The physician assistant profession and military veterans

Area of Science:

• Physician Assistant Studies
• Military Medicine
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• The Physician Assistant (PA) profession was established to transition military medics and corpsmen into civilian healthcare roles.
• Current educational prerequisites, such as bachelor's degrees, may create barriers for military veterans entering the PA profession.
• Military healthcare experience provides valuable skills and training relevant to PA practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the experiences and attitudes of PA program graduates with military backgrounds.
• To assess the influence of military experience on PA education and career trajectories.
• To identify barriers faced by veterans entering the PA profession.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted between 2006-2007 among MEDEX Northwest PA program graduates with prior military experience.
• The survey collected data on graduates' attitudes towards the PA profession, education, and practice.
• Analysis included responses from all branches of the military, with a 46.4% response rate.

Main Results:

• Respondents with military experience reported enhanced abilities in stress management and teamwork within healthcare settings.
• Patients and colleagues generally held positive views of healthcare providers with military backgrounds.
• A significant majority (75.5%) of respondents did not possess a bachelor's degree prior to entering the PA program.

Conclusions:

• Veterans possess significant healthcare training valuable to the PA profession.
• Increasingly stringent program prerequisites pose entry barriers for qualified veterans.
• The study highlights the importance of addressing these barriers to retain veterans as a vital healthcare resource.