update100.jpg

April 2003 Announcements


APAP Student Writing Competition Winners Chosen

APAP is pleased to offer its congratulations to the student winners of the 2003 APAP Student Writing Competition. The three authors who share first place are designated the Nyquist Award winners. The following submissions were chosen for first, second, and third place in this year’s student writing competition:

1) “Pulmonary Embolism: Current Recommendations for Diagnosis and Treatment,” by Chad Jeffery, Dorian J. Carroll, and Vanessa Arena, from the Philadelphia University PA Program;

2) “Major Depressive Disorder in Children: A Review of Its Prevalence, Presentation, Impact and Treatment,” by Lauren L. Louters from the University of Iowa PA Program; and

3) “The Dynamics of Caregiving: An Overview of the Caregiving Experience and the Effects of Services on Those Providing Care,” by Lizabeth O’Connor from the LeMoyne College PA Program.

Prizes will be presented at the Awards Ceremony during the Semiannual Meeting in New Orleans, Thursday, May 22, from 5:15 – 6:00 p.m., at the Morial Convention Center, 238-239. Students and faculty are invited to be on hand to hear the students present their winning topics.


A Note of Thanks from the Recipient of APAP’s 2002 Partnership Award

The North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) recently sent a letter to Justine Strand, program director of the Duke University PA Program, to express its thanks to the PA program’s personnel for nominating AHEC for the Partnership Award. Thomas J. Bacon, Dr.P.H., executive associate dean and director of the North Carolina AHEC program, said in part, “On behalf of my colleagues across the state in AHEC, I want to tell you once again how honored we are to be the recipient of the 2002 Partnership Award from the Association of Physician Assistant Programs. The partnership we have had with the Duke PA Program and the other PA programs in the state has paid enormous dividends for communities in North Carolina, and we look forward to working with you in the years ahead.”

The new cycle of APAP awards will be announced next month in the May APAP Update. Please watch for nomination categories and guidelines.


The 2004 Admissions Cycle Begins: Is Your Program's Entry Current in the PA Programs Directory?

We appreciate your help in supplying the information that prospective applicants rely on when they consult the directory. Please send along any further changes to your programs’ structure at any time during the year.

Directory Search Features Expanded

Programs entries in the PA Programs Directory are now current for classes entering in 2004. The search feature has been expanded for several fields; for example, prospective applicants can now search for programs by credentials awarded; programs that require a completed bachelor’s degree for entrance; programs that require health care experience; programs with part-time options; and programs that subscribe to CASPA.


APAP Faculty Directories Sent to Programs

Two copies of the 2003 APAP Faculty Directory have been mailed to each member program. If your program does not receive these by mid-May, please contact us. The print directory was coordinated with the on-line version, available at www.apap.org in the Members Only section. Please e-mail program faculty and staff changes to APAP at any time during the year for inclusion in the on-line faculty directory.


CASPA at the May Semiannual Meeting

Programs will be interested in the CASPA session scheduled for Thursday, May 22, from 3:00-5:00 p.m., “Year-end Data and Changes to This Year’s Cycle.” The CASPA Advisory Committee will present aggregate data on the applicant pool for 2003. New data available this year includes information on reapplicants, impact of deadlines and applicant behavior trends, and fee waiver recipients. Future plans for the CASPA service will also be presented.

Reminder: CME Credit to be Awarded for Participation in Select APAP Semiannual Meeting Sessions

While all of the workshops, roundtables, and pearls selected for the APAP Semiannual Meeting in New Orleans promise to be enlightening and well worth your time, please keep in mind when you decide upon sessions to attend that the following presentations have been awarded a maximum of eight hours of Professional Category I (Preapproved) CME credit by the AAPA. Each of the eight workshops listed below is approved for one hour of CME credit.

  • PA Preparedness for Bioterrorism: Preparing Ourselves, Our Colleagues, and Our Students
  • Palm Computing in Clinical Medical Education
  • Creating Inclusion of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the PA Curriculum
  • Incorporating Medical Spanish in the Curriculum
  • Economics of Physician Assistant Employment (roundtable)
  • Integrating Diversity: Pearls and Perils
  • Strategies for Adapting Preventive Breast Care for Women with Disabilities
  • Enhancing Students’ Clinical Reasoning Through Awareness of Common Cognitive Errors

Click here to access the May meeting program.

APAP Update - April 2003