Happy #PAWeek!
October 6–12 is national #PAWeek, which recognizes the physician assistant (PA) profession and its contributions to the nation’s health.
Staff Care’s 2021 Survey of Locum Tenens Providers suggests increasing numbers of PAs are working on a locum tenens basis. Sixteen percent of providers who responded to the survey were either NPs or PAs, up from 8% in 2016, according to Staff Care.
Find “a beginner’s guide” highlighting several PAs’ reasons for choosing locum tenens assignments over typical full-time jobs here.
AAPA Leads #PAWeek
Founded in 1968, the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) represents “more than 150,000 PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, and the uniformed services.”
For #PAWeek 2021, AAPA slated both virtual and in-person events for PAs to attend, while encouraging them to mark the week at their own workplaces. These included packing the Today Show Plaza in New York City with hundreds of PAs and PA students in white coats on Oct. 6, 6-9 am ET, as well as two fitness events, both fundraisers for the PA Foundation. #PAWeek was to conclude as follows
- AAPA Virtual Career Fair (Oct. 12 from 5 – 8 p.m. EDT): Through this free, online event, registered (for the event) PAs and PA students can browse employer profiles and interact with healthcare employers via private live chat or video.
PAs hold master’s degrees, generally from one of more than 277 PA programs across the US. AAPA reports that admission is highly competitive, requiring a bachelor’s degree and completion of courses in basic and behavioral sciences as prerequisites.
This #PAweek, let’s applaud all PAs do for their patients and communities — and all the ways they add value to healthcare!
