The Relationship Between Unprofessional Social Media Posts and Personality Traits Made by Physician Assistant Students.

OBJECTIVES: Research has indicated that physician assistant (PA) students use social media in their medical education; however, research is scant on whether PA students use social media unprofessionally. This study aimed to determine if PA students badmouth others or post pictures or comments depicting substance use and whether a relationship exists between personality and unprofessional posts. METHODS: PA Program Directors were emailed and asked to disseminate an anonymous survey to their students. The survey included descriptive questions, questions regarding badmouthing and substance use posts, and the Mini-International Personality Item Pool. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Mann-Whitney U with p < .05 indicating significance. RESULTS: Recruitment resulted in n = 497 participants. Clinical year students made significantly more alcohol-related posts than didactic students (p = .01) and were significantly less conscientious (p ≤ .01). Didactic students badmouthed professors significantly more than clinical year students (p < .05). Females made significantly more alcohol-related posts (p ≤ .01); however, males badmouthed friends more (p = .02). A statistically significant relationship was identified between extraversion and all types of badmouthing (p < .05), alcohol-related (p < .001), and recreational drug (p = .02) posts, and between neuroticism and badmouthing professors (p = .02); conversely there was a significant negative correlation between conscientiousness and badmouthing professors (p = .01). CONCLUSION: Medical educational programs should address professionalism concerning social media with a program policy to encourage a professional and ethical digital profile.

Fired Up or Burned Out: The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Burnout Among Physician Assistant Program Directors and Principal Faculty.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and burnout among physician assistant (PA) educators. Additionally, the effect of gender, educator position, years of experience, and program accreditation status on self-efficacy was explored. METHODS: Program directors (PD) and principal faculty (PF) answered a survey that included demographics, General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Scale (MBI-ES). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, two-tailed independent samples t-test, and ANOVA (p < 0.05). RESULTS: There were 163 PA educator participants and a 24.4% (n=75) PD response rate. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between GSE and emotional exhaustion and between GSE and depersonalization. Conversely, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between GSE and personal achievement (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in GSE of PD and PF, but there was a statistically significant difference in emotional exhaustion. PD experienced significantly more emotional exhaustion than PF (p = 0.02). However, there was no significant difference in their feelings of depersonalization or personal achievement. CONCLUSION: A significant relationship was seen between GSE and all three subscales of the burnout inventory in PA educators, and PD experienced significantly more emotional exhaustion than PF.

Do Physician Assistant Training Programs Adequately Prepare PAs to Address Nutritional Issues in Clinical Practice?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine physician assistants' (PAs') current level of confidence to engage in nutrition-related tasks and their satisfaction with the nutrition education they received in PA school. METHODS: To achieve this goal, a mixed-methods approach that consisted of 3 data collection phases (qualitative online discussions, quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews) was used to explore and measure PAs' perceptions of the education they received in PA school and through other sources and how confident they felt addressing nutrition-related issues in clinical practice. RESULTS: While 80% of PAs endorse the idea that PAs should be more involved in providing nutritional care to patients, the majority reported basic or no knowledge of the nutritional implications of chronic conditions (69%), inflammatory bowel disease (69%), nutritional needs over the lifespan (67%), and food allergies and intolerances (64%). Barriers to patient care included knowledge-related challenges when selecting lab tests based on patient profile (46%) and identifying needs based on various gastrointestinal diseases (67%) and when using diagnostic data to identify deficiencies (74%). Overall, 59% of PAs reported being slightly or very dissatisfied with the nutrition-related content in the curricula used to formally train PAs. CONCLUSIONS: The primary goal of every PA program is to prepare its graduates to be competent to enter clinical practice. Regarding nutrition, these data indicate that programs are failing to do so. PAs lack the confidence and ability to provide optimal nutritional care, which is staggering considering that nutrition is the first line of treatment in the prevention and management of numerous chronic diseases.

Predictors of Attrition Among Accelerated and Traditional Physician Assistant Students.

PURPOSE: Students can be admitted to a physician assistant program via an accelerated bachelor of science/master of science (BS/MS) track or by a postbaccalaureate track. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of student attrition based on differences in modes of admission. METHODS: Student admissions and retention data were collected for 277 students in the physician assistant program at the New York Institute of Technology from the graduation years 2016 to 2020. A t-test was used to analyze differences among admissions methods for the following variables: age, cumulative grade point average (GPA), science GPA, and patient contact hours. RESULTS: A total of 10.4% (n = 29) of students from the total enrollment left the program for academic reasons. These students had a significantly lower cumulative GPA (3.54 vs. 3.71) and science GPA (3.45 vs. 3.68), and fewer patient contact hours (951 vs. 1720) at admission (p < .05). Furthermore, 44 students entered via the BS/MS track, and 41% (n = 18) were dismissed for academic reasons. This group of 18 BS/MS students comprised 62% of all students dismissed for academic reasons over the past 5 years. When considering only BS/MS students, those who left for academic reasons had a significantly lower science GPA (3.37 vs. 3.62, p < .05) than those who successfully completed the program. CONCLUSIONS: Having dual tracks of entry resulted in varying degrees of academic preparation and, for our institution, a disproportionate number of students from the accelerated track being dismissed despite meeting published admissions criteria.

