"weekend warriors"

[cyall]

Originally Posted by BoopMD

Reserve Medical Field professionals are generally much higher regarded by the AD.

It is the reverse.

Military medicine does not have the best re****tion. The active duty equivalent to Johns Hopkins is Walter Reed, that is not saying much.

Right now I'm flabbergasted by the military idea of granting doctorates to PAs. That is analogous to the nursing profession having to address their subordinate CNAs as doctor. (e.g. granting a doctorate in certified nursing assistant.)

It only serves to confuse patients. AD Military medicine can be ridiculous.

What about PTs and thier doctorates? I think your nursing analogy would be a little more accurate id it was between practictioners and RNs.

[notyetdead]

Originally Posted by cyall

What about PTs and thier doctorates? I think your nursing analogy would be a little more accurate id it was between practictioners and RNs.

A Ph.D. in any medical field can be great. A Ph.D. entails lots of research and can be an excellent asset towards academia and training.

But that's where it ends. A Ph.D. is of no actual clinical relevance to a Nurse, PA or PT. You do not have any expanded scope of clinical practice beyond your counterparts with an MA. The same holds true for physicians with Ph.D.'s: you have no expanded scope beyond those with an M.D.

And I'm very much with Boop on the issue of address. Addressing a PT with a Ph.D. as "doctor" is misleading. Patients would be justifiably confused, thinking the PT/PA/Nurse was a physician. A Ph.D. would not make a PT become a PM&R doctor; they'd be a PT with no additional scope of practice who just spent additional years doing research.

[cyall]

Originally Posted by notyetdead

A Ph.D. in any medical field can be great. A Ph.D. entails lots of research and can be an excellent asset towards academia and training.

But that's where it ends. A Ph.D. is of no actual clinical relevance to a Nurse, PA or PT. You do not have any expanded scope of clinical practice beyond your counterparts with an MA. The same holds true for physicians with Ph.D.'s: you have no expanded scope beyond those with an M.D.

And I'm very much with Boop on the issue of address. Addressing a PT with a Ph.D. as "doctor" is misleading. Patients would be justifiably confused, thinking the PT/PA/Nurse was a physician. A Ph.D. would not make a PT become a PM&R doctor; they'd be a PT with no additional scope of practice who just spent additional years doing research.

Not PhD, doctorate. PTs get a DPT not a PhD. Although I guess they may be able to get a PhD later, but to practice they earn a DPT. I know about the scope of practice issue, and I don't disagree with the address. Since MDs are called doctor it would be confusing to call non-MDs doctor. I was asking his opinion and taking exception to his analogy since it seemed like hyperbole.

[notyetdead]

Originally Posted by cyall

Not PhD, doctorate. PTs get a DPT not a PhD.

Since a Doctorate PT/PA/Nursing does not expand someone's scope of practice, I don't see the point of the military offering it. If someone wants to pursue it, hab at it. But I don't know why the military should provide training that doesn't expand on someone's abilities. A DPT can't do anything a PT can, so what is the point?

I don't limit this to allied health, either. The military doesn't offer an MBA to MDs either. You could make the case that an MBA would be a fine thing for an MD to have if he wants to go into hospital management, but it doesn't expand his scope of practice in the military, so why should the military provide that training?

Originally Posted by cyall

I was asking his opinion and taking exception to his analogy since it seemed like hyperbole.

No worries. I'm probably missing your point somewhere. If you understand that DPT's don't have any scope of practice beyond what a Master's level PT has and you agree with the confusion of calling a non-MD doctorate holder "doctor" in the clinical context, I'm not sure where you're disagreeing with Boop.

[7011USMC]

To throw a monkey on the wrench. What about the pharmicist that has earned a PharmD? Or the MSC officer that has DPH. H-e-l-l we call every one "DOC" in the medical field down range.

[BoopMD]

Cyall, FYI, A PA is a physician assistant.

Who on Earth is talking about PTs?

I could use the analogy with PTs as well. The military coming up with A Physical Therapy assistant getting a doctorate in Physical Therapy Assisting and the PT (with their DPT doctorate) is expected to call the PT assistant with a doctorate, doctor in the hospital.


If a physical therapy assistant wants a doctorate, become a DPT. Doctorate in PTA should never be allowed to exist, which they do not. By the same token Physician assistant doctorate should not exist. It's repulsive. If a physician assistant wants a clinical doctorate in medicine they should become a physician and go to medical school.

The military had the bright idea to come up with this ridiculous "credential" for the PA, after they complete a "residency" of one year in ER or whatever.

It is controversial among PAs.

Military medicine is not generally held in higher esteem then their reserve counterparts/civilian practitioners.

[cyall]

I know what a PA is, but do they not have a little more knowledge than a nursing assistant? I brought up PTs to satisfy my curiosity about your views on other health professionals. Apparently, I touched off a firestorm without intending to.

For what its worth I think a lot of professions are experiencing credential creep. PTs know little if anything more with the current DPT than when it was a BS degree. I'm sure PAs are the same. I have a BS in Athletic Training and some genius actually suggested in one of our newsletters that we should consider moving to a graduate degree as entry level practictioners. I almost fell out of my chair at the absurdity of the idea. So, I guess we all agree.

[notyetdead]

Originally Posted by 7011USMC

To throw a monkey on the wrench. What about the pharmicist that has earned a PharmD?

Yeah, I never know what to make of that.

Originally Posted by 7011USMC

Or the MSC officer that has DPH.

Anyone who introduced themselves as "Doctor Smith" because of a DPH would be laughed at, especially by his colleagues in the public health field. It's 100% non-clinical.

Originally Posted by 7011USMC

H-e-l-l we call every one "DOC" in the medical field down range.

Amen to that. The last thing grunts should be sweating downrange is professional courtesies amongst those in the medical field. Fuggit.

[WIBecky74]

I'm not a doctor but I can take a look