Association Between Stress and Program Length in Underrepresented Minority Physician Assistant Students

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between physician assistant (PA) program length and stress measures in PA students, particularly PA students classified as underrepresented minorities in medicine. The stress measures included emotional and physical well-being. Methods The 2019 End of Program survey data were analyzed using multiple regression to determine if emotional and physical well-being could be predicted by PA program length, age, gender, PA school debt, and UR minority in medicine status. Results Shorter PA programs were associated with higher physical well-being scores, although there was no difference between UR minority in medicine and non-UR minority in medicine students. Older students, males, and students with higher levels of PA school debt had lower scores for emotional and physical well-being. Discussion Shorter program lengths should be considered for optimal physical well-being in all students. Further research is needed to understand optimal program length and experiences of these students.