Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 12, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 12, 2012 Most excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 A lot of personal statements give good ideas about what a PA is. Something like this might clear things up: "A PA is somebody who likes to help people. But they only want to do it for a limited time during the day, which is good because PAs have much better shifts and hours than doctors do. In addition, because they don't really do much else, they have a ton of time to hang out in the room with patients to develop personal relationships with each one of them. Before becomming a PA they established a long history of experience by shadowing PAs." Hahaha... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 A lot of personal statements give good ideas about what a PA is. Something like this might clear things up: "A PA is somebody who likes to help people. But they only want to do it for a limited time during the day, which is good because PAs have much better shifts and hours than doctors do. In addition, because they don't really do much else, they have a ton of time to hang out in the room with patients to develop personal relationships with each one of them. Before becomming a PA they established a long history of experience by shadowing PAs." Hahaha... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelseff Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 A lot of personal statements give good ideas about what a PA is. Something like this might clear things up: "A PA is somebody who likes to help people. But they only want to do it for a limited time during the day, which is good because PAs have much better shifts and hours than doctors do. In addition, because they don't really do much else, they have a ton of time to hang out in the room with patients to develop personal relationships with each one of them. Before becomming a PA they established a long history of experience by shadowing PAs." Hahaha... Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIPPER Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Personally I'd never want to say something like that. Certainly if it works for you that's fine. But that kind of language seems to encourage the misunderstanding that you're a med tech or something. Nope...not at all. My SP's always support me publicly and privately, so it's a two-way type of relationship..my patients like it. Lightens the mood. But most importantly if they aren't clear what I am to begin with, then by not trying to overpower them with what I think they should believe, by the end of the eval they can tell I'm not "just an assistant"....thus title issue are moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIPPER Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Personally I'd never want to say something like that. Certainly if it works for you that's fine. But that kind of language seems to encourage the misunderstanding that you're a med tech or something. Nope...not at all. My SP's always support me publicly and privately, so it's a two-way type of relationship..my patients like it. Lightens the mood. But most importantly if they aren't clear what I am to begin with, then by not trying to overpower them with what I think they should believe, by the end of the eval they can tell I'm not "just an assistant"....thus title issue are moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIPPER Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Personally I'd never want to say something like that. Certainly if it works for you that's fine. But that kind of language seems to encourage the misunderstanding that you're a med tech or something. Nope...not at all. My SP's always support me publicly and privately, so it's a two-way type of relationship..my patients like it. Lightens the mood. But most importantly if they aren't clear what I am to begin with, then by not trying to overpower them with what I think they should believe, by the end of the eval they can tell I'm not "just an assistant"....thus title issue are moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FancyPAntsy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I usually say that I am a physician extender and am trained to diagnose and treat patients. People catch on to the physician extender term pretty easily actually. If they have more questions, I explain that I went to 2 years of medical school and am trained to do about 80% of what a physician does. This is the way that AAPA described it to me and most doctors I've worked with seem alright with that description. I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such as NP because I think that detracts from our distinction and furthers the confusion about what a PA is. I also try hard not to cut down other professions or imply that my job is easier or harder than anyone else's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FancyPAntsy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I usually say that I am a physician extender and am trained to diagnose and treat patients. People catch on to the physician extender term pretty easily actually. If they have more questions, I explain that I went to 2 years of medical school and am trained to do about 80% of what a physician does. This is the way that AAPA described it to me and most doctors I've worked with seem alright with that description. I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such as NP because I think that detracts from our distinction and furthers the confusion about what a PA is. I also try hard not to cut down other professions or imply that my job is easier or harder than anyone else's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FancyPAntsy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I usually say that I am a physician extender and am trained to diagnose and treat patients. People catch on to the physician extender term pretty easily actually. If they have more questions, I explain that I went to 2 years of medical school and am trained to do about 80% of what a physician does. This is the way that AAPA described it to me and most doctors I've worked with seem alright with that description. I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such as NP because I think that detracts from our distinction and furthers the confusion about what a PA is. I also try hard not to cut down other professions or imply that my job is easier or harder than anyone else's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I really try not to describe PA in terms of other professions such