Virtual Physician Assistant Program Interviews: Faculty and Applicant Perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Many physician assistant (PA) programs converted from traditional in-person admission interviews to virtual interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of both PA faculty and applicants to PA programs about the virtual interview process. General perceptions, advantages, and disadvantages were explored. METHODS: A mixed-method approach was implemented to collect data using 2 survey instruments: one for PA program applicants and another for PA program faculty. The surveys were created using a combination of previously used and new questions and distributed through email and social media. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the independent and dependent variables. Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and Spearman's rho correlation were conducted to analyze potential relationships between variables. Qualitative data were analyzed using an iterative process and inductive reasoning to identify recurring themes and code responses into common topical categories. RESULTS: Completed surveys were received from 178 applicants and 325 faculty members. If given the choice, most applicants favored virtual interviews (62.4%), while the majority of faculty preferred in-person interviews (64.0%). The majority of applicants (84.6%) and faculty (64.9%) were comfortable making a decision about the program or applicant, respectively, after the virtual interview process. The top 3 advantages of virtual interviewing for both faculty and applicants included convenience, decreased travel time, and cost savings. DISCUSSION: Both faculty and applicants perceived the virtual interview process positively, and thus, this modality may have enough advantages to support its use in the future.

Assessing the Effect of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Didactic Education and Mental Health of Physician Assistant Students in the New York City Region.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has profoundly affected life throughout the world, and it greatly impacted physician assistant (PA) education programs when the virus spread across the New York region 2 years ago. PA programs at Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, and the New York Institute of Technology were located in the epicenter of the pandemic and were forced to transition to online learning during the spring of 2020. The purpose of this study was to explore didactic PA students' perceptions of virtual learning, their mental health status, and the challenges and unexpected benefits they have faced during this historic time. METHODS: A consent form that linked to an 11-question electronic Qualtrics survey was emailed to all didactic students enrolled in the 3 participating PA programs. The survey data were used to conduct a descriptive analysis and a Spearman's ρ correlation analysis using SPSS 24 software. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 39% (89/229). The students perceived it to be more challenging to maintain the same level of academic achievement with virtual learning, although they felt they were able to meet learning objectives and be prepared for clinical clerkships. They reported experiencing greater stress, anxiety, and depression related to decreased socialization and isolation. However, the students said that their PA program provided enough support to assist with student needs, and they noted unexpected benefits of remote learning, including more time to spend with family members, increased schedule flexibility, and lower commuting costs. DISCUSSION: The PA students' education and mental health were negatively affected because of the abrupt transition from in-person to virtual learning. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the students in the 3 participating PA programs in New York were affected by the change to remote learning and the subsequent lack of socialization. PA students experienced both challenges and benefits during this unscheduled virtual learning period. While students noted increases in mental health issues, they felt supported by faculty members and prepared to start clinical rotations.

Pandemics and Mental Health: an Unfortunate Alliance.

Mental health issues not only affect the person but society as a whole. This is especially apparent during times of pandemics or other social unrest situations as currently seen during the COVID-19 crisis. It can manifest itself as violence (towards or from the mentally ill person), increased substance use, increased overcrowding of our prisons, tackling with comorbid medical conditions which have worsened due to lack of initial attention (a particularly big problem among the mentally ill), increased strain on tax payers, and overall affecting the quality of everyone's life. Furthermore, mental health maladies can cause increase work absenteeism and poor work performance and decreased economic productivity. The stigma associated with mental health also leads to poor funding form policy makers, as there is a lack of forceful advocacy in dealing with these issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the loss of productivity due to mental health disability accounts to close to 5% of the gross national product of the European Union (WHO 2019). One of the most crucial causes of lack of mental screening, recognition, and treatment is the limited availability of mental health trained providers. The physician assistant profession is in a unique role to fill this niche as they have been trained as generalists who specialize only when getting trained in their specific field during their employment. Additionally, the fact that PAs do have lateral mobility does lend this profession to meet the needs of society, especially in the psychiatric fields, in a prompt and competent manner. The need for physician assistants (PAs) in psychiatry and addiction medicine is a nationwide trend resulting in existing and emerging shortages of psychiatric and addiction medicine providers. They can provide relatively inexpensive, easily accessible, and good quality care to their clients.