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History of the PA profession; from medical corpsmen to present day practitioners
Author(s) -
Pagel Josanne Kissel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.78.1
Subject(s) - graduation (instrument) , certification , medicine , economic shortage , family medicine , physician assistants , primary care , commission , health care , medical education , nurse practitioners , management , political science , linguistics , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , government (linguistics) , law , economics
In 1965, Dr. Eugene Stead of the Duke University Medical Center, put together the first class of Physician Assistants (PA) in response to the shortage of primary care physicians. This first class consisted of medical corpsmen and graduated in October, 1968. All PAs upon graduation must sit for and pass the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) exam. PAs recertify with this exam every six years. And all PAs are licensed by the State Governing body (usually the State Medical Board) to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs work in all disciplines of medicine and surgery specialties. They conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications and treatments. They teach, provide education for the patients and participate in research. The Physician/PA Team has been identified by the AAFP as a best practice for the future of Health Care Reform. There are presently over 80,000 PAs throughout the U.S., and the profession shows steady growth and demand due to decreased residents’ hours and a decrease in physicians going into primary care fields. In 2011, Forbes Magazine has selected the PA Degree the number one Master's degree to obtain for a profession.