Veterans as physician assistants.

The physician assistant (PA) profession emerged nearly 50 years ago to leverage the healthcare experience of Vietnam-era military trained medics and corpsmen to fill workforce shortages in medical care. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Primary Care Training and Enhancement program was established to improve access to primary care. Training military veterans as PAs was again identified as a strategy to meet provider access shortages. However, fewer than 4% of veterans with military healthcare training are likely to apply to PA school and little is known regarding the factors that predict acceptance to training. In 2012, we surveyed all veteran applicants and a stratified random sample of nonveterans applying to PA training. We compare the similarities and differences between veteran and nonveteran applicants, application barriers, and the factors predicting acceptance. We conclude with a discussion of the link between modern veterans and the PA profession.

Education of military veterans in physician assistant programs.

PURPOSE: To assess the admission policies, experiences, and attitudes of physician assistant (PA) program directors regarding recruiting, admitting, and training military veterans after the announcement of the "Helping Veterans Become Physician Assistants" initiative. METHODS: A descriptive survey of 22 questions was distributed to all 173 PA program directors in the United States in April 2013. The survey covered years 2011 to 2013, although it was completed in June of 2013. The results of the survey were compared with the results of a similar survey that covered years 2008 through 2010. RESULTS: One hundred and five (60.7%) program directors participated in this survey. Veterans were admitted into 88.1% of responding programs and accounted for an average of 4.0% of all students. One-third of programs (33%) accepted transfer credits for veterans' military training, and 20% accepted credits for off-duty education. One-third (33%) of programs participated in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Almost 60% of programs had military veteran faculty members. Active recruitment of military veteran students occurred in 31.2% of programs. Program directors described multiple benefits of, and barriers to, admitting and educating veterans. CONCLUSIONS: For the years 2011 through 2013, as compared to 2008 through 2010, there was an increase in the percentage of PA programs that actively recruited veterans, considered veteran status in the admission process, admitted veterans, and contributed to their financial support. There was also an increased percentage of students with military experience matriculating into PA programs. However, barriers still exist for veterans seeking admission into PA programs, the most significant of which is academic preparedness for a graduate-level PA program.

The military veteran to physician assistant pathway: building the primary care workforce.

The physician assistant (PA) profession emerged to utilize the skills of returning Vietnam-era military medics and corpsmen to fortify deficits in the health care workforce. Today, the nation again faces projected health care workforce shortages and a significant armed forces drawdown. The authors describe national efforts to address both issues by facilitating veterans' entrance into civilian PA careers and leveraging their skills.More than 50,000 service personnel with military health care training were discharged between 2006 and 2010. These veterans' health care experience and maturity make them ideal candidates for civilian training as primary care providers. They trained and practiced in teams and functioned under minimal supervision to care for a broad range of patients. Military health care personnel are experienced in emergency medicine, urgent care, primary care, public health, and disaster medicine. However, the PA profession scarcely taps this valuable resource. Fewer than 4% of veterans with health care experience may ever apply for civilian PA training.The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) implements two strategies to help prepare and graduate veterans from PA education programs. First, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE) grants help develop the primary care workforce. In 2012, HRSA introduced reserved review points for PCTE: Physician Assistant Training in Primary Care applicants with veteran-targeted activities, increasing their likelihood of receiving funding. Second, HRSA leads civilian and military stakeholder workgroups that are identifying recruitment and retention activities and curricula adaptations that maximize veterans' potential as PAs. Both strategies are described, and early outcomes are presented.

Assessment of admissions policies for veteran corpsmen and medics applying to physician assistant educational programs.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the admission policies, experiences, and attitudes of physician assistant (PA) program directors with regard to recruiting, admitting, and training veteran corpsmen and medics. METHODS: A descriptive survey consisting of 18 questions was distributed to all 154 PA program directors in the United States. RESULTS: One hundred ten (71.4%) program directors participated in the survey. Veterans were admitted into 83.6% of programs in the years 2008-2010, and accounted for an average of 2.6% of all students. A minority of PA programs accepted college credits earned by veterans for their military training (45.3%) or for their off-duty education (28.4%). Few PA programs participated in the Yellow Ribbon Program (16%) or actively recruited veterans (16%). Over half of PA programs (56.7%) would be more likely to give special consideration to the admission of veteran corpsmen and medics if it was easier to equate their military education and experience to the program's admission prerequisites. The most frequently reported benefits for educating veteran corpsmen and medics in PA programs are their health care and life experiences, maturity, and motivation. Barriers for educating veterans include veterans' lack of academic preparedness for graduate education, a lack of time/access for recruiting, and the cost of PA school. CONCLUSION: Most PA program directors cited multiple benefits for educating veteran corpsmen and medics, but veterans face barriers for admission into PA programs. Approaches are discussed for facilitating the transition of corpsmen and medics from the military to careers as PAs.

The physician assistant profession and military veterans.

The physician assistant (PA) profession originated to train former medics and corpsmen for a new civilian health care career. However, baccalaureate degree prerequisites to training present barriers to discharged personnel seeking to enter this profession. A survey was administered (2006-2007) to all MEDEX Northwest PA program graduates who had entered with military experience. The survey addressed attitudes toward the profession, PA education, and practice and how military experience influenced their education and careers. The response rate was 46.4%, spanning all branches of the military. Respondents reported military experience positively impacting ability to handle stress and work in health care teams and that patients and colleagues viewed their military background positively. Most (75.5%) respondents did not hold a bachelor's degree at matriculation. Veterans bring substantial health care training to the PA profession. However, program prerequisites increasingly present barriers to entry. Veterans' contributions to health care and the consequences of losing this resource are discussed.

Working across the boundaries of health professions disciplines in education, research, and service: the University of Washington experience.

The Institute of Medicine's vision for health professions education specifies working together across professions and schools to provide patient-centered care. Improvement in collaborative preparation of health professionals is seen as central to achieving substantial improvement in the quality of health care. In this article, the authors address one central question: How can medical schools work with other health-sciences schools to promote their educational, research, and service missions? The authors summarize the history of the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Center in promoting interprofessional collaboration in education, service and research; analyze the key strategic, structural, cultural and technical elements that have promoted success or served as barriers in the development of the UW Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education and Research; and suggest strategies that may be transferable to other institutions seeking to implement an interprofessional health sciences program. These include both top-down and bottom-up authority and function in key working groups, institutional policies such as interprofessional course numbers and shared indirect costs, and development of a culture of interprofessionalism among faculty and students across program boundaries.