Report on BOM Presentation
October 3, 2003
Ron Pace, PA-C
President, FAPA

On Friday October 3rd, I represented FAPA at the Board of Medicine (BOM) meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. I was assisted by Juhan Mixon, Steve Cohen, and Mike Funk. Also assisting me at our request were Dr. Gary Winchester, Chairman of the Board of the NCCPA, and Dr. Mort Diamond, Medical Director of the Nova Southeastern University PA Program speaking in our behalf. We were allotted 30 minutes for our presentation. Our purpose was to educate the new board members about the PA profession.

I made a few opening remarks on the physician-PA relationship from a PA’s perspective, and a CME program that we are developing on practicing as a PA in Florida in regards to laws and rules. I then introduced Dr. Diamond who spoke for a few minutes about PA education and clinical training. His was a very good and positive presentation.

I then called on Dr. Winchester who outlined the certification, recertification, and CME accreditation process from the NCCPA perspective. Since he is a former member of the BOM, his was a very credible presentation.

I then closed with a few additional remarks and we played the DVD. We then took a few questions from the Board members. It was an impressive presentation - very professional and informative void of any emotional issues. We presented each Board member with a nicely done notebook of information, including a copy of the DVD.

Having attended more Board meetings than I ever anticipated, I will share a couple of observations. In the past when I saw presentations being given, the Board was occupied with multiple things going on at times. Today was different. The room was completely quiet during our entire presentation, the board members and the gallery in the back as well. I watched the Board as myself, Dr. Diamond and Dr. Winchester were speaking, and the board members were actually listening intently to what was said and paying complete attention. They were occasionally looking at the notebook we gave them as well. When we finished, the Board gave us a round of applause. They rarely do that for presentations. It makes me think they were impressed. I had a couple of members come up and thank me for the presentation, and it was a genuine thanks, not just the obligatory type one frequently receives after something like this is done.

So all in all we came out very well in this effort. This was the first time that FAPA had ever been invited to make such a presentation, so that says something in itself. I can't say enough about how much I appreciate the presentations that Dr. Diamond and Dr. Winchester gave in our behalf. Juhan Mixon who has vast experience with the Board, said that he felt we did an excellent job and the Board appeared to be impressed.