2
What Makes a Physician’s Assistant?
Over the next five years, the 1,200 to
1,500 students across the nation
enrolling In physicians' assistant
programs will be ‘ monitored’’ from the
beginning of their educational
curriculums through their first few
years of practice.
Under the scrutiny of Dr. Eugene
Schneller, Duke assistant professor of
community health sciences and
sociology, some of the following
questions may be answered: What
kinds of people enter this primary
health care field and why? How do they,
their teachers, administrators and
employers see their developing roles?
How can these roles be transferred into
the real world of work?
The five-year study, initiated by Dr.
Schneller, Is being sponsored by the
Bureau of Health Resources
Development of the federal
government’s Health Education and
Welfare department through a grant
totaling almost $300,000.
'We will start by taking all the
students In the country who are
enrolled in programs of this sort next
September and survey them at different
intervals in their education, and later,
when they are beginning their
practices.
"We want to see what kinds of people
will go into high-need areas such as
rural and ghetto areas, and wherever
there is a deficiency of primary care
people," continued Dr. Schneller. “We
will also be looking for the kinds of
people who will stay in these areas.”
Studying the role development of
physicians’ assistants, he said, would
be “very interesting. There are no
specific boundaries for these people,
except in a few states like California.’’
Professional
News
Dr. Elaine Crovltz, clinical
psychologist in the
Department of Psychiatry
and president-elect of the
North Carolina
Psychological Association,
is attending an American
Association of University
Women seminar currently
being held at the United
Nations in New York.
The seminar is focussing on the objectives
of International Women’s 'year, 1975. Those
objectives are to achieve equality t>etween
men and women dejure and de facto; to
increase integration of women in
developmental planning and provide for the
fruits of development to be shared equally by
t)oth sexes; and to enhance the role of
women as a sine qua non toward realization
of world peace. Women U.N. delegates are
presenting progress reports, and the U.S.
ambassador to the U.N. is hosting a
reception.
nteucom
IS published weekly for Duke
University Medical Center employees,
faculty, staff, students and friends by the
Medical Center s Office of Public Relations.
Joe Sigler, director: William Erwin, medical
writer; Miss Annie Kittrell. secretary
Editor
David Williamson
Associate Editor
Margaret Howell
Public Relations Advisory Committee; Sam
A. Agnello. audiovisual education; Dr. Rotiert
Anderson Jr.. surgery; James L Bennett Jr.
vice president's office; Wayne Gooch,
personnel; Dr. Athos Ottolenghi. physiology
and pharmacology; Michael Schwartz,
hospital administration; Miss Isabelle Webb.
RN. nursing service; Dr. Tom C. Vanaman.
microbiology and I mmunology.
So, he said, "it's a totally negotiated
role " between the individual physician's
assistant and his employer (most
usually a doctor or a hospital).
“We will be learning how the students
perceive their roles when they enter
school and throughout their
educational experience. At present,
there are many ways to perceive the
physician's assistant role, and no
correct way to perceive it, ” Schneller
stressed.
According to Dr. Schneller, there are
two types of physicians’ assistant
programs found in the U.S. today. One
program is similar to Duke’s two-year
"Physicians’ Associate” program of
combined classroom and clinical
learning; the other is a shortened
program (MEDEX), usually averaging
three months of classroom training,
many times taught in community
colleges, and a 21-month preceptor or
apprenticeship with a doctor.
surveys and interviews on the students,
teachers, administrators and employers
involved in eight prototype programs in
various parts of the nation.
Of the 40 programs being studied, the
eight prototypes will include five
programs similar to Duke's PA program
and three MEDEX-type programs. Some
possibilities, said Dr. Schneller, may
include programs being taught in
communities, ghettos and medical
centers, and vicinities such as the West
Virginia/Appalachia region.
Dr. Daniel H. Funkenstein, associate
professor at Harvard Medical School
will be collaborating with Dr. Schneller
during the study.
“The early years of these programs,”
explained Dr. Schneller. "'were
dominated by medics from the armed
services. Duke's program was started
eight years ago with three or four
students. Today there are thousands of
students participating in many
The study will focus more detailed programs throughout the nation.”
Personnel Paragraphs
This is a column for and about employees, faculty and staff at the medical center. The
subject matter will cover a wide spectrum of personnel policies, benefits, federal and
state regulations, payroll information, wage and salary data, and many other matters
affecting employees at Duke.
Questions from readers are encouraged. If you have a question, send it to:
Personnel Paragraphs
Box 3354, Duke Medical Center
All inquiries must be signed, but you may request that your name not be used if your
letter is published. All questions will be answered or referred to an appropriate source,
but only questions of wide, general interest will be published. "Personnel Paragraphs"
is your column, so let us hear from you.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
In accordance with university policy, the medical center will observe the
Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, November 28,1974.
