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
Christian Garcia, PT, DPT joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2017 as a contributing faculty on the Miami, FL campus. His main clinical and academic interests are within cardiopulmonary and neurological physical therapy. Dr. Garcia has presented original research at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting while in graduate school at the University of Miami.
Before then, he received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida International University. Dr. Garcia received his Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Miami. He received his Board Certification in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy in 2019. He is currently working on his Doctor of Education through the University of St. Augustine and continues to see patients as a physical therapist at West Gables Rehabilitation Hospital.
