  "Back in my day, Physician Assistant was good enough for me, it should be good enough for these young ones coming out of school now...."  

Except, it's not.

No one is questioning anybodies quality of care ....jesh.  What we are saying is that the names Physician Assistant and Physician Associate have NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE DO ANYMORE.  If older PA's can't see that and work against the seismic shift needed in our name, then you are selfishly dooming the next generation of PA's to a dark future while you ride off into the sunset.

I refuse to do that.  Our new PA's deserve a name that reflects what they do and a name they can take to the fight legislatively against those that seek to marginalize us.  

Mark my words.  If we keep "assistants" in our name or trade "assistant" for "associate", we will loose in the fight for parity against NP's.  That fight after all these years folks is now here.......and we are losing it.

"Mark my words.  If we keep "assistants" in our name or trade "assistant" for "associate", we will loose in the fight for parity against NP's.  That fight after all these years folks is now here.......and we are losing it."   The PA profession has spent most of it's professional existence apologizing and going out of it's way to  "play nice" and be liked by others. Using words like "fight" while being a patsy on the field of conflict will guarantee failure or loss. I request that you cite specifically how one's moniker will improve the care  provided to your patients versus soothing your ego and self esteem?

[CAdamsPAC]

9 hours ago, MediMike said:

Can you say that in your 32 years of practice you've seen no change in the field in regards to our ability to practice, expanded scope or actual shift in what our career actually is? Can you say there has been no change in the ability of new graduates in our field to find a position? That there has not been massive encroachment by the nursing lobby and world that represents a danger to our future? 

Look man, I respect the hell out of all of you who paved the way for us, you've fought harder battles than I likely will in my lifetime. The fact is people aren't saying the moniker upsets them and provides a hindrance to their clinical ability to take care of patients but it may very well be a hindrance to their ACTUAL ability to provide care to patients as they may not have jobs when an NP is hired preferentially.

When you're coming up in this world and that moniker may be the deciding factor between you or an independent practitioner getting a position well... people should care at that point.

Thanks for fighting the fights you did, we appreciate it 

Please point out to be where I have asserted this "Can you say that in your 32 years of practice you've seen no change in the field in regards to our ability to practice, expanded scope or actual shift in what our career actually is? Can you say there has been no change in the ability of new graduates in our field to find a position?" The whining and histrionics of this subject which BTW has been being squawked about for as long as I can remember has not impeded the utilization and advancement of the PA profession. I am open for anyone to provide clear specific evidence that the current title has negatively impacted on the quality of care provided or that they have lost employment due to their professional moniker.

[ohiovolffemtp]

Here's how I think changing the name of our profession will change the care we provide:  it's indirect, but I believe a name change will help change the public's and more important legislators' and rulemakers' perception of us.  That will in turn lead to a removal of specific barriers which block PA's from doing things they already know how to do or could easily grow into doing.  For example, in Ohio PA's can not sign mental health holds nor can they do medication assisted intubations.  As a paramedic in Ohio I can and have done medication assisted intubations; as an Ohio EM PA I managed many psych patients.  Every time I had one who needed to be on a hold, I had to complete the form and find a doc to sign; even if I had already had to order restraints and sedation.

Yes, in the former and current state we have delivered excellent care, but we can do more.  OTP and name change will remove barriers to us doing more of that.

[Brigid2010]

Advocate for independence of licensure-slam out some concrete legislation for scope of practice and what that entails.  

Advocate for name change that doesn't sound like a frickin' used car dealer sales person.  I ran the name, physician associate, by my fiance, a very health-literate/well educated person.  He thought it sounded worse than physician assistant.  

I don't see a problem w/ Advanced Medical Practitioner, or some other title akin to that, but that's me.  A black-sheep PA if there ever was one...

