Today marks the start of PA Week, a national celebration of the Physician Assistant profession.
Today marks the start of PA Week, a national celebration of the Physician Assistant profession. Certified Physician Assistants are highly qualified members of healthcare teams with a growth rate of 31 percent between 2018 and 2028, according to the NCCPA.
“With respect to the profession itself, the growth has been tremendous and the applicants to our program are quite impressive,” says Dr. Patrick Cafferty, MPAS, PA-C, CPCO, DFAAPA, FAAPM, Associate Professor and Founding Chair of PA. “They are academically accomplished in order to meet the program's admission requirements, but more importantly possess excellent communication skills as well as empathy and compassion.”
According to Dr. Cafferty, these abilities are critically important to provide patient care, to be able to communicate effectively, and make people feel cared for. The body of medical knowledge is expanding at an alarming rate, and changes frequently requiring students and clinicians to be "tech savvy" in order to access the information necessary to provide effective and timely care.
This past year has been a challenge for students as well as those prospective applicants in many different ways. One feature that shines through is their resilience to adapt to the changes implemented as a result of the pandemic. This has been encouraging and showcases their adaptability for future clinical settings, to focus on the important tasks, namely patient care.
To learn more about the Physician Assistant program at the Mount, click here.