A Clinical Doctorate in Emergency Medicine for Physician Assistants: Postgraduate Education

Abstract

Postgraduate education for physician assistants (PAs) first developed in the early 1970s.1,2 Over the past three decades the PA postgraduate training movement has slowly expanded, and in 2008 there are 43 programs, also referred to as residencies or fellowships, providing some form of advanced learning in various medical and surgical specialties. Five programs specialize in emergency medicine. I report on one of these programs to chronicle for historical purposes the first clinical doctorate program for PAs. In July 2006, the United States Army Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency was expanded from a 12-month to an 18-month program. The program graduated its first class December 17, 2007.3 This was the first PA residency that awarded a doctoral degree — graduates receive a doctor of science (DSc) in physician assistant studies in emergency medicine from Baylor University, Waco, Texas. This is a terminal degree recognizing the core competencies of emergency medicine and the methodologies of basic academic research.4 The goal of intensifying postgraduate emergency medicine training into an 18-month program was twofold. First, the didactic phase was expanded to stay abreast of the growing knowledge base of emergency medicine. Since the inception of the postgraduate Army Emergency Medicine PA specialty training program in 1991, the amount of core emergency medicine knowledge, and the skill sets required to practice it, has increased dramatically. The competency requirement for an Army emergency medicine physician assistant (EM PA) to practice effectively and safely alongside residencytrained and board-certified emergency medicine physicians was seen as both challenging and a necessity. The decision to increase the residency training time to 18 months was authorized at the Army Surgeon General level, Department of the Army. Second, the proficiency level was increased to ensure core competency to save lives on the battlefield or wherever trauma occurred. The military EM PA requires a skill set that The Postgraduate PA Education feature is intended to be a forum for the sharing of ideas and materials on any issue relating to physician assistant postgraduate education. Authors desiring to contribute to Postgraduate PA Education should send submissions to: