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On the State of
PA Education
By James F. Cawley, MPH, PA-C
APAP President
Among the many privileges the president of the Association
enjoys is the opportunity to opine from time to time on the current
state of PA education and to share his views. As the end of my term
approaches, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on major issues
and trends affecting PA education and the organization.
Recently, the word stability came to mind when asked
to assess the state of PA education. There are several reasons I believe
this to be the case.
The first has to do with the resolution of an issue
that was quite contentious within the PA educational community for
a good period of time — the master’s degree as a credential
for PAs. Following intense and even, at times, divisive debate on
the appropriate academic degree to be awarded for PA education, we
have now largely resolved this and moved forward. The PA educational
community has achieved consensus, and the master’s degree has
now become the standard for PA education. I consider this to be progress
and an indication of a mature and thoughtful organization.
A second factor that I believe reflects stability in
the PA educational sector is the plateau in the number of programs
being established. After a period of rapid growth, roughly between
1996 and 2001, the number of PA educational programs has leveled off
at approximately 130 programs (as of September 2003 the exact number
of accredited programs was 133). I am not aware of any appreciable
number of programs waiting in the accreditation queue. We’ve
arrived at what appears to be a stable number of programs relative
to the demand of the marketplace for graduates. We are now in a stable,
non-growth phase following the second major expansion in the history
of PA education.
A closely related phenomenon is the balance in supply
and demand for PA graduates. Even with an annual output of 5,000 graduates,
data does not suggest that the market is flooded with PA graduates.
PA unemployment is unheard of, and jobs exist in adequate supply for
new graduates. The increase in the number of PA educational programs
appears not to have overshot the mark in terms of graduate output,
and utilization of PAs continues to expand in medical practice settings.
Another evidence of stability in the profession’s
educational sector is the continuing size and strength of the applicant
pool, indicating that programs continue to attract large numbers of
talented and motivated individuals. Unlike the current decline in
applications to medical schools, applications to PA educational programs
are trending upward. We know however, that this trend may not last
indefinitely, and the organization is taking steps to plan for times
when more extensive recruitment strategies may be needed. Nonetheless,
the current picture is reassuring and bodes well for the continued
health and success of the PA profession.
CASPA, a very positive feature on the profession’s
landscape, is closely connected to this success. Implementing the
centralized application service ranks as an important achievement
for APAP and the PA educational sector.
Finally, I believe that the current state of the organization
is healthy and stable. Although many of APAP’s current successes
were initiated and set into motion prior to my taking over as president,
I believe that I’ve accomplished much over the past year that
has improved and strengthened APAP’s position. With the board’s
assistance, I’ve been able to solidify the financial position
of the organization; in fact, we now show a modest surplus. And I
would contend that APAP has entered a new stage of revitalization
as demonstrated by a number of indicators: a rich and stimulating
assortment of educational and research presentations at the annual
Educational Forum; strong, congenial relationships with other PA and
non-PA professional organizations; a talented and involved board of
directors; interest among members in leadership roles within the organization;
a higher profile in national health policy and medical educational
affairs; a high quality professional journal; a solid financial position;
and a coherent business plan for the next several years.
It has been a great honor for me to serve the membership
in the role of president. I thank those on the board and staff who
have contributed to attaining these organizational successes. As I
move to the position of APAP immediate past president, I look forward
to assisting my colleagues in APAP’s leadership to continue my
efforts to serve the membership and advance PA education.
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