What is your opinion on the PA program being a Master's or Doctoral degree?

[lamaha]

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This is for a class presentation and is in no way affiliated with any organizations or colleges.

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Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion,
Laura Harris, PA-S
Class of 2018

 

[pamac]

I can't believe that the PA doctorate is becoming a thing. Going from undergrad to clinician in two years flat to potentially make 100k relatively quickly is the main appeal of the profession. Let's add another year or so on top of that and charge a lot more so folks can make the same money and do the same thing. They should call it a DNP, except a DNP has more potential if you have ambition.

 

[sylvanthus]

I can't believe that the PA doctorate is becoming a thing. Going from undergrad to clinician in two years flat to potentially make 100k relatively quickly is the main appeal of the profession. Let's add another year or so on top of that and charge a lot more so folks can make the same money and do the same thing. They should call it a DNP, except a DNP has more potential if you have ambition.

PA curriculum follows the medical model, DNP, nursing. Two totally different things. Also, most if not all PA programs actually have more clinical hours than DNP programs. DNP programs = a hell of a lot of fluff classess. And no working as an RN does not count as clinical experience in being a provider.

 

[pamac]

Yep, we've all talked about that before... Ad infinitum. The question that needs answering is "what does a doctorate in PA get you besides coursework that takes as much time as one of the new accelerated MD/DO programs that someone can complete in 3 years (not counting residency) and go on to make much better wages as a physician?".

I know of DNPs that are now in corporate leadership roles that have no analog in the PA world no matter the education level PAs obtain, and that's how their doctorate helped them out. So at least DNP proponents can point to that, or positions in academia that have enhanced prestige or tenure they come with their achievement. Point out how the extra DPA coursework is going to do more for PAs than evolve into degree creep like most of nursing sees the DNP as ushering in. And will it be devoid of fluff? It can't have too much of the hard stuff, or a lot of folks will be even more upset about not biting the bullet and going to med school. That's the dilemma.

PA school can easily cost >$100k. Tack on a doctorate, especially one that probably won't involve any more clinical hours to burden the program, and you have increased revenue stream where students watch pre recorded lectures and do a super capstone. Add $50k to the bill, and this starts to look like a terrible idea.

 

[pamac]

Frankly, I'm glad I didn't have a tough time finding a masters NP program before they go away. I don't think PA should be ruined by lengthening it.

 

[DokterMom]

I thought the whole point of the PA profession was to work directly with patients doing most of the primary patient care activities MDs are too expensive/too busy to do -- with lower barriers to entry, a great quality of life, and a strong return on time/money invested.

What will a DPA do? Except further confuse patients -- "You're a doctor of what?" What further skills would this degree teach? What further rights should such a degree confer?

But then, I'm not a fan of DNP either...