Last month, amidst the chaos brought into the medical community by COVID-19, a Twitter battle among healthcare professionals ensued. The controversy began when a medical student tweeted a graph depicting the differences in clinical education between physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs). The graph showed that by the time they graduate from medical school, physicians have accrued approximately 6,000 hours of clinical education—even before any additional required years of residency training. Physician assistants acquire approximately 2,000 hours of clinical education prior to graduation and nurse practitioners between 500 to 1,500 hours. The range of graduating nurse practitioner experience (500-1500 hours) is because nurse practitioner programs lack the same standardization required of medical school and physician assistant programs, resulting in variable clinical exposure and competency.1
Along with the graph was a message stating that:
- Graduating medical students have more clinical training hours than either PAs or NPs
- National organizations supporting PAs and NPs have leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic to further their argument for “full practice authority (FPA)” (a.k.a. independent practice or practice without supervision)
Although the medical student also included the message that all members of the health care team have a valuable role in caring for patients, non-physicians on Twitter were outraged.
This attack was deeply disturbing to Natalie Newman, M.D., an emergency medicine physician and vocal advocate for patient protection, who took to Twitter to defend the student. Newman has seen these types of “vicious, bullying attacks” on medical students, residents, and fellows on social media many times, and believes that the corporate practice of medicine is the root of the problem. In replacing physicians with nurse practitioner and physician assistants, Newman notes that corporations have created a “false equivalency between physicians and non-physicians, blatantly disregarding the unique role that each discipline contributes to the medical team.”
Although corporations and some non-physician practitioners would like the public to believe that all medical professionals are interchangeable, the truth is exactly what the medical student posted: physicians have far more hours of clinical training than nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
For example, the AAPA unveiled the hashtag: #InItToPivot, implying that physician assistants are ideally positioned to move into new roles in health care. This hashtag is typically accompanied by the more common #PAsAreTheSolution and #PAsNeedFullPracticeAuthority circulating through various public posts. In these posts, physician assistants insist that they are ready and willing to work in any medical specialty without the need for additional training. For example, a PA who works in dermatology can theoretically “pivot” to become a critical care or emergency room PA just by taking on a new title and pay. While this ability might seem most opportune in the current all-hands-on-deck climate, the truth is that this practice can be dangerous to patients, particularly if independent practice is allowed.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners often insist that they must be permitted to practice “at the top of their license.” But what if physicians made the same argument? State medical licenses do not limit medical practice to a specific specialty. In fact, medical licenses are required only to “practice medicine and surgery.” However, most physicians only practice in their specialty after completing an additional three to seven years of training following medical school. A cardiologist does not suddenly decide to be a psychiatrist—even though their medical license does not prohibit them from doing so. A geriatrician does not one day choose to advertise as a pediatrician. Not because they cannot, but because they know their limitations and realize that this type of practice is dangerous. It is for this reason that physicians undergo additional years of training in any specialty in which they wish to practice, which includes standardized assessments and examinations.
There is no quick “pivot” in medicine—because patient safety comes first.
References
1.) Mundinger, M. O., & Carter, M. A. (2019). Potential Crisis in Nurse Practitioner Preparation in the United States. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 20(2), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154419838630
I am so worried about this trend of NPs practicing medicine! Surely there will be push back in the form of lawsuits and good journalism. I can only hope
Please allow for some respectful opposition. What about a competent PA who has 10 years experience in a specific field vs a new medical school graduate or new resident? It seems the fact would be in that scenario the PA would be a safer choice for patients. I think the problem is trying to broadly argue that its less safe for patients to see a PA or NP. I agree that it would be concerning for a PA to just jump around from specialty to specialty without proper supervision or training. As a PA I think we’re well trained for Primary Care, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and the Urgent Care. I think independent practice in Primary Care or Rural care would be reasonable with rigorous standards and qualifications. We we’re taking board exams every 5 years and now take it every 10 years to follow the Physician model, and if the exam is not passed we cannot work, unlike physicians who do not need to be board certified to practice. I think the medical student is factually correct in regards to education during medical/PA/NP school, however one could argue that residency and on the job experience is when the real education and experience begins. Respectfully, Tabor Dizon PA-C