Physician Assistant Education Community Assumptions About an Entry-level Doctoral Degree

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Assistant Studies
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• The educational requirements for Physician Assistants (PAs) have evolved over time, with a shift from certificate programs to master's degrees.
• There is ongoing discussion within the profession regarding the potential transition to a doctoral-level entry-level degree for PAs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the assumptions and perspectives of PA educators concerning the adoption of a doctoral entry-level degree for PA graduates.
• To understand the faculty's stance on the implications and necessity of a doctoral degree for PA practice.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to all members of accredited PA programs.
• The survey included 32 Likert-type statements assessing agreement levels and demographic information.
• Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests to compare subgroups.

Main Results:

• Survey responses revealed diverse opinions on a doctoral entry-level degree, with a majority leaning towards neutrality or opposition.
• A significant finding was the strong agreement with the statement that a doctoral degree consideration was driven by competition with advanced practice nurses.
• Statistically significant differences in responses were observed between PA educators and physician educators on 17 of the 32 statements.

Conclusions:

• The majority of PA educators surveyed believe that a master's degree is adequate for current clinical practice.
• Without a deliberate, profession-wide discussion, the transition to a doctoral degree may occur organically at the program level.
• Professional PA organizations should actively participate in developing a strategic plan if the profession moves towards an entry-level doctoral degree.