Yuen Cynthia X, Lessard Donovan
Cynthia X. Yuen, MA, is the director of research and data analysis for the Physician Assistant Education Association in Washington, DC. Donovan Lessard, MA, is the director of research programs and evaluation for the Physician Assistant Education Association in Washington, DC.
J Physician Assist Educ. 2018 Dec;29(4):220-225. doi: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000219.
Physician assistants (PAs) are well situated to provide much-needed care in medically underserved areas (MUAs). Therefore, it is critical to understand the factors that make PA students want to practice in MUAs. The current study investigated how 3 student characteristics-underrepresented minority (URM) status, geographic origin, and family socioeconomic status-were associated with PA students' interest in practicing in MUAs after graduation.
Upon their matriculation in 2016, 4329 PA students provided key demographic information (ie, gender, age, race, ethnicity, geographic origin, and an indicator of family socioeconomic status) and reported their interest in working in an MUA after graduation. Multiple linear regression was used to predict students' level of interest in practicing in an MUA, and multiple logistic regression was used to predict students' likelihood of expressing interest in practicing in an MUA. All analyses controlled for students' gender and age at matriculation.
All 3 student characteristics were independently associated with interest in practicing in an MUA, such that URM students, students from rural backgrounds, and less affluent students expressed greater interest in practicing in an MUA after graduation compared with their non-URM, suburban, and more affluent counterparts.
Demographic commonalities may drive PA students' interest in practicing in an MUA after graduation.
医师助理（PA）非常适合在医疗服务不足地区（MUA）提供急需的医疗服务。因此，了解促使PA专业学生希望在MUA执业的因素至关重要。本研究调查了3个学生特征——少数族裔（URM）身份、地理来源和家庭社会经济地位——与PA专业学生毕业后在MUA执业兴趣之间的关联。
2016年入学时，4329名PA专业学生提供了关键人口统计学信息（即性别、年龄、种族、族裔、地理来源和家庭社会经济地位指标），并报告了他们毕业后在MUA工作的兴趣。多元线性回归用于预测学生在MUA执业的兴趣水平，多元逻辑回归用于预测学生表达在MUA执业兴趣的可能性。所有分析均控制了学生入学时的性别和年龄。
所有3个学生特征均与在MUA执业的兴趣独立相关，因此与非URM、郊区和更富裕的同龄人相比，URM学生、农村背景学生和不太富裕的学生毕业后对在MUA执业表现出更大的兴趣。
人口统计学共性可能会促使PA专业学生毕业后对在MUA执业产生兴趣。
