Education

Health Care Experience (HCE) Requirements

Background

The physician assistant (PA) profession was founded in the late 1960's upon the premise that independent duty military corpsman returning from places like Korea and Vietnam possessed an armamentarium of knowledge and skills that could be redirected to the provision of primary health care services by way of a short, intensive retraining program.

Programs like the former Albany-Hudson Valley Physician Assistant Program (AHVPAP) were developed on this premise. Incoming students were expected to have a significant knowledge base and a common set of patient care skills. As numbers of corpsman diminished, paramedics and nurses from civilian sources with similar prior training were admitted.

As the profession grew, the demand for PAs outstripped the supply of nurses, paramedics, and corpsman entering programs. Over time programs expanded their scope of types of acceptable health care experience to the point that virtually any type of responsible health care experience was accepted to meet minimum qualifications. It should be noted, however, that the quality and quantity of this experience continued to be the major criteria for admission to the CPAS program.

The major impact of this expansion on training programs has been the shift from students entering with a consistent knowledge and skills base to build upon, to one of a group of students with significant knowledge and skills, but in diverse areas. This has forced programs to no longer present a curriculum that builds upon a universal foundation. The positive aspect is that each individual student brings some expertise to the classroom to share.

In light of these changes the advisory committee and faculty of the AHVPAP reviewed the health care experience requirement in 2001.  These groups identified the following reasons for retaining a requirement:

• Prior experience in a health care setting ensures that applicants have an understanding of and commitment to working with the ill and injured.

• Prior health care experience provides for an evaluation (by recommendation) of the applicant's maturity, compassion, and professionalism.

• Working in a health profession provides the applicant with the opportunity to observe and learn about the various roles of the health care team

• Working with PAs on a daily basis provides the candidate with in-depth knowledge of the profession and the ability to make an informed career decision to enter PA training

It was noted however that the time needed to meet these goals may be less than that needed to acquire specific knowledge and skills. In light of this the requirement was reduced to 1000 hours. It was also noted that this is consistent with the majority of PA programs nationally.
Transition of the AHVPAP to the master's degree granting program at Albany Medical College has significantly increased the academic requirements for the program,  elevating their importance in the admissions process. We will continue to maintain a minimum HCE requirement, as we believe the goals cited above continue to be valid. Admissions will be based upon the applicant's entire record and will be evaluated individually for the potential to succeed in the program.

Acceptable Types of HCE
The following table presents most of the common types of experience that have been found to be acceptable to meet minimum program requirements.  However, it is not exhaustive and candidates are advised to contact the Center if they have questions about their individual situations.

It should be noted that each individual's job description (not merely title) is reviewed and evaluated based upon training requirements, direct contact with patients, and level of responsibility.

Obtaining Entry-level Health Care Experience.
Obtaining entry-level health care experience is commonly a problem for students and those making career changes. The following table includes locations and types of experiences that require minimal training, have flexible hours, and meet minimum acceptable criteria for application to the Center.