Diversity in the Physician Assistant Pipeline: Experiences and Barriers in Admissions and PA School.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to identify perceived barriers faced by physician assistant (PA) students who identified as an underrepresented minority in medicine (URM-med), sexual or gender minority (SGM), coming from low socioeconomic status (low SES), or a person with a disability (PWD). METHODS: More than 2700 PA students across the United States provided information regarding their PA school application process and program experiences. This study examined differences among URM-med, SGM, low SES, and PWD compared to those who were not in those groups to determine the relationship between these factors and student concerns about bias in the application process, as well as a variety of experiences in PA school. RESULTS: Using ordinal logistic regression analyses to examine the odds of experiencing a variety of barriers or experiences in applying to PA school and postmatriculation experiences, results suggested that, among disadvantaged groups within the PA student body, barriers include concerns about bias in the application process, lack of belonging, and the lack of academic and social support. DISCUSSION: PA students who identified as URM-med, SGM, low SES, and/or PWD faced barriers as they navigated the path to becoming a PA. To decrease these barriers, emphasis on raising awareness and interest in pursuing a career as a PA should occur early. Programs should work to identify biases within admissions processes, diversify faculty, and identify ways to support minority students once matriculated. Ultimately, increasing the diversity of healthcare providers has the potential to increase access to and quality of care for patients.

Association of Preadmission Factors With Physician Assistant Student Diversity.

PURPOSE: A new physician assistant (PA) program accreditation standard requires institutional support for PA student diversity. Therefore, preadmission factors associated with diversity should be identified to inform decision-making. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between preadmission factors of interest and percentages of underrepresented minority (URM) students in PA programs. METHODS: Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) survey responses from 169 PA programs were analyzed by using simultaneous multiple regression. The variables included the standardized testing requirement of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), undergraduate preprofessional phase, public or private institution, writing sample requirement, mission statement inclusive of care for underserved populations, and local racial or ethnic demographics. RESULTS: GRE score requirements were found to be negatively associated with percentages of African American and total non-White, non-Asian students (p < .05). Local URM racial and ethnic population demographics were shown to be positively associated with African American, Hispanic, and total non-White, non-Asian students (p < .05). Undergraduate preprofessional phase, type of institution, writing sample requirement, and mission statement supportive of underserved populations did not show significant associations with URM diversity. CONCLUSIONS: Faculty and administration members who are involved in decision-making in PA admissions processes should consider the potentially negative impact of a GRE requirement as it relates to the percentages of African American and total non-White, non-Asian matriculants. Educational institutions might also consider exploring new PA program development in geographic areas with supportive local demographics as an approach to achieving more student diversity.

The Grave Resolution to the Gamer's Dilemma: an Argument for a Moral Distinction Between Virtual Murder and Virtual Child Molestation.

In this paper a new resolution to the gamer's dilemma (a paradox concerning the moral permissibility of virtual wrongdoings) is presented. The first part of the paper is devoted to strictly formulating the dilemma, and the second to establishing its resolution. The proposed resolution, the grave resolution, aims to resolve not only the gamer's dilemma, but also a wider set of analogous paradoxes - which together make up the paradox of treating wrongdoing lightly.

Primary care workforce paradox: A physician shortage and a PA and NP surplus.

OBJECTIVE: Primary care workforce projections continue to predict significant physician shortages. An oversupply of primary care physician assistants (PAs) and NPs also is predicted. This paradox calls into question the assumptions that underlie workforce projection models, which likely underestimate the primary care contributions of PAs and NPs. METHODS: Federally qualified health center data from the 2016-2019 Uniform Data System were used to calculate the number of clinic visits per full-time equivalent (FTE) physician, PA, and NP. Visits per FTE were compared across provider type to determine provider-specific productivity ratios. RESULTS: The combined PA and NP productivity ratio increased relative to physicians in each year, ranging from 0.85 in 2016 to 0.88 in 2019. Clinic visits per FTE for PAs and family physicians were nearly equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care workforce projection models should be reexamined to more accurately capture the productivity of PAs and NPs.

Increased meaningful activity while social distancing dampens affectivity; mere busyness heightens it: Implications for well-being during COVID-19.

Social distancing measures have been implemented in many countries to limit the spread of COVID-19. Emerging literature reveals that fear of acquiring COVID-19 has detrimental psychological ramifications. However, it seems likely that social distancing will have a further negative impact on well-being. The focus of this study was therefore to investigate whether changes in behaviour as a result of social distancing would predict changes in well-being. Participants (n = 95) rated their level of well-being as it was both during social distancing and retrospectively one month before beginning social distancing. Participants also indicated how much time they spent engaged in various activities both during social distancing and one month before social distancing and nominated how important each of these activities was for them. These measures employed scales created specifically for the present study. In addition, participants completed the Big Five Inventory-2 Extra-Short Form and the nine-item version of the Personal Optimism and Self-Efficacy Optimism Scale. We found that affectivity-both positive and negative-decreased with increased engagement in meaningful activities and that affectivity increased with increased activity in general. While both sorts of activity appear to improve some aspects of well-being, it appears that meaningful activity regulates psychological homeostasis while busyness in general does not.