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Send the below message to AAPA
As a physician assistant and a former, current or prospective AAPA member, I feel that the professional name Assistant no longer describes our profession. I do not "assist" in my practice and the use of the term is misleading to the public and places us in a category that we do not belong in. I am writing to urge you as an AAPA Board member to either pass a motion for a name change ASAP, or to vote for a poll of the PA profession using the AAPA database regarding a name change from assistant to ASSOCIATE.
The title of ASSOCIATE was given to our profession by our founding father Dr. Stead and many other physicians who cared about us. By reclaiming ASSOCIATE as part of our title, we are clearly stating who we are and what we do, our relationship to the physicians that we work with and our patients. I urge you to either vote in this new name in principle or vote to poll the profession to see if the profession supports this change. The adoption of this change can be gradual but our profession must be on record as supporting it. I would ask that the poll be concluded by February 1, 2012 and the results made known to the membership and profession before the next AAPA election. I also ask that several non AAPA members be included in the review of the poll to maintain neutrality.
We can no longer grow our profession in a positive manner with the assistant name. We can not begin a public education campaign with a name that might be totally misinterpreted. My future support of the AAPA hinges on the action or inaction regarding the support of the name change or poll. It is time for this change.
