Physician Extender ???

[Barnstormin' PMHNP]

I just saw this term on a job posting, and it's new to me. It sounds very demeaning, and a lot worse than midlevel. Is this a local term used more in one geographical area than another? Any thoughts from the NP's?

[ronchelednik]

Boston I want to be an NP one day but are you implying that an NP education is indeed better than a 10plus year physician education? This is a legitimate question, I just want to put things in perspective

Where do people get this 10 year plus physician education from. For the most part that's nonsense. Most but not all med schools require a 4 year bachelor's degree in health science, but Med school is a 4 year program. Then these new physicians get a job that has a neat name to it they call "residency" but when they get paid for it (current base rate $59,000.00+ a yr) that increases each year. It should be called, learning on the job. If only student NP's & DNP's would get paid for their clinical hours. Now that's a crime.

[ronchelednik]

Atached to the wrong post

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Where do people get this 10 year plus physician education from. For the most part that's nonsense. Most but not all med schools require a 4 year bachelor's degree in health science, but Med school is a 4 year program.

Let's not forget the (relitivly) new 3 year med schools that have, and are opening up. Not to mention all the MANY physicians practicing in the USA who's highest degree is called a bachelors degree. Many of them completing 5 or 6 years total university education after their version of high school to be physicians.

[MurseJJ]

Where do people get this 10 year plus physician education from. For the most part that's nonsense. Most but not all med schools require a 4 year bachelor's degree in health science, but Med school is a 4 year program. Then these new physicians get a job that has a neat name to it they call "residency" but when they get paid for it (current base rate $59,000.00+ a yr) that increases each year. It should be called, learning on the job. If only student NP's & DNP's would get paid for their clinical hours. Now that's a crime.

Just to be clear, most med schools do require a bachelors degree to apply, however it does not have to be a health science or science related degree. There are plenty of people in medical school with degrees in English, History, Economics, etc, as long as they complete the prerequisite courses and the MCAT (and perhaps a few other "strongly recommended" things like research experience, etc).

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Just to be clear, most med schools do require a bachelors degree to apply.

I think in order for this statement to be accurate you would have to qualify it with "in the USA". Obtaining an undergaduate degree before medical school is not required to become lisenced as a physician int he USA, as evidenced by the many physicians who are graduates of foreign medical education currently practicing here.