The effect of the graduate record examination on minority applications: experience at New York Institute of Technology.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine if requiring the graduate record exam (GRE) had an effect on minority applications submitted to New York Institute of Technology's (NYIT) physician assistant (PA) program. METHODS: Minorities applying from 2008-2011 were identified by the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Data was obtained from two application cycles before and after the GRE was made an admissions requirement. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Despite the CASPA pool of minority applicants remaining stable NYIT's pool of Black/African American applicants decreased substantially from 8.6% to 4.8% after the GRE was added to our admissions criteria. This resulted in a 44.1% decrease in NYIT's pool of Black/African American applicants. CONCLUSION: Adopting the GRE as part of our admissions criteria appears to have created an additional barrier for minority applicants, specifically Black/African American applicants. Every program should question whether or not the benefit of the GRE as an academic predictor outweighs the negative effect it may have on their program's minority application pool. Using the GRE as part of the admissions process appears to be a potential barrier and may result in greater ethnic disparity as more programs adopt its use.

Physician assistants' attitudes about obesity and obese individuals.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study is to examine physician assistant (PA) attitudes about obesity and obese individuals. METHODS: Cross sectional study surveying graduate PA members of the New York State Society of Physician Assistants. Participants completed the Fat Phobia Scale and provided years in practice, gender and age. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA with p<0.05. RESULTS: Mean score for the Fat Phobia Scale was 3.58 ± 0.51 which represents an average amount of obesity bias. There was significantly less bias among participants ≥51 years of age and all other groups, as well as a statistically significant difference between PAs practicing 5-10 years and those practicing >20 years (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study documents a negativity towards obese people among PAs that is documented within other health professions as well. As with any bias, the first step in reducing prejudice and stereotyping is to recognize it within oneself.

Diverticulitis: the relationship between body mass index and disease location, recurrence, and complications.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and recurrent diverticulitis, complication rate, and location of disease in an ambulatory population. A retrospective chart review was performed using patients with computed tomography-documented diverticulitis in a New York outpatient gastroenterology practice. Total episodes, location of disease, complications, and BMI and age at first episode were recorded. A random control group was formed using patients with diverticulosis from the same practice. Controls' BMI and age at last colonoscopy were recorded. Descriptive statistics and Student's t test were used with alpha set at p < .05. Patients with diverticulitis were significantly more overweight than patients with diverticulosis (p < .05); however, among ambulatory patients with diverticulitis, there was no significant difference in the BMI of patients with a single episode when compared with those with recurrent disease. Furthermore, there was no association between BMI and complication rate or location of disease.

Exploring the sexual attitudes of physician assistant students: implications for obtaining a sexual history.

PURPOSE: This study examined the sexual attitudes of physician assistant (PA) students and assessed their effect on obtaining a sexual history. METHODS: Students enrolled in New York Institute of Technology and Touro College Manhattan Campus PA programs completed the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory-Attitudes Subscale (DSFI-AS). Demographic data included age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, and yes/no question regarding whether the participant considers him/herself religious. RESULTS: Mean score was 23.3 +/- 14.0 indicating liberal sexual attitudes. Sixty-four percent (n = 114) were liberal, 35.4% (n = 63) neutral, and 0.6% (n = 1) conservative. Mean scores were 23.29 +/- 13.6 for females and 23.33 +/- 15.4 for males (P>.05); 24.8 +/- 13.4 for Caucasians and 18.0 +/- 15.1 for all other ethnicities (P<.05); and 18.9 +/- 13.6 for religious and 28.44 +/- 12.8 for nonreligious participants (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Two factors related significantly with sexual attitudes: ethnicity and relationship with religion. It's imperative that students examine their sexual attitudes and recognize the effect this may have on patient care.

Physician assistant students' attitudes about obesity and obese individuals.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine physician assistant (PA) students' attitudes about obesity and obese individuals. METHODS: Students in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at New York Institute of Technology completed the Fat Phobia Scale to assess their attitudes regarding obesity and obese individuals. Students also provided their height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI), and their sex and age. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Student's t-test with p < .05. RESULTS: The mean score for the Fat Phobia Scale was 3.7 +/- 0.63, which represents an average level of fat phobia. A high level (score > or = 4.4) was noted in 13.6% of participants (n = 15) and 5.4% (n = 6) demonstrated positive or neutral attitudes towards obese people (score < or = 2.5). The mean BMI for those who scored > or = 4.4 was 23.3 kg/m2 +/- 2.9 and 22.9 kg/m2 +/- 4.0 for those who scored < or = 2.5 (p > .05). The five negative adjectives receiving the highest mean response were that obese people are slow, like food, overeat, are insecure, and have low self-esteem. The five negative adjectives with the greatest number of responses indicating participants agreed or strongly agreed with that adjective are that obese people like food, overeat, are slow and inactive, and have no endurance. CONCLUSION: This study documents a bias within our student population that is similar to that seen in nurses, physicians, and dietitians and likely exists in other PA programs as well. As educators, we need to attempt to modify our students' negative attitudes before they become practicing clinicians.