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
BACKGROUND
Dr. Megann Schooley graduated Suma Cum Lade with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lynn Universitywhere she was captain of the Women’s National Championship Soccer Team, twice an Academic All-American and recently inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Exercise, health and wellness have always been one of her personal passions. She began pursuing health and wellness from a professional stand point when she began graduate school.
Schooley received her Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine. After graduating, she specialized in orthopedics earning the title of a level III (highest level) Physical Therapist on the continuum of professional development for Orlando Regional Healthcare System. She was also on the elite team of physical therapists that provided Corporate/ Occupational Injury Prevention services for the prominent entertainment/theme park industry in Orlando, Florida. She was responsible for designing and implementing health/wellness screening, exercise prescription, back schools and spine stabilization programs in the clinic and on the corporate job sites. She also developed and implemented children’s exercise and nutrition wellness camps as well as adolescent sports screenings and conditioning programs.
While residing in Orlando, FL, Schooley was an adjunct faculty member for the University of Central Florida’s Physical Therapy Program. Her subject areas included Physiology of Therapeutic Exercise, Wellness and Health Promotion, Pregnancy Wellness, Exercise and Treatment, Functional Exercise/ Rehabilitation, Spine Stabilization Training, and an Orthopaedics review course. Schooley returned to the University of St. Augustine to enroll in the Post-Professional Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She received a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with emphasis in orthopedics and manual therapy. Her final project was a literature review titled “Dynamic Spinal Stabilization: Bridging the Gap between Rehabilitation and Human Performance”.
Schooley is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, Manual Therapy Certified through the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults through the American Physical Therapy Association Geriatric Section. She has been a member of the St. Johns County and Fire-Rescue Health and Wellness Committees. She was also appointed by the past president of the Florida Physical Therapy Association (FPTA) as a member of the FPTA Wellness and Fitness Task Force.
Currently Schooley resides in St. Augustine with her husband and two daughters. She is core faculty member on the Wellness/Physiology/Exercise/Orthopaedics team for the University of St. Augustine’s entry level DPT program and online programs. She is the head girls soccer coach for a local high school and works clinically in St. Augustine as a prn physical therapist in outpatient orthopaedics and home health.
