Title change reflects their expanded responsibilities and autonomy.
have won the first round in an unusual push to rebrand themselves as physician associates. And doctors aren't amused.But critics say it blurs the lines between doctors and other health professionals, leaving patients confused and making it easier for PAs to pursue independent practice. Oregon became the first state to legally sanction the change this month, allowing PAs starting in June to use the title on their license. Updated guidelines on coordinating and managing care will follow.
The title change won't affect how PAs are paid, said Alisa Gifford, president of the Oregon Society of Physician Associates."Having a title that more accurately reflects our scope of practice will give patients a better understanding of the important credentials and responsibilities that PAs have," Gifford said.
"Frankly, we get asked all the time, 'So you're a junior doctor, are you going to graduate from med school soon?'" she said. "It's important to show them that we're associates, we are professionals."PAs have bachelor's degrees and go through graduate programs that typically involve about three years of coursework and clinical experience.
The association's delegates voted in 2021 to change the profession's name to physician associates and the group's own name to the American Association of Physician Associates. But in order for PAs to officially call themselves physician associates, the state they practice in must individually change its laws and regulations, said Lisa Gables, the group's CEO.The term "associate" "conflates the level of training and education of a PA," said Carmen Kavali, a Georgia-based doctor and president of physician-led care advocacy group Physicians for Patient Protection.the move would cost the AAPA at least $22 million over five years.
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