The PA Path Podcast

We speak with Mr. Jonathan Bowser, Associate Dean and Program Director for the University of Colorado Child Health Associate Physician Assistant Program. Jon, Stephanie, and I speak about his path to the profession, his long-standing program, and his thoughts about the future of the profession. We also discuss the pros and cons for a pre-PA entrance examination and chat about Jon's experiences lea...

Today we speak with Dr. Patrick Knott and Mr. Jason Radke from Rosalind Franklin University about their PA program, about post-graduate training residencies for PAs, and about a unique role that Dr. Knott has taken as an inventor and scholar. We also speak about the role of mentorship in our profession including the ironic connections the three of us share.

This week we speak with Dr. Jacqueline Barnett, Associate Professor and Program Director at the Duke University School of Medicine PA Program about her path to becoming a PA; her role in the DC Coroner‘s office; her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and about the program that started it all for the PA profession - Duke University. We talk about her vision for the program and for the pr...

We speak with PA Brian Peacock from the Wake Forest School of Medicine PA Program. Brian serves as their Program Director and he highlights the unique inquiry-based curriculum that Wake has utilized for generations of Wake PAs. This format promotes critical thinking and allows their graduates' to be prepared for the ever changing scientific environment. We also discuss their strong history of prod...

2021 PAEA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Grace Landel, M.Ed., PA-C speaks with our team about Touro University's dual degree program, her path in the PA profession, and about the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for her and her students.

Mr. Matthew McQuillan, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA is the Department Chair for the Rutgers School of Health Professions Department of PA Studies and Practice. He is a nationally renown leader and educator who has led the accrediting body through one of the most difficult times in the history of our profession. His passion for faculty development, research, and the medical humanities is palpable and he shared...

The University of Iowa PA program has a unique distinction as one of the only programs in the country to share their curriculum with their medical school. The first 18 months are identical for both medical and PA students and then each profession heads out on their clinical rotations. We speak with Dr. David Asprey, Associate Dean for Medical Education and Mr. Tony Brennamen, PA-C, MSW about their...

The Stanford University Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies team speaks with us about their program, their unique curriculum, and their commitment to service and leadership. We speak with Drs. Sue Fernandes, Nicole Burwell, and Jess Butler about their careers and vision for the future of Stanford University.

Dr. Dawn Morton-Rias is the first PA and woman of color to lead one of the four national organizations representing the PA profession. She shares her path to becoming a PA, her clinical journey, her work in PA education and her rise to national leadership. We'll learn more about the NCCPA and their role in supporting the profession in certifying PAs across the country.

Ted Ruback, MS, PA-C Emeritus is widely known as the father of CASPA, the centralized application service for the PA profession. He is also the founding father of the Oregon Health and Sciences University PA program in Portland, OR and he is the recipient of the two highest honors in our profession; the American Academy of Physician Assistants Eugene A Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award and the...

We speak with Dr. Maha Lund and Mr. Allan Platt about Emory University's Physician Assistant Program and their commitment to educational excellence and service to the community. We also connect about the future of the profession and the impact of the growth of programs in the United States.

Michael DeRosa, PhD, PA-C and I talk about his unique path to becoming a PA, Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA, and the incredible work he and his colleagues are doing in the remote mountains of Panama providing health care and public health services to the people of Batata. The beauty of their land and the people are worth listening in on as we talk about their triumphs and a tragedy.

Tony Miller has been a PA for over 42 years and throughout his career he has sought new opportunities to lead our profession. In this episode Steph and I talk about Tony's passion for faculty and curricular development, his legacy with Shenandoah University, his leadership, and about the potential impact of the doctoral degree on the PA profession.

Dr. Adrian Banning is an Associate Clinical Professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a PA educator, researcher, and clinician who hosts PA centric podcasts and serves her profession in a variety of avenues. She spoke with us about her path to becoming a PA, her passion for the care of veterans, her work at Drexel University's PA Program, and her thoughts on applying to PA school....

Today we speak with Paula Phelps, MHE, PA-C. Paula is the former Department Chair and current Professor and Service Learning Coordinator for the Idaho State University Department of PA Studies. She is also the first and only PA to serve on the Idaho State Medical Board and she has an impressive history of writing successful grants that have supported numerous innovations with the program, and publ...

Mr. Terry Scott, MPA, PA-C, DFAAPA is the Program Director and Section Head of MEDEX Northwest, the PA Program at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. Terry and I discuss our passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and the historic roots of the MEDEX Northwest PA Program including some of the historic work their founding father Dr. Richard Smith led in his career. We also talk about...

Stephane VanderMeulen, MA, MPAS, PA-C is not only a national and state leader in PA education, but she is joining our team with this podcast. Ms. VanderMeulen is the Chair of the Department of Health Professions and Program Director of the PA program at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska.  Ms. VanderMeulen is a 1994 graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center...

Paul Lombardo, MSPS-HSA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA is the only PA to serve as President and Chair of the AAPA, PAEA, PA Foundation, NCCPA, and the State PA Chapter for New York. He is the 2020 recipient of the Eugene Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award which is the most prestigious honor any PA may receive from the academy and he is one of the most generous humans on the planet. We talk about his nea...

Dr. Mary Jo Bondy is the first PA to become Chief Executive Officer of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). She shares her vision for the organization which includes a new Chief Diversity Officer and a new PA leader overseeing admissions efforts for the profession. Listen to her challenges as she assimilated into this new role at the start of the pandemic and hear how she and the...

In PA education the graduate classes will often elect a leader and having strong leaders co-navigate the challenges of PA education is a definite plus as a program director. Having the benefit when facing a once in a lifetime pandemic, digital education, and systemic racism in our world is priceless. We are delighted to interview the three presidents for the Class of 2021, 2022, and 2023. Renee Le...

Welcome to the PA Path Podcast where prospective PAs, PA students, and current PAs can learn more about the profession and the paths that PAs take to serve their communities. The podcast team will be interviewing leaders from around the world to help us all understand how to navigate the journey to becoming a certified PA and to better understand the PA profession.