Race, ethnicity, and the physician assistant profession

Area of Science:

• Healthcare professions
• Medical education
• Public health

Background:

• The physician assistant (PA) profession is committed to primary healthcare delivery.
• Serving a diverse population necessitates understanding current diversity trends within the PA field.
• Benchmarking against national demographics and other health professions provides context for PA diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze racial and ethnic diversity trends in PA education.
• To assess racial and ethnic diversity within the PA profession.
• To compare PA diversity with national demographics and other healthcare fields.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and data on PA education and workforce demographics.
• Comparative analysis of racial and ethnic representation in PA programs and practice.
• Examination of diversity metrics across various healthcare professions.

Main Results:

• Trends in racial and ethnic diversity within PA education and the profession are identified.
• Disparities or progress in diversity are highlighted in comparison to national averages.
• The current diversity landscape of the PA profession relative to other health fields is established.

Conclusions:

• Current diversity levels in the PA profession are assessed.
• Gaps in racial and ethnic representation are identified.
• Strategies for improving diversity in PA education and practice are proposed.