Recommended letter to Bill OReilly who was recently dismissive of PA education: Dear Mr. O’Reilly, As a physician assistant (PA) practicing medicine, I was surprised and deeply disappointed by your comments about the PA profession during “The O’Reilly Factor” broadcast on March 4, 2014. Saying that PAs are akin to “Lenny, who just came out of the community college” grossly misrepresents my education and the quality medicine PAs practice in every medical setting and specialty in America. That includes caring for our military service members, both home and abroad, and their families. The misleading information does a great disservice to the millions of viewers who trust the information and opinions you provide. What you need to know is that the majority of today’s PAs are educated through intense, graduate-level medical programs wherein we are trained to diagnose, treat and prescribe. In contrast to your comment, 94 percent of PAs hold bachelor’s, master’s or higher degrees. We are often trained right alongside physicians in medical schools, academic medical centers and residencies. These programs, found in places like Duke, Stanford and Yale Universities, are modeled on the medical school curriculum with a combination of classroom instruction and a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. That means I share diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning with physicians. PAs are nationally certified and licensed to practice medicine and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories with the exception of Puerto Rico. PAs are authorized by the State Medical Boards to practice medicine, meaning I can perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret lab tests, assist in surgery, perform procedures, provide patient education and counseling, and make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes among many other medical services. There are more than 95,000 PAs in the workforce today, increasing access to high-quality healthcare. More than 7,000 PAs graduate from 181 accredited programs each year. I would encourage you to learn more about the PA profession before your next healthcare segment. Your viewers deserve to know they can count on us for the care they need, when they need it. Sincerely, Mr./Ms. PA
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 12:40:47 +0000
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