PA History

The certified physician assistant in the 
United States: A 2011 snapshot

, Janet Lathrop, MBA; Scott Arbet, PhD April 20, 2012

This analysis characterizes the most up-to-date demographic data and practice profile for certified physician assistants in the United States.
 

Generations of certified physician assistants

, Janet Lathrop, MBA; Scott Arbet, PhD April 19, 2012

Generational differences among PAs—which have been further amplified by dramatic shifts in gender ratios—have implications for the physician-PA team.
 

From "old boys" to "all girls": Changing PA demographics

April 03, 2012

Women PAs must recognize and act on their aptitude for leadership to help ensure the continued growth of the PA profession.
 

We've come a long way, baby!

February 23, 2012

PA: a postmodern acronym devised to denote a select group of highly-trained, top-notch health care professionals groomed to provide state-of-the-art compassionate care in collaboration with practicing physicians, upholding the vision to restore the practice of medicine to its prior place of unselfish service to humankind.
 

Physician assistants—The first generation

January 17, 2012

The first PAs trained during the 1970s are now making retirement choices. Instead of dropping out of the medical workforce at 65, some are choosing to remain, though not necessarily maintaining the same activity level or doing the same kind of work.
 

A quarter-century of JAAPA: 
A long, remarkable journey

January 06, 2012

JAAPA's recently retired editor in chief describes some of the Journal's accomplishments during her tenure and explores some of the challenges facing JAAPA in the years ahead.
 

25 years of JAAPA: Honoring the past, awaiting the future

January 04, 2012

JAAPA's founding editor looks back at launching the Journal in 1988 and suggests that perhaps not so much has changed in the past 25 years as we may think.
 

Inside the AAPA Policy Manual—July 2010

July 26, 2010

This column examines AAPA policy past and present, with the goals of increasing PA awareness of Academy history and policy and promoting their relevance to members. This month's topic: "How sausage is made: The birth of an AAPA policy"
 

Inside the AAPA Policy Manual—May 2010

May 17, 2010

In this new column, JAAPA editorial board member Jim Anderson examines AAPA policy past and present, with the goals of increasing PA awareness of Academy history and policy and promoting their relevance to members. This month's topic: The birth of the AAPA House of Delegates.
 

The physician assistant (PA) time capsule: An historical window for the future

April 19, 2010

A physician assistant considers the items that would describe this point in the history of the PA profession to future generations.
 

Do physician assistants provide a "social good" for America?

September 15, 2009

Has the PA profession delivered on its promise to increase access to health care? This editorial's argument: The evidence shows that it has.
 

Assessing the value of physician assistant postgraduate education

May 21, 2009

Although strong arguments for and against additional formal education for PAs are made, little evidence is available to support either side.
 

Welcome to the new AAPA: A time for transformation

May 07, 2009

AAPA is committed to providing leadership that ensures professional growth and personal excellence for PAs—and also recognizes that successful transformation of the health care system requires expanded, robust utilization of PAs.
 

Using practice analysis to improve the certifying examinations for PAs

Scott Arbet, PhD; Janet Lathrop, MBA; Roderick S. Hooker, PhD, PA February 18, 2009

What do PAs do, how skilled are they in performing these activities, and how important are these activities? For many professions, a practice analysis provides the link between examination content and real-world performance.
 

Physician assistant competencies move to front and center

Education Council, American Academy of Physician Assistants February 11, 2009

This year in JAAPA, you will notice a change in the way the competencies for the physician assistant profession are addressed.
 

Disaster response: Physician assistant skills are an important asset

John S. Lynch, MS (Biosecurity), MPAS, PA-C January 01, 2009

PAs can help fill the inevitable shortfall of providers during the aftermath of major disasters.
 

The government's investment in the PA profession

January 01, 2009

The PA profession in the United States was established and shaped by federal funding. The November 2008 issue of Academic Medicine is dedicated to describing the role of the Title VII Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Program and the Title VII diversity programs in the growth and development of primary care medicine and dentistry. This historical review is timely given the reemergence of severe primary care provider shortages.
 

Potions, powders, and patients: An Rx for healing

Brian T. Maurer, PA-C August 01, 2008

Osler's words reverberated inside my head: "The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade: a calling, not a business, a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head. Often the best part of your work will have nothing to do with potions and powders...."
 

Cardiac surgery: 1987 and 2007

November 01, 2007

To commemorate JAAPA's 20th anniversary year, we are publishing a series of clinicalcases that will highlight and contrast the changes that have occurred in the practiceof medicine and surgery between 1987 and 2007.
 

A 20-year perspective on PAs and publishing

P. Eugene Jones, PhD, PA-C November 01, 2007

If the quality and content of PA-related publications serve as proxy measures of our success as a profession, how have we fared over the 20- year span of JAAPA?
 

Patient attitudes toward physician assistants

October 01, 2007

With the reporting of polling data from a survey recently commissioned by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the question of patient attitudes toward physician assistants has been rekindled. This installment of Research Corner examines four such surveys conducted over four decades.
 

PAs at the crossroads: Where will the profession go next?

September 01, 2007

The profession is well-positioned to address critical issues of the accessibility, affordability, quality, and safety of health care. The only question is whether enough PAs will be produced over the coming decade to have a substantial impact on these problem
 

Breast cancer: 1987 and 2007

Janet Rigberg-Mayes, PA-C, MHS August 01, 2007

A comparison of breast cancer cases in 1987 and 2007.
 

From the AAPA - August 2007

August 01, 2007

AAPA submits comments on patient notification rule; AAPA reiterates support of Continuity of Care Act; PA History Society moves to AAPA
 

National PA Week: More than just a week

October 01, 2005

The first reason we have Physician Assistant Week is that it allows us to educate the public about our profession. We do this with newspaper articles; displays at medical facilities, community health fairs, and other events; radio interviews; and, occasionally, television interviews. PAs are our own best public education tool. When someone reads about us in the local newspaper, hears us on the radio or TV, or talks to us at community events, this generates more positive publicity for PAs than any national media campaign ever could.
 

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