Is it illegal for a physician assistant to use the term "dr." ?

[Bethy]

PA and NJ.
There is a familiy member who recently passed her Physician Assistant certification. Her mother is now telling people she's a Dr. (and uses specfic titles like Dermatologist and surgeon). While I understand parental proudness, I'm hoping this family member (actual P.A.) doesn't get in trouble for her mom adding medical years to her training. Is is illegal to tell people that?

 

[Zigner]

PA and NJ.
There is a familiy member who recently passed her Physician Assistant certification. Her mother is now telling people she's a Dr. (and uses specfic titles like Dermatologist and surgeon). While I understand parental proudness, I'm hoping this family member (actual P.A.) doesn't get in trouble for her mom adding medical years to her training. Is is illegal to tell people that?

The PA isn't claiming to be a doctor...mom's just wrong, but that has nothing to do with the PA.

 

[xylene]

PA and NJ.
There is a familiy member who recently passed her Physician Assistant certification. Her mother is now telling people she's a Dr. (and uses specfic titles like Dermatologist and surgeon). While I understand parental proudness, I'm hoping this family member (actual P.A.) doesn't get in trouble for her mom adding medical years to her training. Is is illegal to tell people that?

Unless her mom is somehow actually involved in advertising her as a bona fide doctor...

What you need to do is tell this PA family member and ask her to correct her mother's exaggerations.

 

[justalayman]

You have doctors that are MD's (DO, DPM, ) and such that are allowed to practice medicine (after licensing by the germane state) and you have doctor's that have a PhD, JD, and many other doctoral degrees that are non-medical in nature. Both can be considered to be "doctors" although the medical "doctors" at the folks that get to practice medicine.

A PA has neither and as such would not properly be called a doctor.

If the term is used by the practitioner in a manner that would suggest that they are able to practice medicine, the state licensing entity would likely have a problem with it. It also is false representation to the patient and could incur legal issues.

Since it is the mother making the statements, there is nothing illegal about it even if it is not actually true.