Roderick S. Hooker is a health services researcher and an adjunct professor of health policy at Northern Arizona University's Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Andrzej Kozikowski is director of research at the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in Johns Creek, Ga. Col. Johnny Paul is chair of the Department of Combat Medic Training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
JAAPA. 2021 Jul 1;34(7):38-43. doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000742984.47706.b9.
The role of physician assistants (PAs) in the United States extends to the Army National Guard; Air National Guard; and reserves of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard (collectively known as reserve components). To understand the duality of civilian-military PA roles, a census of the armed forces was undertaken, drawing on knowledgeable senior PA medical officers in each of the services. The survey was supplemented with data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. In 2020, there were 1,944 PAs in the five military reserve components with the majority (1,597) in the Army. Most National Guard, Air National Guard, and Reserve PAs fill medical officer roles, drill with units, and are subject to active duty. As soldiers, sailors, and airmen, military PAs are trained in health, safety, warfare readiness, casualty, trauma, and crisis response. The tenure of a reserve component PA in the military ranged between 10.2 and 17.8 years. In their civilian roles, most PAs are licensed and clinically active-the majority report they work in family/general medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, or orthopedic medicine and surgery. This dual-career role and responsibility suggests the utility and flexibility of the PA is broader than previously reported. The findings set the stage for additional research on healthcare professionals during times of domestic and international emergencies.
美国的医师助理（PA）角色延伸到陆军国民警卫队、空军国民警卫队和陆军、海军、空军和海岸警卫队的预备役部队（统称为预备役部队）。为了了解文职-军事 PA 角色的双重性，对武装部队进行了普查，从每个军种中了解情况的高级 PA 医疗官员那里获取了数据。该调查还补充了全国医师助理认证委员会的数据。2020 年，在五个军事预备役部队中有 1944 名 PA，其中大多数（1597 名）在陆军。大多数国民警卫队、空军国民警卫队和预备役 PA 担任医疗官角色，与部队一起训练，并接受现役。作为士兵、水手和飞行员，军事 PA 接受健康、安全、战备、伤亡、创伤和危机应对方面的培训。预备役部队 PA 在军队中的任期为 10.2 年至 17.8 年。在他们的文职角色中，大多数 PA 持照并从事临床工作——大多数人报告说他们在家庭/普通医学、急诊医学、普通外科或骨科医学和外科工作。这种双重职业角色和责任表明，PA 的实用性和灵活性比之前报道的更为广泛。这些发现为在国内外紧急情况下研究医疗保健专业人员奠定了基础。
