JohnnyLAX9 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 This is a conversation that I saw happening on Reddit that I would like others perspectives on. Would making MD/DO bridge programs more accessible and feasible be a solution to ongoing debates regarding FPA? What would this even look like? RIght now the only bridge program I know of is LECOM and my understanding of this is that you have to go through another 3 years of schooling and then go to residency. This 3 year program seems like there would be a lot of redundancy from what was covered in PA school. We all know there is health care professional shortage and massive amount of doctors retiring. It seems like either FPA or better MD/DO bridges could help address some of this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 11 Moderator Share Posted January 11 FPA/OTP is great for outpt practice, specifically in primary care. In inpatient settings, we are still under the thumb of folks who run the different depts. They can still define "doctor work" and PA/NP work. If you want to be truly independent and never have folks inappropriately limit your scope of practice, you have to become a physician. A "fair bridge" would be no more than 2 years. All of first year and a 2nd yr which is half didactic, half clinical. This would award an MD/DO and the graduate would go on to residency just like any other physician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted January 11 Moderator Share Posted January 11 I function 100% as a pcp doc. no need for more training after 20+ years practice. bridge programs only put PA down and prop up MD/DO. just give us independence after 3-5 years supervision by senior pa,md, do. 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 11 Moderator Share Posted January 11 2 minutes ago, ventana said: I function 100% as a pcp doc. Is there ANYTHING an FP doc can order or do in your state that you can not? Can you round on your own patients at all local hospitals and nursing homes and write inpt orders? Can you sign death certificates, all disability forms, order home oxygen, etc? If yes, then you have arrived. If no, you are not yet "equal". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoMD Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 43 minutes ago, ventana said: I function 100% as a pcp doc. no need for more training after 20+ years practice. bridge programs only put PA down and prop up MD/DO. just give us independence after 3-5 years supervision by senior pa,md, do. you 100% function as a high level PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoMD Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I don't foresee bridge programs even becoming popular. There is no benefit to a medical school opening up those slots. There isn't a shortage of applicants and they already have abridged training paths. That being said I saw a post on reddit that alluded to 3 year primary care track students actually having issues matching into residency if they chose to apply outside their home program. So there is still a bias against the shorter training at the medical school level. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted January 11 Moderator Share Posted January 11 18 minutes ago, PAtoMD said: you 100% function as a high level PA In the ER only at very rural, critical access hospitals. As a doc , I could literally walk to work and have the same scope of practice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoMD Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, EMEDPA said: In the ER only at very rural, critical access hospitals. As a doc , I could literally walk to work and have the same scope of practice. Oh for sure. That's also to be said for physicians too in similar respects. At some ERs the physicians have less access to consultants and have to use more of their skills vs at a large academic center with plenty of consultants. It is okay that the careers are similar but different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted January 12 Moderator Share Posted January 12 5 hours ago, EMEDPA said: Is there ANYTHING an FP doc can order or do in your state that you can not? Can you round on your own patients at all local hospitals and nursing homes and write inpt orders? hospitalist service covers all patients I don’t currently cover ltc. But have though the pandemic where I did everything (but Medicare does have restrictions) I don’t do anything inpatient, nor do any community docs. 5 hours ago, EMEDPA said: Can you sign death certificates, all disability forms, order home oxygen, etc? yes except for federal rules preventing treating workers comp, coast guard pilot physical, FAA physicals and the darn DM shoes. 5 hours ago, EMEDPA said: If yes, then you have arrived. If no, you are not yet "equal". My requirements to be PA instead of doc is a supervision agreement, and 96 hour notification to doc after sch 2 script. I function as a doc, my own practice, my own panel, my own stress and responsibility. point is I dont “need” another 3 yrs of school and three years of residency to do exactly what I am doing. I need ITSp and full authority to practice. 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRate Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 19 hours ago, JohnnyLAX9 said: We all know there is health care professional shortage and massive amount of doctors retiring In my experience I haven't appreciated a shortage a docs in the hospital, but there's a shortage of nurses, techs, therapists, retention, employers treating employees well, employers hiring enough staff (plenty of administrators it seems), etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) Give me an honorary NP degree damn it! I am even involved in educating NPs!! Edited January 12 by iconic 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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