The impact of different teaching methods on the performance of physician assistants: a survey response from Canadian PAs on the perception of their clinical skills
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Date
2020
Authors
Qureshi, Malaika
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Abstract
Each of the four Canadian PA programs have a unique approach in educating and training
their students where in the end, all students share the same competency and equivalence. The University of Toronto approaches its delivery of education through distance learning; McMaster University through problem-based learning; and the University of Manitoba and Canadian Armed Forces through direct instruction.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine how the delivery of PA education and
different teaching designs influence the performance of Canadian PAs. Methods: This descriptive study used an online survey and quantitative data analysis to understand the gross patterns that emerged from each institute. Results: The survey collected 90 responses in total: 43 responses were collected from PA graduates of McMaster University, 26 PAs from the University of Manitoba, seven PAs from the University of Toronto and 14 PAs from Canadian Armed Forces. Majority respondents of all PA
programs were employing the training designs emphasized by their institute; there was a
correlation between the most common resource provided by their program and the most
frequently used resource that PAs personally used to support their education. When transitioning from didactic year to clinical rotations, majority of PAs from the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto and Canadian Armed Forces felt confident in practicing medicine. On average, it took McMaster University graduates nine months to feel comfortable in their role as PAs, eight months for the University of Manitoba graduates, seven months for the University of Toronto graduates and 12 months for Canadian Armed Forces graduates. Conclusion: Unique trends in the performance of PAs were not noted across the PA programs in Canada despite each program’s unique training design.
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Keywords
physician assistant