To maximize HPV vaccination rates among underserved Latinas, concerns about vaccine safety, potential effects on sexual behavior, and self-perceptions of risk for HPV infection must be addressed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted almost every aspect of life globally, with higher education one of many direct targets. Institutions and educators have been faced with urgent crises of how to conduct business as usual while maintaining expectations of high standards and uncompromised goals. As physician assistant (PA) educators at Seton Hall University, we rallied and brainstormed approaches to daily instruction to keep students on track and faculty both effective and sane. We tapped technological resources offered by our university, learned countless new skills, and adapted classroom activities to online virtual platforms. Creativity and flexibility became the norm as we modified the way we did everything while remaining laser focused on the ultimate objectives. Our intention was to provide insight, motivation, and, at a minimum, an example of how to do things differently when faced with roadblocks. We were inspired by an editorial by Mary Jo Bondy, DHEd, MHS, PA-C, former CEO of the Physician Assistant Education Association, in which she called for collective innovation, collaboration, publication, and circulation of stories. With that charge, we assembled a detailed account of how a didactic team within our faculty maneuvered the challenges created by COVID-19, in hopes of adding to the arsenal of small triumphs in this uncharted territory.
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between physician assistant (PA) program length and stress measures in PA students, particularly PA students classified as underrepresented minorities in medicine. The stress measures included emotional and physical well-being.
Methods
The 2019 End of Program survey data were analyzed using multiple regression to determine if emotional and physical well-being could be predicted by PA program length, age, gender, PA school debt, and UR minority in medicine status.
Results
Shorter PA programs were associated with higher physical well-being scores, although there was no difference between UR minority in medicine and non-UR minority in medicine students. Older students, males, and students with higher levels of PA school debt had lower scores for emotional and physical well-being.
Discussion
Shorter program lengths should be considered for optimal physical well-being in all students. Further research is needed to understand optimal program length and experiences of these students.
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