Q. By what rate of pay will I receive payment for Thanksgiving Day if I do not work
on that holiday?
A. Payment for the holiday not worked will be made at the employee’s regular
rate of pay.
Q. Am I eligible to receive holiday pay?
A. To be eligible to receive holiday pay, an employee must work the regularly
scheduled work days immediately before and after the holiday.
Q. What if I must be absent and have an excused absence for one or both of the
days immediately before or after the holiday?
A. If an employee is absent on one or both of these scheduled days with an
excused absence, he will receive holiday pay.
Q. How much pay do I receive if I do work on the Thanksgiving holiday?
A. Employees who work on the holiday will receive holiday pay plus holiday
premium pay at the rate of one and one-half times the regular rate of pay. The
employee may elect to receive only the holiday premium pay and take an alternate
day off within sixty days following the holiday. Supervisors are instructed to
provide as many employees as possible the benefit of having the day off.
Trading Post
FOR SALE—13-foot wooden fishing boat
and motor for sale, excellent condition,
never leaks, freshly painted, with 5 h.p.
outboard motor, Sears trailer, lifejackets,
paddles and even carpets. We must sell all.
Call 688-5825 after 5 p.m.
FOR SALE—Two bunk beds with box
springs and mattresses and matching chest
of drawers. All are in good condition. Call
596-5934.
FOR SALE—Clothes dryer (Sears), good
condition, real cheap. Call 489-1688.
FOR SALE—Violin, % size, complete with
bow and new case. 10 yrs. old. made in
comments
Matas Ward
Dean and Jean Hanson, RN's on Hanes
and Matas wards announce the birth of a
daughter, born Aug. 31 . . . Judith Wickins,
Cheryl Springer. Debbie McElhenney and
Susan Elek. all RN's. are new faces on the
ward ... RN K. Kilber joined the Red Cross in
mid-Octot)er . . . DTO Carolyn James
transferred to the Surgical Outpatient Clinic.
Reporter; Virginia Barnette
BOWLERS NEED SUBSTITUTES
The Duke Ladies Bowling League is
inviting any interested Duke women to
serve as substitutes for league
members on Tuesday evenings at 6:30
p.m. at the Sportland Bowling Lanes.
The cost is $2.50 for the night. Please
call Marion Wilson at ext. 5684 or Polly
Jordan at ext. 2891 if you would like to
participate.
Germany by Jan KrimI, $85. Call Leslie
anytime at 489-9217.
LOST—^A large black fountain pen on
Friday. Nov. 8 in the Orthopaedic Outpatient
Clinic. Reward offered to finder. Contact Dr,
William Moorefield. Beeper 180.
BOARD CHAIRMAN—Dr. David C.
Sabiston. chairman of the Department
of Surgery, was elected chairman of the
Board of Governors of the American
College of Surgeons at the national
meeting of the college in October.
Earlier this year Sabiston was elected
president of the Society of Surgical
Chairmen.
N.C. LPNs Hold
Duke Workshop
The North Carolina Licensed
Practical Nurses Association will
sponsor a one-day workshop on
'"Venereal Disease " on Tuesday, Nov.
26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Page
Auditorium.
It will be the thirteenth annual
workshop held for members of the
association and students of practical
nursing schools throughout the state.
Included on the morning’s program
will be Dr. John Rampone, assistant
professor of obstetrics and gynecology,
who will speak on ‘"Gonorrhea and
Syphilis—Epidemiology, Diagnosis and
Management”; C.P. Jones, retired
Ob-Gyn research associate, who will
discuss “Lymphogranuloma Venereum,
Granuloma Inguinale and Chancroid
Infection”; and Dr. Robert G. Brame,
assistant professor of obstetrics and
gynecology, who will speak on " The
Gynecologist View of Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease.”
After the talks there will be a panel
discussion featuring Rampone, Jones
and Brame.
During the afternoon session, Myron
Arnold of the Venereal Disease Control
Center at the North Carolina
Department of Health in Raleigh will
discuss "‘The Nurse’s Role in VD
Control and Education.” His
presentation will be followed by a film
on venereal disease.
Some 1,000 licensed practical nurses,
nursing students and instructors are
expected to attend this workshop.
SCHOLARSHIP WINNER—Lynn Smiley, a medical school freshman, has been
chosen by the Southern Medical Association to receive one of its $500
scholarships. Here she receives her scholarship check from Dr. William D.
Bradford, associate director of medical and allied health education. Ms. Smiley of
Goodland, Kan., received a B.A. in microbiology at the University of Kansas in 1973.
(Photo by Lewis Parrish)