October 6-12 is PA Week, a chance to celebrate the Physician Associates/Assistants (PAs) profession and the countless contributions that PAs make to healthcare! As licensed clinicians, PAs practice medicine in every specialty and setting. In the mid-1960s, a shortage of primary care physicians inspired the creation of the PA profession as a way to improve and expand access to healthcare. Eugene A. Stead Jr. MD, often recognized as the founder of the PA profession, created the first PA curriculum, at Duke University Medical Center in 1965 (AAPA History, 2022). Dr. Stead based the curriculum on the fast-tracking of doctors during WWII. The first students were Navy Hospital Corpsmen with considerable medical training and graduated from the program in 1967 (AAPA History, 2022).
GW launched its PA program in 1972 and created a joint PA/Master of Public Health (PA/MPH) degree in 1986 - the first joint degree for PA students in the United States (GW SMHS PA Program, 2022). GW’s PA program has consistently ranked in the top five PA programs in US News and World Report.
Today, there are roughly 159,000 PAs in the United States, providing more than 500 million patient interactions per year (AAPA Infographic, 2022). PAs have a wide range of roles and responsibilities including performing patient exams, diagnosing illnesses, assisting in surgery, ordering and interpreting lab tests, prescribing medications, developing and managing treatment plans, and advising patients on preventative care practices.
Himmelfarb Library is proud to support the SMHS PA program by providing important resources and services to help our PAs achieve their learning, teaching, clinical care, and research goals! Our Physician Assistants Guide is a great starting point as it provides a comprehensive collection of PA-related resources all from a single site. Resources for physical examination, and diagnosis, as well as links to research databases and textbooks, are all conveniently located in a single guide. Are you preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)? Check out our study and review the resources available on the PANCE tab of the guide. You can find links to professional organizations and find resources for writing and citation support.
Looking for a great textbook? Check out Ballweg’s Physician Assistant: A Guide to Clinical Practice, which was co-authored by GW faculty member Tamara S. Ritsema, Director of PA Professional Practice and Associate Professor of PA Studies. If you’re looking for PA-focused journal articles, be sure to check out JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants). JAAPA is dedicated to supporting the ongoing education and advancement of PAs by publishing research on clinical, health policy, and professional issues. Another great journal available through Himmelfarb’s collection is the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE). This journal publishes articles applicable to PA educators and provides a forum for sharing ideas and innovations to enhance PA student education.
Himmelfarb Library celebrates PA Week and is honored to serve GW’s PA students, faculty and staff. Thank you for “going beyond” - Happy PA Week!
References:
AAPA: American Academy of Physician Associates. (2022). History of AAPA & the PA Profession. AAPA History. https://www.aapa.org/about/history/
AAPA: American Academy of Physician Associations. (July 2022). What is a PA? https://www.aapa.org/download/80021/
GW SMHS PA Program. (2022). Physician Assistant Program: About Us. https://physicianassistant.smhs.gwu.edu/about-us
