Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are advanced healthcare practitioners with similar responsibilities, such as diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications. However, their training and paths toward certification differ in significant ways. This blog post unpacks the key differences between NPs and PAs to help you determine which career path best aligns with your goals. What Is a Nurse Practitioner? A nurse practitioner (NP) is a licensed clinician who provides comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages. An NP can work in virtually any healthcare setting, diagnosing patient conditions and prescribing medications. As of October 2022, nurse practitioners have full practice authority in 27 states, meaning that they can practice Read more
Dr. Amanda Allen is a graduate of Duke University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. She joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2016 as a contributing faculty member. In 2018 she became a full-time instructor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program for the San Marcos campus.
Prior to joining the university, she worked as a physical therapist in the outpatient orthopaedic setting. Dr. Allen is board certified in orthopaedics. Additionally, she is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), as well as its California chapter (CPTA), and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT).
Dr. Allen is a 2015 AAOMPT fellow from Duke University. She is currently engaged in academia and clinical practice with an emphasis on orthopaedic rehabilitation.
