PA School Tuition Decreases!

Hallelujer, praise da Lort! (I hope you've seen Madea) 

Our professors recently went to Philly to the PAEA Conference where some very interesting information was presented. For those applying this cycle or next, take a look at this:

Data revealed from the 29th Annual Report:

1. If you apply to one PA program - you have a 25% chance of getting in
2. If you apply to 12 programs (or more) - you have a 49% chance of getting acceptance
1. No additional benefit for more than 12 
3. As age of applicants increases, GPA was lower 
4. With each cycle, GPAs are increasing
1. In 2007 (avg: 3.39), while in 2011 (avg: 3.49) - matriculants (people who got accepted)
2. In 2007 (avg: 3.12), while in 2011 (avg: 3.16) - non-matriculants (who did not get in)
5. Health care experience decreasing steadily
1. In 2007 (avg: 3.43 years), while in 2011 (avg: 1.88 years)
6. Number of applicants increasing - not surprising, honestly
1. As of September 30, 19,000 applications were submitted 
7. 60 programs in the queue to be accredited - estimated 10,000 PA graduates by 2018
1. There are currently 204 PA programs - this is insane! But only 177 programs participate in CASPA. 

Now the FINALE!

1. Resident tuition at public school programs dropped 8.0% in 2013
2. Resident tuition at private school programs dropped 2.3%
3. Non-resident tuition at private school programs dropped 3.2% 

Sources:
http://networker.paeaonline.org
Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of Physician Assistant Educational Programs in the United States, 2012-2013

AFL vs. NH vs. SNF

AFL vs. NH vs. SNF

A topic that we don’t talk often about is geriatrics, but it is very important. In the inpatient and outpatient setting, these are the patients physician assistants will see the most. Although 65+ year olds comprise only 13% of our population, they make up 35% of all prescriptions we write for.Not all geriatric patients live in nursing homes, although 70% of all people who reach age 65 will need long-term care for at least some period of time before they die.

• Nursing Homes
• 65 years or older - 5%
• 75 to 84 years - 6%
• 85+ - 22%

So, what is Long Term Care?

Long Term Care is an umbrella term and covers a range of facilities

What is the difference between:

Assisted Living Facilities (AFL)

Assisted living is kind of like a hotel. Meals are provided but they have to come down to get them; laundry is done often, and rooms are cleaned. It is expected that people can do their own ADLs (activities of daily living) and if they can’t, they need to  pay to get dressed, bathed, and to be given medications. Only 1/3 of assisted living facilities have an RN on site. ALFs are considered like the patients’ own home and they are called residents rather than patients.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are very regulated facilities that provide 24-hour nursing care. Patients in nursing homes have major problems with function or cognition. Staff provide assistance with ADLs. It is usually for very frail patients. Many patients would prefer not to go to a nursing home.

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)

Skilled nursing facilities are often located within a nursing home. They provide care for patients who have had a CVA (stroke), hip fractures, etc. that is debilitating. They give antibiotics and administer IVs, etc. There is an interdisciplinary team and they have PT’s and OT’S on site.

Sources:

Special thanks to Dr. Vivyenne Roche for her help!

http://longtermcare.gov/the-basics/what-is-long-term-care/

Cardiology List of Most Commons for Physician Assistant Students

Dear Readers,

Below are the most commons in cardiology that I’ve put together from this block. I’m sure once I enter rotations I will be adding many more. Can I just say that one of my biggest pet-peeves right now is the incorrect pronunciation of medical terms? For example, angina. This word has been produced in two ways by various professors, but there must be a correct way to pronounce it, so naturally, I looked it up. “An-jen-uh” is the correct pronunciation, while “an-jine-ah” is colloquially used, but incorrect.

Cardiology Most Commons

• Most common pathologic process of the pericardium - Pericarditis
• Most common etiology of Acute Pericarditis - coxsackievirus A and B
• Most common cause of death in the U.S. - Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
• Coronary microcirculation disease more common in women - this is why CAD affects more women than men annually
• Exercise electrocardiography less accurate in women
• More women die each year of CAD
• Most common cause of sudden cardiac death: ventricular fibrillation
• Most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes: hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
• Hypertension
• More common in women as age increases
• More common in men in young and middle aged people
• More common in African Americans and lower socioeconomic groups
• African Americans develop at earlier age compared to other races
• Secondary HTN - more common in children
• White coat HTN - affects more treated women than men
• HTN is the SECOND most common cause of CKD