Choosing the Right Word: Physician Assistants or Physician Associates?

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Choosing the Right Word: Physician Assistants or Physician Associates?

by ReachMD XM Radio Program - May 8, 2010

Provided By: ReachMD

Program Description

"Choosing the Right Word: Physician Assistants or Physician Associates?" - on Partners in Practice

Forty years ago, the title of "physician associate" was changed to "physician assistant." Now there is a strong grassroots effort amongst PAs to change the name back. On April 5, 2010, 50 leaders in the PA profession signed a letter declaring that the title "physician associate" better fits the role. Bob Blumm, immediate past president of the Association of Plastic Surgery Physician Assistants and a supporter of the letter, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to talk about why this change is critical to the profession, the implications it will have on the future and what needs to be done to make the change a reality.

Lisa Dandrea Lenell is a physician assistant and the director of operations for an internal medicine practice in Illinois. She is passionate about bringing physician assistant and nurse practitioner issues into the spotlight, focusing on awareness and understanding of the professions. She has published in the prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal Dermatologic Surgery and has been featured in several professional journals.

Robert M. Blumm is an adjunct instructor of surgery and emergency medicine at Hofstra University School of Medicine on Long Island, New York, and has worked with Dr. Gerald Acker, a plastic surgeon on Long Island, since 1970. Mr. Blumm has received national recognition as a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Mr. Blumm is the president of the Association of Plastic Surgery Physician Assistants, and was past-president of the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants, and chairman of the Surgical Congress of the AAPA.

ReachMD, an innovative communications company, provides thought-provoking medical news and information to healthcare practitioners. Established to help increasingly time-constrained medical providers stay abreast of new research, treatment protocols and continuing education requirements, ReachMD delivers innovative and informative radio programming via XM Satellite Radio Channel 160 and online streaming developed by healthcare professionals for healthcare professionals.

The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

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Comments Add Your Comments

James Booker PAC (Ohio)	on 23 Dec 2011 at 7:30 am

Physician assistant is simply said, Assistant...assist the physician. Not to pretend as physician which PAs are not. Nurses should be partner in practice, they really help as nurturing partner, not business transaction as the business world created, which is in PA...may be one day Airline industry will create Pilot Associates, can teach flight attendent the cockpit and let them fly...i am sure many can, and hope you are the passenger. All about money folks. I just want good health care when i get older.

Mike Quirk, PA-C (Key West, Fl)	on 11 May 2010 at 8:33 pm

I was there 40 years ago when we we playing with our name. The reason we went back to P. Assistant is because the AMA said they would not supervise us if we called ourselves "Associates" At that time the AMA, ANA, or AHA we not sure about us. We even tried the RPA(Registered PA) for a short while, but didn't stay. Because I became a PA and a RN the Board of nursing would not allow me to keep my RN active. This to show how people were insecure of who we were. Today WE ARE NEEDED!!! Let's go for the change We deserve it.

Martha S. Linehan (Nasssau, Bahamas)	on 11 May 2010 at 6:16 pm

Even after being a PA for 12 years, I still have a hard time trying to make people understand our role in the medical profession. They see the word assistant and get mixed up with our role as opposed to medical assistants. This situation has become very prevalent for me here in the Bahamas. I am the first registered Physician Assistant to work here and it is even more confusing. I would be supportive in the motion to have the title changed and hope to hear our we can all help the motion.

Troy Matthews PA-C (Seattle, Wa)	on 11 May 2010 at 2:08 pm

I think that the word "assistant" denotes an inadequate description of our roles as PAs. We are physician's colleagues and the title "associate" more accurately describes our roles in the medical profession as mid-level healthcare providers. A good analogy would be in the business world your partners in business are called "associates" and your secretary would be your "assistant" Not to mention the fact that as (Rob from Florida) stated " we are often times confused with medical assistants

Dave Mittman, PA (Livingston, NJ)	on 11 May 2010 at 1:34 pm

Bob did a great job in this interview. If you have not read the leaders statement, it can be found on the Advance for PAs web site or Clinician 1 if you are a member. It is time. Dave

Rob (Florida)	on 11 May 2010 at 11:12 am

I agree it is time for the change. Too many people associate Physician Assistant with Medical Assistant.