Claiming to be a PA

I find it curious that former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona still tells reporters that he is a former PA. Carmona's possible PA connections were mentioned here and there during his term, but I could never find any verification that he ever practiced as a PA.

Here's what he told the Orange County Register for an article that appeared on Tuesday.

When I went into the Special Forces I became a medic. All of those things helped to solidify I wanted to eventually become a physician. When I left the military, I've been a paramedic; I've been a registered nurse, a physician's assistant, a lifeguard, a police officer. I can't think of a better way to be prepared to be surgeon general of the United States and understand all the runs of the ladder in health.

I guess it's possible that Carmona worked as an informally trained PA for a short time after Vietnam. And he certainly assisted physicians during his career.

But shouldn't he understand that the term "physician's assistant" means a specific medical professional, and that he does not fit the criteria?

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