The Military Veteran to Physician Assistant Pathway

Abstract

The physician assistant (PA) profession emerged to utilize the skills of returning Vietnam-era military medics and corpsmen to fortify deficits in the health care workforce. Today, the nation again faces projected health care workforce shortages and a significant armed forces drawdown. The authors describe national efforts to address both issues by facilitating veterans' entrance into civilian PA careers and leveraging their skills.More than 50,000 service personnel with military health care training were discharged between 2006 and 2010. These veterans' health care experience and maturity make them ideal candidates for civilian training as primary care providers. They trained and practiced in teams and functioned under minimal supervision to care for a broad range of patients. Military health care personnel are experienced in emergency medicine, urgent care, primary care, public health, and disaster medicine. However, the PA profession scarcely taps this valuable resource. Fewer than 4% of veterans with health care experience may ever apply for civilian PA training.The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) implements two strategies to help prepare and graduate veterans from PA education programs. First, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE) grants help develop the primary care workforce. In 2012, HRSA introduced reserved review points for PCTE: Physician Assistant Training in Primary Care applicants with veteran-targeted activities, increasing their likelihood of receiving funding. Second, HRSA leads civilian and military stakeholder workgroups that are identifying recruitment and retention activities and curricula adaptations that maximize veterans' potential as PAs. Both strategies are described, and early outcomes are presented.

Educating nurses to deliver optimum care to military veterans and their families

“…From a conception in 2016, this two-year project has witnessed significant developments, although there remain obstacles to address. Some institutions do not contain academics with sufficient knowledge of the AFC to deliver these sessions, although this can be addressed with a veteran specific train the trainer's course (Brock et al, 2013). There is also scope to embrace veterans into the nursing workforce and mirror the opportunities offered by UK Universities in supporting wounded injured and sick personnel into employment (RFEA, 2019).…”

Military Veteran Matriculation in US Physician Associate/Assistant Programs

“…[8][9][10] Similarly, there are efforts described in the literature demonstrating efforts to encourage military veterans to become PAs. 11 This downward trend in percentage of veterans applying to and graduating from PA programs is an outlier considering other data that demonstrate veterans have overall been increasing enrollments in higher education in the wake of expanded benefits in the 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill. 12 Likely very pertinent to this trend in veterans graduating into the PA profession is the changing cost of higher education and changes in military benefits.…”

“…8-10 Similarly, there are efforts described in the literature demonstrating efforts to encourage military veterans to become PAs. 11…”

Veterans as physician assistants

“…[11][12][13][14] Veterans trained as medics and corpsmen may again offer a solution to these primary care shortages. 15,16 In the past, medics and corpsmen were considered exceedingly able candidates for primary care work and as rural providers; their broad training was considered an untapped reservoir of needed attributes and clinical skills. 1,2 Just as new opportunities arise for veterans to fi ll emerging healthcare workforce gaps, an increasingly larger number of military personnel are separating from service each year.…”