©THEBRIGHT EXAM STUDY SOLUTIONS 8/27/2024 12:01 PM
MCPHS PA Interview. Exam Questions With
Correct Answers.
What is the history of PA in US? - answer✔✔o In US the PA role came about in 1960s-70s,
coming from medics in Veterans war- for vets returning to society- this gave them a place in
society- a role to help them adjust to life out of war
o In between the doctor and nurse- building a bridge between trained medical professionals
o PA profession originally created to expand healthcare and improve it
o In the mid-1960s physicians and educators determined there was a shortage of primary care
physicians
o Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, of the Duke University Medical Center, put together the first class of
PAs in 1965
o Four Navy hospital corpsmen, who had received considerable medical training during their
military service were chosen to participate in the class
o Based the program on knowledge of fast-track training of doctors during World War 1
o First class graduated from Duke on Oct 6. 1967
o Pa concept gained federal acceptance and backing as early as 1970s to help relieve the
physician shortages
o Medical community provided abundant support of the new profession and spurred the
developed of accreditation status, national certification and standardization exam, and continuing
medical education requirements
PA and MD difference - answer✔✔o PA is a dependent practitioner while MD is independent
o PA needs supervising physician
o PA can generally change specialty with ease- not as easy with MD
o PA assist on surgery while MD performs independently
PA and NP difference - answer✔✔o PAs train using the medical model, similar to physicians,
meaning they focus on the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease that the patient has
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM STUDY SOLUTIONS 8/27/2024 12:01 PM
o NPs train on the nursing model, which means they focus on the testing, diagnosis, and
treatment of the patient with the disease
o PAs tend to look first at the pathology of the problem and then how to cure it. Looking for
disruptions in the pathophysiology of the body, a PA focuses on the biological aspects of
diagnosing and treating the disease.
o PAs train as generalists, which means they can practice almost any field in medicine- meaning
you can switch throughout career without need for re-certification
o On the other hand, NP programs focus on a concentration of a specific patient population
o NPs earn primary certification in their area of specialty
o PAs take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)- work under supervision
of a licensed physician
What do PAs do? - answer✔✔o Under supervision and delegation from MD
o Allows MD to perform more complex and acute cases
o PA deals with a lot of common illnesses, diagnoses, treatment, patient education
o Creating more access to healthcare, cost effective care
o Take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illness, order and interpret
tests, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications, counsel on preventative care, perform
procedures, assist in surgery, make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes, do clinical research
o More than 140,000 PAs who practice in every medical setting in US
o They work in hospitals, medical offices, community health centers, nursing homes, retail
clinics, educational facilities, workplace clinics, and correctional institutions
Why do you want to be a PA? - answer✔✔o collaborative healthcare, my values, my skills-
(look up mission statement of MCPHS)- how do I hold these values and priorities
(ADD to this)
Massachusetts- regulations of profession - answer✔✔o Medication prescriptions: Anyone who
holds a license may issue written or oral prescriptions or medication orders for a patient
o Any prescription or medication order issued by a PA for a Schedule 2 controlled substance
shall be reviewed by his or her supervising physician, or by a temporary supervising physician
o Procedures: May operate fluoroscopic x-ray systems and perform fluoroscopic procedures
o Legal responsibility of PA: physicians remain legally responsible for the acts or omissions of
said PA at all times