Edited December 12, 2019 by Brigid2010

[MediMike]

1 hour ago, CAdamsPAC said:

Please point out to be where I have asserted this "Can you say that in your 32 years of practice you've seen no change in the field in regards to our ability to practice, expanded scope or actual shift in what our career actually is? Can you say there has been no change in the ability of new graduates in our field to find a position?" The whining and histrionics of this subject which BTW has been being squawked about for as long as I can remember has not impeded the utilization and advancement of the PA profession. I am open for anyone to provide clear specific evidence that the current title has negatively impacted on the quality of care provided or that they have lost employment due to their professional moniker.

...I didn't assert that you said those items. You invoked your 32 years in the field so I asked you some questions regarding that time.

And please lay off the aggro ad hominem attacks of "whining and histrionics". It's embarrassing and this field has enough issues without PAs being sh$#!y to each other.

[CAdamsPAC]

18 minutes ago, MediMike said:

...I didn't assert that you said those items. You invoked your 32 years in the field so I asked you some questions regarding that time.

And please lay off the aggro ad hominem attacks of "whining and histrionics". It's embarrassing and this field has enough issues without The whining and histrionics of this subject 

I take note of the complete absence of" aggro ad hominem attacks" on anyone . I invite you to address my opinion of " The whining and histrionics of THIS SUBJECT " absent identifying any particular individual. Voicing a different opinion or disagreements as "   PAs being sh$#!y to each other." IMHO reflects a soft underbelly of a profession that is allowing itself to to be castrated by it's desire to not offend and in the words of the late Rodney King " just get along". I'll just still back and watch Don Quixote, PA-C & Pancho Sanza, PA-C fight to slay the windmill title of Physician Assistant  once they return from the cruise with Captain Ahab on the Pequod and slaying the Great White NP! Have a good life and be happy.

[PACali]

5 hours ago, CAdamsPAC said:

 I am open for anyone to provide clear specific evidence that the current title has negatively impacted on the quality of care provided or that they have lost employment due to their professional moniker.

Are you looking for some type of scientific studies? I don't know there is any, but do we really need one to realize assistant is bad at this point? 

Base on WPP's last survey 90% of PA Respondents Cite Disconnect Between Official Title “Physician Assistant” and Their Role in Healthcare

Even American Academy of Physician Assistant became American Academy of "PA." In the AAPA guide of A Guide for Writing and Talking About PAs  They recommend "Use PA as the title of the profession, not physician assistant, in all copy." They understand assistant is a problem. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by PACali

[ljmazz]

How many besides myself were aghast at some of the other titles they suggested for us, like "Praxician" and "Clinicist."  WTF???  I was astounded and insulted when I learned that they suggested these made up words as options for our title, and I told them so in the survey.  Shame on whoever made such horrible suggestions!

[CAdamsPAC]

7 minutes ago, ljmazz said:

How many besides myself were aghast at some of the other titles they suggested for us, like "Praxician" and "Clinicist."  WTF???  I was astounded and insulted when I learned that they suggested these made up words as options for our title, and I told them so in the survey.  Shame on whoever made such horrible suggestions!

How dare you??

Edited December 12, 2019 by CAdamsPAC

[Hope2PA]

3 hours ago, PACali said:

Are you looking for some type of scientific studies? I don't know there is any, but do we really need one to realize assistant is bad at this point? 

Base on WPP's last survey 90% of PA Respondents Cite Disconnect Between Official Title “Physician Assistant” and Their Role in Healthcare

Even American Academy of Physician Assistant became American Academy of "PA." In the AAPA guide of A Guide for Writing and Talking About PAs  They recommend "Use PA as the title of the profession, not physician assistant, in all copy." They understand assistant is a problem. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The AAPA  understood there was a problem but didn't want to go through effort to really make it better until recently. Even now, it appears they, the PA leadership and many PA's, still think making a little change will be better than nothing. Making a significant change is just effort they don't want to deal with. Again I am comparing, but how often do you think nursing leaders set around and decide it is not worth the extra effort to progress NPs in every way possible. They are in the current position because nurse leaders think of their profession first and foremost. PA's need to think and act the same way.