The PA Path Podcast

In this episode, speak with one of the pillars of our profession, Dr. Donald Pedersen, PA-C, about his path to becoming a PA, his leadership and philanthropic efforts in the industry, building a strong PA program at the University of Utah, and the future of PA education. This episode is sponsored by Sentinel U .  

In the season five premier, we speak to Dr. Sara Fletcher, CEO of the PA Education Association, about our new partnership with the organization, her career path,  the growth of PAEA, and the future of the organization. .

This week Stephane and Kevin talk about the Season 4 episodes, themes, and trends and share some exciting news about the future of the podcast.

We speak with the leaders of the AAPA caucus group PAs for Latino Health about their mission, their scholarship programs, their support for PA programs and most importantly for pre-PA students. 

We speak with one of the most recognizable names in PA history, PA Jim Cawley, about his path to becoming a PA, his history of dedicated research on the profession, and the many contributions he has made to improving our profession over the course of 40 years through leadership, advocacy, education, and research.

Stephane and I speak with Dr. Nina Multak about her path to becoming a PA, a national leader in simulation, and an Associate Dean with the University of Florida's School of Physician Assistant Studies. She shares updates on the program, their strength in simulation, and her thoughts on the profession.

We speak with Dr. Hanifin about his path to becoming a CT surgery and emergency medicine PA and about the Seton Hall University PA Program. Dr. Hanifin shares his thoughts about what makes the experience work well for PA students and how PA students can best prepare for school. He also shares their story about their simulation center and how it supports their students on their educational journey.

We speak with a long time PA ally and educator, Dr. Arta Bakshandeh about the impact of artificial intelligence on clinical care and PA education. We also talk about the incredible work he and his colleagues are providing for their patients and clients through Alignment Healthcare.

We speak with PA Jared Spackman about the University of Utah PA Program and their rich history of leadership in our profession. We also talk about his path to becoming a PA and a leader in both the Utah PA Academy and the Utah PA Licensing Board.

We speak with Dr. Kim Cavanagh who is a nationally recognized leader on assessment. Dr. Cavanagh also leads the Gannon University PA Department. We talk about her path to PA and about her role in building the PAEA suite of assessment products that has positively impacted programs and students in their journey to becoming board certified PAs.

We speak with Dr. Dipu Patel about her role as Vice-Chair for Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of PA Studies. We also talk about her path to becoming a PA and about her thoughts on digital health and the impact of artificial intelligence on health care.

We speak with PAEA Past-President Kara Caruthers about her path to becoming a PA and about her developing program at the Meharry College of Medicine's Department of PA Sciences. PA Caruthers also shares her personal perspective about the PA profession's recent doctoral summit held this month in Charlotte, NC.

We speak with Dr. McHugo, Chair of the Department of PA Studies at the University of North Dakota about her path to becoming a PA from rural South Dakota. We also learn about their innovative approach to building the primary care workforce for their state and her contributions to leading the PA profession.

We speak with the Director of the Keck Street Medicine program at the University of Southern California about their incredible program caring for those experiencing chronic homelessness in the streets of Los Angeles. We talk about their clinical care, but also the importance of research, service, and teaching others how to build their own street medicine teams and learn how PAs have made a differe...

Steph and I review the themes that arose from our conversations this past season and we look ahead to the future of the podcast with Season 4. 

We speak with Dr. Matt Dane Baker, Interim Provost and long-standing PA leader with Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Baker talks with us about his path to becoming a PA, his military career, and his contributions to leadership as both a national PA leader and leader in higher education. Dr. Baker shares some great insights into success in life as well as his take on the future of the PA profession...

We speak with Dr. Bridget Calhoun, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research at Duquesne University. Dr. Calhoun shares her path to becoming a transplant PA, an HIV researcher, and an academic and national leader.

We speak with Dr. Randy Danielson from the Arizona School of Health Sciences at A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ about his path to becoming a PA, a PA educator and leader, and his role in developing the post-graduate doctoral degrees for PAs.

We speak with PA Michel Statler from the UT Southwestern PA Program about her path to becoming a surgical PA, her program, and about her perspective on the many aspects of the profession from her role as past-president for PAEA. We also learn from a master teacher about how she prepares for delivering lectures.

We speak with Dr. Jed Grant about the University of the Pacific PA Program and about his service as an Army PA. We also talk about his service to the profession as the former Chair of the State of California Physician Assistant Board and the work they did to expand the profession in California.

This special Thanksgiving week edition highlights a conversation with one of our founding father's, Dr. Alfred Sadler. We talk about the book he and his twin brother Blair Sadler wrote to highlight the Pluck they found in history while serving our country with a variety of prestigious institutions on important issues including organ donation, medical ethics, emergency medical services, and the hea...

This week we celebrate our 50th episode by speaking with Dr. Sharon Luke, Executive Director of the Accreditation Review Commission on Physician Assistant Education, Inc. Dr. Luke shares her path to becoming a PA, a PA educator, a national leader, and the director of the only accrediting body to oversee PA educational programs.

We speak with the Director and Department Chair for the Northeastern University PA Studies about her path to becoming a surgical PA and her program. PA Carey Barry talks about their dual degree options and the newly developed Doctor of Medical Science degree at their institution.

We speak with PA Cindy Lord about the Case Western Reserve University PA Program. Cindy provides insights into her program, but also some great advice for pre-PA students on how to vet programs for their CASPA applications. We also talk about the importance of advocacy and learn about Cindy's own path to becoming a PA.

We speak with Dr. Jeremy Welsh about the University of Lynchburg PA program and their post graduate doctoral program. Dr. Welsh shares his unique path to becoming a PA and his path to higher education leadership.