Dr Stead, Founder of the Modern Physician Assistant Profession
Doctor Stead 1908 - 2005.
Doctor Stead is often credited with the founding of the modern career of a physician assistant.
The early days of physicians assistants came about in 1650 when a German practice was adopted by Peter the Great for his Russian army.
The Russian cavalry had suffered heavy defeats and consequent casualties during the battles of the Austrian succession.
Using a by then outmoded method of cavalry warfare, the Russian army was no match for the modern Austrian fighting techniques.
The British Navy came upon this great efficiency of using enlisted men to carry out tasks not favoured by the busy physicians of the day.
These loblollies as they were called would hold down the unfortunate casualties as they were subjected to anesthetic free surgical procedures, and then dispose either of the severed human parts, or the whole corpse as the case may be.
The also attended to the wounded by way of providing their food (loblolly was a porridge for the sick), their lavatory needs, and also sourcing the instruments required by the physicians, and maintaining stocks of medical supplies, medication, herbs and potions.
Not precisely the job envisaged and introduced by Doctor Eugene Stead, but certainly it's precursor.
Doctor Stead was born in 1908 close to Atlanta in the southern US state of Georgia.
His father was a purveyor of patent medicines around the poorer areas of the city.
Stead made the observation whilst helping his father that patients either succumbed to their illness, or fought it.
These different strategies adopted by the sick were to have a lasting effect on the way he treated his own patients after he qualified.
Doctor Stead undertook his medical education at the Emory University, and gained his early experience working at the Grady Hospital.
His internship took place in Boston.
Dr.
Stead maintained a stellar career path, becoming the youngest ever chairman of the Emory University Department of medicine at the age of 34.
He continued with his educational and research interest through his career.
Many of his former students rose to become important beacons within the medical education and research institutions of the United States.
Dr.
Stead realised that meeting patients needs was so time-consuming that doctors had little or no time to maintain and update the clinical skills.
He became aware of a country doctor who had trained his own office assistant to undertake many of the tasks within his busy practice.
Adopting this idea, Dr.
Stead initially tried expanding the skills base and decision-making responsibilities of nurses.
Accreditation was not forthcoming for these nurses courses.
Undeterred, during the 1960, based on an increasingly heavy reliance he was making on the use of ex military corpsmen in the running of specialty units, Dr.
Stead formulated an education course of a two-year curriculum to expand the competence of the corpsmen to become the first accredited civilian physician assistants.
Doctor Stead is often credited with the founding of the modern career of a physician assistant.
The early days of physicians assistants came about in 1650 when a German practice was adopted by Peter the Great for his Russian army.
The Russian cavalry had suffered heavy defeats and consequent casualties during the battles of the Austrian succession.
Using a by then outmoded method of cavalry warfare, the Russian army was no match for the modern Austrian fighting techniques.
The British Navy came upon this great efficiency of using enlisted men to carry out tasks not favoured by the busy physicians of the day.
These loblollies as they were called would hold down the unfortunate casualties as they were subjected to anesthetic free surgical procedures, and then dispose either of the severed human parts, or the whole corpse as the case may be.
The also attended to the wounded by way of providing their food (loblolly was a porridge for the sick), their lavatory needs, and also sourcing the instruments required by the physicians, and maintaining stocks of medical supplies, medication, herbs and potions.
Not precisely the job envisaged and introduced by Doctor Eugene Stead, but certainly it's precursor.
Doctor Stead was born in 1908 close to Atlanta in the southern US state of Georgia.
His father was a purveyor of patent medicines around the poorer areas of the city.
Stead made the observation whilst helping his father that patients either succumbed to their illness, or fought it.
These different strategies adopted by the sick were to have a lasting effect on the way he treated his own patients after he qualified.
Doctor Stead undertook his medical education at the Emory University, and gained his early experience working at the Grady Hospital.
His internship took place in Boston.
Dr.
Stead maintained a stellar career path, becoming the youngest ever chairman of the Emory University Department of medicine at the age of 34.
He continued with his educational and research interest through his career.
Many of his former students rose to become important beacons within the medical education and research institutions of the United States.
Dr.
Stead realised that meeting patients needs was so time-consuming that doctors had little or no time to maintain and update the clinical skills.
He became aware of a country doctor who had trained his own office assistant to undertake many of the tasks within his busy practice.
Adopting this idea, Dr.
Stead initially tried expanding the skills base and decision-making responsibilities of nurses.
Accreditation was not forthcoming for these nurses courses.
Undeterred, during the 1960, based on an increasingly heavy reliance he was making on the use of ex military corpsmen in the running of specialty units, Dr.
Stead formulated an education course of a two-year curriculum to expand the competence of the corpsmen to become the first accredited civilian physician assistants.
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