The PA Path Podcast

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 success as one of the top programs in the U.S. News & World Report and about the benefits of a shared curriculum with their medical school colleagues.

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 Master Faculty Award from the Physician Assistant Education Association. We discussed his path to becoming a pediatric PA, his passion for service, and the creation of OHSU's PA program and CASPA.

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. We also discussed her podcasts including Airwaves & Educators in this truly enjoyable session.

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 publishing her findings in many different journals. She has been a PA since 1996 and has practiced in family medicine, public health, and women’s health and now serves the Pocatello Free Clinic at least one day each week. She is an avid runner and certified Lifestyle Medicine provider who has some very interesting things to say about her experiences in Idaho.

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 the "why" behind the applicant and the importance of knowing your why before applying to any PA program.