But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Kemp Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... I don't think it's really possible to satisfactorily explain what a PA is without at some point comparing the profession to others. To say "we practice medicine" is true but immediately invites the question of what the actual difference is between a physician and a PA. And really, as far as the patient is concerned, there isn't much of a difference in the first place. Of course PAs are not physicians, but the real distinction between the two is something that is beyond the level of medical insight possessed by the average layperson (certainly even I, being a student, haven't come to completely grasp it yet). Obviously it will never happen, but I've often wondered if it wouldn't be better if the honorific for PhD degrees, etc. would be something completely different than "doctor," PAs/MDs/DOs/NPs would all be called "doctor" and MDs/DOs would be "physicians." Or some variant thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Kemp Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... I don't think it's really possible to satisfactorily explain what a PA is without at some point comparing the profession to others. To say "we practice medicine" is true but immediately invites the question of what the actual difference is between a physician and a PA. And really, as far as the patient is concerned, there isn't much of a difference in the first place. Of course PAs are not physicians, but the real distinction between the two is something that is beyond the level of medical insight possessed by the average layperson (certainly even I, being a student, haven't come to completely grasp it yet). Obviously it will never happen, but I've often wondered if it wouldn't be better if the honorific for PhD degrees, etc. would be something completely different than "doctor," PAs/MDs/DOs/NPs would all be called "doctor" and MDs/DOs would be "physicians." Or some variant thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Kemp Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 But saying you are a "Physician Extender" does describe a PA in terms of another profession. It is saying that you extend the role of a physician, which is a different profession. Also, you did not go to 2 years of medical school; you went to PA school. I understand you are trying to use language that other people can relate to, but this is still very much describing your role in terms of a different profession. It is long overdue for the general public to understand what a PA is, in its own right. Nobody describes nurses as being "like a doctor but I am trained to carry out their orders instead of giving them." People just know what a nurse is. But before anybody jumps on that one... even writing that last sentence was a little difficult for me because people just tend to think that everybody is a doctor, but some doctors are called nurses, some are called Techs, and some are called PAs. So nobody really knows what anybody does... they are just hoping to get some straight answers about what is going on... I don't think it's really possible to satisfactorily explain what a PA is without at some point comparing the profession to others. To say "we practice medicine" is true but immediately invites the question of what the actual difference is between a physician and a PA. And really, as far as the patient is concerned, there isn't much of a difference in the first place. Of course PAs are not physicians, but the real distinction between the two is something that is beyond the level of medical insight possessed by the average layperson (certainly even I, being a student, haven't come to completely grasp it yet). Obviously it will never happen, but I've often wondered if it wouldn't be better if the honorific for PhD degrees, etc. would be something completely different than "doctor," PAs/MDs/DOs/NPs would all be called "doctor" and MDs/DOs would be "physicians." Or some variant thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgl003 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We have a way to go b/f we reach the level of NPs........... So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgl003 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We have a way to go b/f we reach the level of NPs........... So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgl003 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We have a way to go b/f we reach the level of NPs........... So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 13, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 13, 2012 So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? she was talking in terms of recognition...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. when most folks hear physician assistant they think medical assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 13, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 13, 2012 So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? she was talking in terms of recognition...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. when most folks hear physician assistant they think medical assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 13, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 13, 2012 So you're saying that master's level PA's are not up to par with NP's?? she was talking in terms of recognition...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. when most folks hear physician assistant they think medical assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshie1 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 ...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. So maybe one can just flip this and say to the patient, "Oh, so you know what a nurse practitioner does? Well nurse practitioners can do a lot of what a Physician Assistant does...." ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshie1 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 ...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. So maybe one can just flip this and say to the patient, "Oh, so you know what a nurse practitioner does? Well nurse practitioners can do a lot of what a Physician Assistant does...." ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshie1 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 ...every joe blow on the street knows what an np is. So maybe one can just flip this and say to the patient, "Oh, so you know what a nurse practitioner does? Well nurse practitioners can do a lot of what a Physician Assistant does...." ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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