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. Lee D. Sellmann is a seasoned therapist with over 25 years of experience. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. She then received her Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Science from West Texas A&M University in 2002 and a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Bay Path University in May 2019, with the focus on education. Her capstone project is currently being reviewed for publication by a large publisher of Occupational Therapy textbooks.
Dr. Sellmann’s career began in inpatient rehabilitation, with some experience in pediatrics and hippotherapy. She taught at the MOT Level at a Texas university until moving to Dallas in 2003. She then began working in outpatient day neuro where she specialized in cognitive therapy with acquired brain injury as well as managed the growing program. Other experience has been in home health care and outpatient upper extremity orthopedic rehab. She has also served in both the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Program Director roles for Occupational Therapy Assistant programs.
Dr. Sellmann has also served as a founding board member for the Brain Injury Network of Dallas (BIND), a nonprofit organization that bridges the gap from outpatient therapy to full community re-engagement for survivors of brain injury.
