Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Pa Program
Physician Associate Online Program
In the United States, there is an increasing demand for skilled health care professionals. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and the aging population, the increased need for clinicians is evident. Unfortunately, the demand is high, but the supply is scarce. To satisfy the incrementing need of health care providers in underserved areas across the nation, in 2015, Yale School of Medicine announced the intent to launch an innovative online physician associate (PA) program (Kashef, 2015). Multiple opinions favoring and opposing the online PA program have emerged since its announcement. In order to better understand the online PA program, it is important to evaluate its curriculum, advantages, and disadvantages.
Although, the online masters PA program would be a separate entity from the current residential PA program, the curriculum of the new online PA program would be similar to Yale’s long-standing residential PA program (Kashef, 2015). Yale would be partnering with 2U, a company that provides educational technology support, which is reputable for providing such services to other universities across the nation (Kashef, 2015). The plan of the new online PA program is to …show more content…
For example, many argue that the online curriculum would not provide sufficient clinical training, especially for those students in remote areas. Furthermore, practicing PAs argue that the launching of the online PA program may negatively affect the profession’s reputation. The concern is that the reputation of the quality of education of PAs would be questioned by other health care professionals and the public, given that the PA profession is relatively “young and still working to achieve a better understanding and broader acceptance” (Platoff & Uchegbu, 2015). Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand that the PA profession may not expand if the number of practicing PAs does not
In the United States, there is an increasing demand for skilled health care professionals. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and the aging population, the increased need for clinicians is evident. Unfortunately, the demand is high, but the supply is scarce. To satisfy the incrementing need of health care providers in underserved areas across the nation, in 2015, Yale School of Medicine announced the intent to launch an innovative online physician associate (PA) program (Kashef, 2015). Multiple opinions favoring and opposing the online PA program have emerged since its announcement. In order to better understand the online PA program, it is important to evaluate its curriculum, advantages, and disadvantages.
Although, the online masters PA program would be a separate entity from the current residential PA program, the curriculum of the new online PA program would be similar to Yale’s long-standing residential PA program (Kashef, 2015). Yale would be partnering with 2U, a company that provides educational technology support, which is reputable for providing such services to other universities across the nation (Kashef, 2015). The plan of the new online PA program is to …show more content…
For example, many argue that the online curriculum would not provide sufficient clinical training, especially for those students in remote areas. Furthermore, practicing PAs argue that the launching of the online PA program may negatively affect the profession’s reputation. The concern is that the reputation of the quality of education of PAs would be questioned by other health care professionals and the public, given that the PA profession is relatively “young and still working to achieve a better understanding and broader acceptance” (Platoff & Uchegbu, 2015). Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand that the PA profession may not expand if the number of practicing PAs does not