2025 AAPA House of Delegates Meeting Highlights PAEA’s Commitment to Accreditation Support and Member Advocacy 

During the recent AAPA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting held in Denver, Colorado, PAEA’s leadership reaffirmed the Association’s dedication to representing the voice of member programs by providing the perspective of PA educators nationwide on pressing issues impacting the profession. 

In recorded remarks provided to delegates prior to the convening, PAEA President Dipu Patel, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, discussed the Association’s priorities and work over the past year, highlighting the Association’s continued support for PA programs navigating the accreditation process. In her remarks, Patel emphasized the critical need for clarity, communication, and collaboration between programs and the ARC-PA, reinforcing PAEA’s commitment to being an advocate for members in this space. 

The remarks also included a discussion of PAEA’s advocacy efforts to protect member interests in response to recent federal policy changes which have adversely impacted higher education. In her report, President Patel detailed how the Association is engaging federal policymakers to protect critical sources of funding, advance member values, and ensure continued access to the resources necessary to support a high-quality future health care workforce. 

In addition to these remarks, PAEA’s leadership provided testimony on several resolutions in-person during this year’s HOD meeting, with a particular focus on the evolving landscape of doctoral education. In prepared comments, PAEA reiterated member-adopted policy indicating support for the master’s degree as the terminal degree for PA practice, while also exploring the value of doctoral education to the profession through entities like the Doctoral Education Commission. Following significant debate, delegates voted to remove the AAPA’s opposition to a mandatory, entry-level doctoral degree while also endorsing collaboration with other stakeholder organizations on a pathway to an entry-level doctorate. 

Addressing the critical issue of clinical site access, PAEA further presented testimony on the persistent shortage of training opportunities for PA students. The Association called for increased collaboration among stakeholders and highlighted the need for scalable, long-term strategies to expand clinical education capacity. 

Beyond clinical education, PAEA responded positively to a resolution aimed at advancing advocacy training within PA education, expressing strong support for equipping students with the skills necessary to advocate for patients and the profession. While supporting this resolution in principle, PAEA advocated successfully for the removal of proposed new accreditation requirements tied to the resolution, citing concerns about the added administrative and curricular burden such mandates would impose on already resource-constrained programs. 

PAEA staff would like to thank President Dipu Patel, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, President Elect Michael Roscoe, PhD, PA-C, and Immediate Past President Linda Sekhon, DHSc, PA-C for representing the Association during the 2025 House of Delegates meetings. Members with questions are invited to contact Tyler Smith at tsmith@PAEAonline.org