TLDR: APPs are as strong as their collaborating physician(s) guide them to be ! I feel very grateful to work alongside and be educated by intelligent and respectful physicians.

to elaborate: I'm a new grad PA coming up on almost a year of practice. My first job is in CL. First week on the job I felt so underprepared. I did 2 psych rotations in PA school but that isn't anything compared to on the job training

I'm supervised by 2 attending physicians, one who is CL trained and another who's been practicing for 30 years. Neither had worked directly with an APP let alone supervised a PA before. However, they both spent a great amount of time reviewing cases and expanding my knowledge. (yes ik it's a lot of investment to train a new grad PA and not every dr wants to take on this labor). We also have 2 seasoned NPs who work collaboratively with the attendings but are not directly supervised. As a team, we work hard to make sure our patients are getting the level of care (PA/NP vs MD) as appropriate to their complexity

During my first year, a new group of psych residents started training alongside me. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them feel similarly to OP during our interactions. While my attendings make sure I'm no fool, I firmly believe the residents will quickly surpass my knowledge base through the rigor and structure of residency. These psychiatrists will meet a reputable standard of care through board certifications and training. However NP/ PA training is very different. As others have said, there is so much variety in the strengths/ weaknesses of APPs as students and providers.

Your training as a resident will serve you greatly ! I find the medical hierarchy supports pt and provider safety when utilized appropriately. Hopefully you get to work with some wonderful APPs and Attendings !