Workforce Issues

While we may speculate as to why PAs choose the specialty they do, we really don't know much about the factors impacting this important choice at graduation or when a PA chooses a change of specialty.

As a physician assistant (PA) who is also a lesbian, I am one among many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people who observe National Coming Out Day on October 11. Its purpose is to encourage discussion on the challenges of living openly among sexual and gender minorities and our supporters. This week's JAAPA blog is intended to bring these discussions into the realm of professional practice for LGBT PAs.

The authors discuss some of the implications of PA career flexibility, which has long been a hallmark of the profession and was one of its founding principles.