Missouri Law Creates New 'Assistant Physician' Designation

[KluverB]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/828255

A controversial new law in Missouri will allow medical school graduates who haven't yet passed their final credentialing exam to treat patients in underserved primary care settings.

Discuss.

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[WEBB PINKERTON]

Is it any worse than The Health Wagon? An RV that only uses nurses over there in West Virginia.

http://thehealthwagon.org/hwwp/

 

[mlw03]

Like anyone practicing medicine, this could work if the 'assistant physician' knows their limitations. Much of primary care is fairly routine, and with a bit of training the AP should be able to follow the cookbook. Add another med for HTN, try to keep A1c below 6 (or whatever the guideline is now), etc. They have to know their limits and when the patient needs to see the internist though. If the option is this or nothing, I do think this is the lesser evil. I really don't see a huge difference between this an an NP.