Physician Assistant Education Community Assumptions About an Entry-level Doctoral Degree

Abstract

Purpose This study described the assumptions that PA educators hold regarding the option and/or transition to a doctoral entry-level degree for PA graduates.Methods A cross-sectional electronic survey of all members of accredited PA programs was administered. The survey comprised 32 Likert-type statements that measured respondents' level of agreement ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree and general demographic information. Mean scores are reported for each Likert statement and then compared with analysis of variance and post hoc testing for subgroups of baseline variables.Results Responses indicate wide-ranging opinions regarding the adoption of an entry-level doctoral degree for PAs. However, the preponderance of responses appeared more neutral or in opposition to an entry-level doctoral degree. The statement with the strongest level of agreement was that "consideration of the entry-level doctoral degree was really about competing with advanced practice nurses." Educators who were PAs and those who were physicians differed significantly in their responses for 17 of 32 statements.Conclusion Most respondents believed that the master's degree is "enough for clinical practice." If there is not a deliberate discussion informing the transition to a doctoral entry-level degree, then the change is likely to occur at the individual program level as it did with the transition from a certificate to a bachelor's degree and then to a master's degree. If the PA profession moves to the acceptance of an entry-level doctoral degree, the PA professional organizations should continue to be involved in developing a measured plan forward.

Whither the PA doctorate?

“…Overall, these two studies revealed that support for an entry-level doctorate was weak but that some respondents did support a doctorate as an option for PAs 5,6. These findings are consistent with previous studies that found that practicing PAs and PA students were not supportive of an entry-level doctorate for the PA profession 12,13.…”

“…5 They also showed that a signifi cant portion of the survey respondents believed that a terminal doctoral degree was a barrier to increasing workforce diversity. 5 Overall, these two studies revealed that support for an entry-level doctorate was weak but that some respondents did support a doctorate as an option for PAs. 5,6 These fi ndings are consistent with previous studies that found that practicing PAs and PA students were not supportive of an entry-level doctorate for the PA profession.…”

Developing and evaluating an instrument to assess perceptions of an entry-level physician associate doctoral degree

“…Coplan et al (2009) conducted mixed-methods research to explore the opinions regarding an entry-level clinical doctorate among 152 PA program medical directors using a 16-item, non-validated survey [11]. Recently, a study conducted by Brown and colleagues (2020) addressed the potential impact of an entry-level doctorate on PAs and PA faculty and programs among 712 PA educators using a 32-item survey that has not been validated [16]. Although Muma et al (2011) included representative samples of physicians, PAs, and PA faculty to compare perceptions regarding the entry-level doctoral education, a non-validated instrument seemed to be used [14].…”

“…As the health care milieu continues to change, the quest for doctoral education for PAs has continued at various levels. As of 2022, about 11 institutions have established post-professional programs such as the Doctor of Medical Science [6,7,12,16,17]. However, the value, risks, and benefits are still subject to discussion, and the PA entry-level doctoral credential debate continues.…”

“…Recently investigated the potential risks and benefits of the entry-level doctoral degree for PAs. The results from this study were mixed, with some people advocating for the entry-level doctorate, whereas others against it [12,16]. Similarly, the AAPA has undertaken a study assessing current perceptions and given guidance to the professions [18].…”