Gaining relevant healthcare experience is a crucial step for aspiring Physician Assistants (PAs). Understanding the different types of experience and how to categorize them for your PA program application is essential. This guide clarifies the distinction between Direct Patient Care (DPC) and Health-Related Experience (HRE), specifically focusing on How To Tally Health Related Care Experience For Pa Programs, ensuring your application accurately reflects your qualifications.
Understanding Direct Patient Care (DPC)
Direct Patient Care involves actively providing healthcare to patients. It’s about “doing for” patients and often considered “hands-on,” but the key element is the provision of healthcare itself. While hands-on experience is often DPC, not all hands-on roles qualify. The focus must be on delivering healthcare services.
Examples of Direct Patient Care activities include:
- Taking vital signs
- Bathing and dressing patients
- Assisting with patient mobility (bed to chair, toilet, etc.)
- Drawing blood (phlebotomy)
- Performing diagnostic tests
- Administering prescribed treatments and therapies
- Patient counseling
For individuals already working in healthcare professions like paramedics, respiratory therapists, or registered nurses, their professional practice typically qualifies as DPC.
For those without prior healthcare backgrounds, roles like medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, or patient care technicians are excellent avenues to gain DPC experience. This experience can be accumulated through paid employment or volunteer work in acceptable healthcare settings, provided the recommended hours are met. Many applicants pursue certifications like nursing assistant, paramedic training, or scribe positions to gain paid clinical experience.
Scribing stands out as a unique example of non-hands-on DPC at an entry-level. Its qualification as DPC stems from the scribe’s integral role in patient care, working closely with physicians, PAs, or ARNPs by documenting and integrating various aspects of patient encounters.
While a minimum DPC requirement is not universally mandated, it’s strongly recommended that applicants aim for one year (approximately 2000 hours) of Direct Patient Care experience before enrolling in a PA program.
| ### Positions receiving full credit | ### Positions receiving less than full credit |
|---|---|
| Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) | Acupuncturist (up to ½ credit) |
| Corpsman (Navy) | Behavioral Therapist (up to ½ credit) |
| Dental Hygienist | Chiropractic Assistant (up to ½ credit) |
| Dietitian/Nutritionist | Dental Assistant (up to ½ credit) |
| EMT/Paramedic | EEG/EKG Tech (up to ½ credit) |
| ER Tech | Home Health Aide (up to ½ credit) |
| Exercise Physiologist/Athletic Trainer | Massage Therapist (up to 1/2 credit) |
| Medic (Army) | Mental Health Counselor/Therapist (up to 1/2 credit) |
| Medical Assistant/Nursing Assistant | Nuclear Medicine Tech (up to 1/2 credit) |
| Nurse (RN, LPN) | Optician (up to 3/4 credit) |
| Occupational Therapist | OR/Surgical Tech (up to 1/2 credit) |
| Patient Care Assistant/Tech (PCA) | Phlebotomist (up to 1/4 credit) |
| Physician | PT/Rehabilitation Aide/Assistant (up to Full credit) |
| Respiratory Therapist | Research Coordinator (up to 1/2 credit) |
| Scribe | UF ER Research Associate (1/2 credit) |
| Chiropractor | Clinical Psychologist |
Defining Health-Related Experience (HRE)
Health Related Experience (HRE) encompasses your exposure to the healthcare environment, patients, and healthcare professionals. However, HRE differs from DPC in that it doesn’t involve directly providing healthcare, or it occurs outside of a direct medical setting.
Examples of Health Related Experience include:
- Shadowing healthcare professionals
- Transporting patients within a healthcare facility
- Patient education roles
- Clinical trial work (excluding direct patient care aspects)
- Laboratory bench work
- Telephoning patients for administrative purposes
- Non-nursing home health care
- Clerical or administrative work in a medical office
- Electronic medical records (EMR) work outside of direct patient care
- Internships and clinical rotations (educational training)
Shadowing Physician Assistants is particularly valued by PA program admissions committees. Regardless of your current healthcare exposure, actively seeking shadowing opportunities with PAs across various specialties and settings is highly recommended. This provides invaluable insight into the diverse roles PAs play in primary care (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics) and specialized medical fields.
| ### Health Related Experience (HRE) |
|---|
| Lactation Specialists |
| Medical Office Clerical Staff/Receptionist/Scheduler |
| NICU Baby Cuddler |
| Observer/Shadower |
| Patient Transporter |
| Personal Trainer |
| Pharmacy Cashier/Clerk |
| Pharmacy Tech |
| Research Assistant (health related) |
| Student Clinical Rotation/Internship |
| Ward Clerk |
Reporting Patient Care and Health-Related Experience on CASPA
The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application requires you to detail your responsibilities and the total hours spent in both Direct Patient Care (DPC) and Health Related Experience (HRE). It is important to accurately report your hours in each category. Shadowing experiences should always be categorized as HRE within the CASPA application, as previously mentioned.
For each experience, CASPA will ask for:
- Job title
- Your role
- Name of the institution
- Name and title of your supervisor
- Detailed description of your tasks
- Number of hours worked per week
- Total number of weeks worked
Crucially, if you held a position that encompassed both direct and health-related healthcare exposure, you must separate these components in your CASPA application. List the job under both the DPC and HRE sections, using the same job title and dates of employment for each entry. Then, allocate the corresponding hours accurately to each category based on your actual duties.
Avoid duplicating information and ensure the dates and hours provided in each section of CASPA are precise and truthful. Accurate and thoughtful categorization of your experiences will present a clear and compelling picture of your preparation for PA school.
In Conclusion
Understanding the nuances between Direct Patient Care and Health-Related Experience is vital for your PA program application. By accurately tallying and reporting your experiences, particularly how to tally health related care experience for pa program, you demonstrate your understanding of healthcare roles and your commitment to the PA profession. Remember to prioritize gaining substantial DPC hours while also recognizing the value of HRE, especially shadowing, in shaping your understanding of the PA role.
