Letters About the Physician Assistant Profession
There are some interesting letters in the most recent issue of JAAPA.
One concerns the profession's name.
Physician assistant is a lousy moniker but we are forever stuck with it (I hope).
The other is about the lack of knowledge about the profession.
When I introduce myself to patients, their reaction is nearly always one of these: a blank stare (PA? What in the world is a PA?) or “Oh, are you studying to be a doctor?” These patients obviously have absolutely no idea of what I am, what I do, or have even the most rudimentary knowledge of our profession.
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