WELCOME TO THE ACADEMY OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS IN LEGAL MEDICINE (APALM)

APALM is a special interest group of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and is open to all AAPA members. Through this website and our academy, we hope to offer information, education and resources to our profession, and to the legal and medical communities.  See our APALM MISSION STATEMENT

latest news:
  • 2023 BOARD APPROVES FUNDING FOR A NEW WEBSITE/WEBISTE MAKEOVER. We have been considering for some time a more visually appealing, simplified and streamlined website for our members.  The content is good, but the navigation is cumbersome. Additionally, the current webiste is not fully integrated with membership tracking and email services. Stayed tuned for further developments!
  • APALM WELCOMES A NEW PRESIDENT AND NEW BOARD IN 2023.  Kathryn (Kate) Schisler, DMSc, MHA, PA-C, MSM, formerly our APALM Secretary has become our new President; Kimberly Regnier BSN, RN, MPAS, PA-C has become our new Secretary; new Directors at Large include Lee Morissette, DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-EM, DFAAPA, Wayne Mathews, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA, and John Kodosky DHSc, MPAS, PA-C; and two new student board members include Erica Chamberlain, PA-S from the GWU PA Program and Emily Cohea, PA-S, from Wake Forest University’s PA Program.  APALM is fortunate to welcome a new board packed with distinguished PAs in multiple leadership positions and with advanced degrees. Please see the Board of Directors page to see all the 2023-2024 officers with links to their biosketches.
  • APALM FORMER PRESIDENT AND CURRENT BOARD MEMBER, JEFF NICHOLSON, PHD, PA-C, OFFERED A CME PRESENTATION ON AVOIDANCE OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AT THE AAPA INDIANAPOLIS CONFERENCE 2022.    A link to view this powerpoint presentation is now available in the Member’s Only Section of this website.
  • WHEN ASKED IF HE HAD AN TIPS FOR TESTIFYING IN FRONT OF A JURY, BOARD MEMBER NICHOLSON HAD THIS TO SAY:
    For trial remember you are a teacher. Teach the jury and look at the jury. Be sweet and fatherly but not condescending.
    Keep your cool when the opposing counsel gets their turn. Do not be rude back, or fight back. Try to keep a smile on your face
    and polite to the opposition. The first part is fun, the opposing questioning can be unsettling.

Become a member for access to many full  powerpoint presentations.

Why Become a PA Fellow Member?
APALM strongly encourages all interested AAPA members to become an APALM Fellow member. Membership dues are only $50 annually, billed upon enrollment and each year thereafter. Through the act of paying your dues to become an APALM member, you explicity agree to follow the Ethical Guidelines for PA expert witnesses adopted by the Academy of Physician Assistants House of Delegates.
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For Attorneys
REQUEST A PA EXPERT.  APALM offers its Members and their expertise at no charge to those interested in seeking PA experts to review medical records and testify to the standard of care of Physician Assistant practice. APALM’s membership currently approximates 180 registered members, most of whom offer medical-legal consulting services. Please follow this link to request an expert – Request PA Expert

“Legal Shield” As an APALM member you can get discounted membership in “Legal Shield” a prepaid attorney services program. Get access to every legal area from Family Wills and Trusts to Incorporation, Malpractice representation and much more.
For additional information Click here. 

Schedule an Expert Presentation
A select panel of members of APALM are available to speak to your organization.
These professionals will be happy to talk about the changing roll of PA Experts and PA malpractice. You may contact them directly. See the complete list.

If you are visiting us for the first time
We encourage you to join us as a Fellow member. Your annual membership includes access to our ongoing communications emails and articles as well as educational materials and lectures on PA scope of practice standards and research on PA malpractice. You have the opportunity to be part of a community including the most well-informed PAs in the country on medical-legal issues and the opportunity to be contacted and listed as an expert witness to testify on PA standards of care.  Note that you must first be a member of the AAPA in order to be a member of APALM. Please see our mission statement for more information and the membership sign up page.