For the CAQ haters out there....

[EMEDPA]

I recently applied for a new rural per diem job. I liked them, they liked me, my references checked out....then I got their job offer. somewhat insulting to say the least.  I referred them back to my CV, years of experience, and the fact that I am the only EM CAQ credentialed PA in the state. They countered with an $18/hr increase...which I accepted.

[cc56]

Awesome.  I plan on getting the ER CAQ someday, glad it paid out for you!

[EMEDPA]

also got me solo procedural sedation privileges. PAs without the CAQ have to call in the CRNA.

[jtpas]

Still in fellowship, but one position I looked into with a large hospital system offers salaried positions, and those with CAQ are incentivized with $25k bonus in base pay

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

2 hours ago, jtpas said:

Still in fellowship, but one position I looked into with a large hospital system offers salaried positions, and those with CAQ are incentivized with $25k bonus in base pay

Would you mind sharing a link for this? Would be nice if I could use it as incentive for a bump in pay when I get mine

[jtpas]

1 hour ago, LT_Oneal_PAC said:

Would you mind sharing a link for this? Would be nice if I could use it as incentive for a bump in pay when I get mine

This was a conversation I had with the medical director of APP recruiting, I will try to get it in writing

[Guest JMPA]

Generalist training and ability to move freely between fields of practice are the greatest strengths of the PA profession, that is what separates PAs from NP or MD. CAQ robs the PA of the ease of field transition and  ease for new gads to obtain positions of choice. If fully adopted it will actually make it very difficult for a PA to change any field because employers will only seek CAQ certified candidates and turn away non CAQ, for those with out the CAQ it will be nearly impossible to get CAQ certification unless they land a job in their field of choice. This is a vicious loop and will ruin the PA profession. I am strictly against CAQ. A CAQ certified PA is no better than an equivalent experienced PA IMO.

[PAtoMD]

9 hours ago, JMPA said:

Generalist training and ability to move freely between fields of practice are the greatest strengths of the PA profession, that is what separates PAs from NP or MD. CAQ robs the PA of the ease of field transition and  ease for new gads to obtain positions of choice. If fully adopted it will actually make it very difficult for a PA to change any field because employers will only seek CAQ certified candidates and turn away non CAQ, for those with out the CAQ it will be nearly impossible to get CAQ certification unless they land a job in their field of choice. This is a vicious loop and will ruin the PA profession. I am strictly against CAQ. A CAQ certified PA is no better than an equivalent experienced PA IMO.

In a market with increasing difficulty of being hired CAQs  +/- DMSc may be necessary. I would posit that it could be difficult in the future to argue why you would be a better candidate for a job against an NP that's education was dedicated in that particular field. 

"A CAQ certified PA is no better than an equivalent experienced PA IMO" I think that statement speaks volumes. Because it would still be difficult for the non CAQ PA to get a job given that fact that their experience is only in that particular field.

[EMEDPA]

lateral mobility has been going away for the last 20 years anyway. the future for the profession will be to follow the same path the docs took: generalists to residencies to required tests. After 33 years in EM it would be very difficult for me to transfer to anything other than trauma, hospitalist, primary/urgent care. 

[ohiovolffemtp]

From my experience, it's only a subset of employers that even know about the CAQ.  Those that do may well value it.  The year before last I asked all the recruiters at SEMPA, including those for the big 3: Envision/Emcare, TeamHealth, and USACS, what they thought the value of the CAQ was and the universal response was "what's the CAQ?".  Things may change, and I don't doubt what Emed has experienced, but my experience has been different.  I've worked for 2 of the big 3 and 2 smaller organizations and neither any of them nor any of the hospitals I've been credentialed at knew about the CAQ.

I would feel much better about the CAQ if it came from an organization like SEMPA that was made up of PA's in EM and accountable to PA's in EM rather than from NCCPA.

[EMEDPA]

27 minutes ago, ohiovolffemtp said:

 

I would feel much better about the CAQ if it came from an organization like SEMPA that was made up of PA's in EM and accountable to PA's in EM rather than from NCCPA.

I was on the board of sempa when the CAQ came out. Many of my colleagues on the board at the time helped write the test. 

One of my jobs is with Team Health. The ED medical director there introduces me to new docs as "The only EM Board certified PA in the state". I have been at that site for 13 years now and the caq is part of the reason I am the highest paid non-physician provider in the dept. 

[ohiovolffemtp]

Why did SEMPA not take/retain control of the exam?  They could then contract with a testing firm, like Pearsonview, to administer it.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

11 hours ago, ohiovolffemtp said:

Why did SEMPA not take/retain control of the exam?  They could then contract with a testing firm, like Pearsonview, to administer it.

Money. Power. NCCPA has been backhanded in the past. They have even have been against PA improving legislation because it didn’t include mandatory certification. Stopped one state from moving forward on progress
 

I agree that I would rather it be in the hands of SEMPA or a new board (since Sempa is an advocacy organization like the difference between ACEP and ABEM) that would be created by SEMPA. Though we saw the cluster that happened when a physician tried to make the PA derm board.