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Physician assistant: motivations and perceptions of the profession
Kenrick Bourne1, Noha Daher, Heather Javaherian
1Loma Linda University, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA. kbourne@llu.edu
Unlabelled:
The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with the current gender gap in the Physician Assistant (PA) profession.
Participants:
Sixty-six physician assistant students from three physician assistant programs in southern California.
Method:
We enrolled a focus group at each school. We used four open-ended questions to explore the participants' reasons for choosing the PA profession. In addition, participants completed a demographic questionnaire. Using qualitative analysis, we identified three themes among the participants' responses.
Results:
Responses were grouped in the following categories: 1. Motivations for becoming a PA; 2. Flexibility and autonomy; and 3. Perceptions of a gender gap.
Conclusions:
There are several factors that contribute to the gender gap in the PA profession. Health professions with a gender gap may consider these factors to design a supportive environment for genders as well as re-examine marketing targets and educational awareness.
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