The Contribution of Postprofessional Doctorates to the Career Development of Healthcare Workers: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Doctorate education and implications for career trajectory for postprofessional healthcare workers like physician assistants/associates (PAs) remain under¬studied.

Purpose: This scoping review identified findings from existing literature on the contribution of postprofessional doctorate (PPD) degrees to the career development of non-entry-level healthcare workers to inform the con¬temporary emergence of PA-specific doctorate programs in the United States.

Methods: The research followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews.

Impact of COVID-19 on student perceived stress, life satisfaction, and psychological flexibility: examination of gender differences.

To identify stress management practices and examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being among male and female physician assistant (PA) students. Participants included 1,239 students from nine PA programs who matriculated pre-pandemic, acute pandemic, or post-acute pandemic. Measures included questions about stress management practices and validated instruments assessing perceived stress, life satisfaction, and psychological flexibility.

Foundational Skill-Building in a Novel Well-being Curriculum.

Introduction: Mental illness and decreased well-being are pervasive throughout physician assistant (PA) training, and the accreditation standards require a wellness curriculum. The purpose of this study was to determine if a mandatory, multifaceted virtual wellness curriculum can mitigate the decline in well-being experienced by first-year PA students.

Methods: First-year PA students from 5 programs (n = 259) participated in a 16-week asynchronous virtual course.

Dental Bite-Sized Bits: A Module for Teaching Common Oral Health Conditions to Multidisciplinary Students.

The Surgeon General's report in the year 2000 highlighted the association between chronic diseases and oral health infections. Current healthcare education programs, regrettably, report only 1 to 3 h of oral health instruction within curricula. In the years 2020-2022, as part of their respective oral health curricula, 278 first-year physician assistant and 12 pre-clinical second-year pharmacy students were invited to participate in a voluntary survey examining the effectiveness of animated succinct, online video-based oral health units.

Wellness in Physician Assistant Education: Exploring Mindfulness, Well-Being, and Stress.

Purpose: The current study examined stress reduction activities most commonly used by matriculating physician assistant (PA) students to better understand how students are approaching self-care and management of stress. In particular, the study examined levels of mindfulness and well-being to understand how these relate to various stress reduction approaches at the time of matriculation.

Methods: Newly matriculated students at 9 PA programs located across the nation were surveyed (n = 294).

Comparing the Effectiveness of Virtual and In-Person Delivery of Mindfulness-Based Skills Within Healthcare Curriculums.

Purpose: To promote well-being, healthcare education programs have incorporated mindfulness-based skills and principles into existing curriculums. Pandemic-related restrictions have compelled programs to deliver content virtually. Study objectives were to determine (1) whether teaching mindfulness-based skills within physician assistant (PA) programs can promote well-being and (2) whether delivery type (virtual vs.

The Academic Fellowship in Physician Assistant Education.

The rapid growth of the physician assistant (PA) profession has required PA programs to increase their efforts in the recruitment and retention of experienced faculty. One approach was the establishment of the academic fellowship concept in 1998. Since then, 5 PA programs have designed fellowships, 3 of which were implemented and graduated fellows.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Mindfulness and Decentering Training in a Physician Assistant Curriculum.

Purpose: Several studies have documented the effects of physician assistant (PA) training on students' perceived stress and life satisfaction. Innovative curriculum design incorporating effective stress management resources may help address this concern.

Methods: Mindfulness and decentering training was incorporated into a first-quarter course for PA students.