Thanks for posting this topic.
I will add a little background info on the “original name” for clarification:
The terms assistant and associate had been used when the first programs were being developed. It has been noted that the AMA was one of the first, if not the first, to use the term “assistant”.

Early PA programs had significant variability in length, faculty credentials, type of facility housing the program, training modalities, and demographic of students admitted. In 1970, the National Academy of Sciences created a ranking system for PAs (A, B, and C) ranked ”according to their degree of specialization, level of clinical decision-making (judgment) and length of training”. Later that year, leaders of three PA programs- U Texas, Wake Forest (then Bowman Gray), and Duke, founded the first Registry – the American Registry of Physician Associates (somewhat of a hybrid of the AAPA, NCCPA, and PAEA).

The purpose of the Registry was to encourage the training and to promote and regulate the activities of Physicians’ Associate by determining their competence through examinations and investigative studies. It would grant and issue certificates to graduates of approved educational and training programs and to others who demonstrated by examination that they possessed the background and experience to perform satisfactorily as graduates of approved programs. Duke University and several other programs had changed their name from “assistant” to “associate” to distinguish their programs from the Type B and C programs and the term associate became embedded into the newly incorporated organization’s name.

The registry chose the term associate due to its greater applicability to what PAs do, as well as the fact that the term “assistant” was “totally generic”. It was after the programs formally adopted the term “associate” that the AMA took a stance. It should be noted that this was well after multiple attempts over the years to get the AMA in at the ground level in defining and regulating the PA profession (according to records the requests “fell on deaf ears”).

In 1972 the Association of Physician Assistant Programs was formed as an “umbrella organization” over the Registry. In 1973 the Registry was placed under the American Academy of Physician Associates.

The AAPA is the result of a merger of 4 separate organizations who were vying to be the national representative body for PAs. The original organization which became the AAPA as we know it today was the American Academy of Physician’s Associates. Now, recall how the AMA was an early proponent of “assistant”? Part of the equation which led to the American Academy of Physician’s Associates becoming the representative organization was its alliance with the AMA, which also included a focus on accepting PAs with a primary care focus (MEDEX was named specifically). One must wonder if the AMA affiliation prompted the change in the organization’s name.

So when we talk about what our original title is, we are talking about the origins of our profession as an organized and accredited body.
The formative years for our profession was a stew of ideas and terms, from which several more definitive terms arose. The key concept (to me) is that the core of individuals, organizations and programs which founded the profession dealt with the same identity issues we face now. As PA programs, assistant programs, of dubious quality and credentials were cropping up, they quickly realized that a term was needed to define our true role. It is interesting to note that many of those early proponents of “Associate” were the physicians who led the way for future PAs.

Nurse Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner - see how clear the roles are delineated here?

Medical Assistant vs Physician Assistant - Not so clear eh?

I hear very few stories from my NP brother in law about how his patient look at him funny when he introduces himself as a “nurse practitioner”.

I’m a huge fan of Medical Practitioner myself, and I’m almost to the point of thinking that battling for a name change to Physician Associate is futile… it’s still just as ambiguous a title as what we currently have.

Hi to all,
I am currently a pre-PA student. I am half way completing the pre-requisites to apply to the PA program. So far, I am doing very well, my cumulative PA is 3.78 and my science GPA 3.65, and on top of that I have tons of direct patient care experience, both, in the military and the civil world. I agree with some of the comment s here that the road to become a PA is not an easy one.
I was wondering if the term “Assisting Physician” would be more feasible to adopt. After all, we do have Resident Physicians (those M.D.’s still in training), Attending Physicians (M’D.s’ who completed their training and most likely are board certified), therefore, why not call PA’s “Assisting Physicians (we basically completed all our training when we graduate, and sometimes we even go the extra mile and become specialized).
I believe that people will see the “Assisting Physician” title as someone whom he or she can trust his medical care more easily and confidently than when we introduce ourselves as Physician Assistant. Besides, we won’t have to explain too often what PA means or do.