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What first inspired you to pursue a career as a physician assistant? I wanted to be in health care and take care of patients, but I didn’t feel like medical school was the right mixture of what I was looking for.

Duke Physician Assistant Program Alumni Magazine is published by the Duke Physician Assistant Program Alumni Association Editors -April Loehmer Stouder, EdD, MHS, PA-C Division Chief and Program Director, Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health -Andrea Martin Assistant Dean for Digital and Brand Communications -Jennifer Carpenter Associate Director, Marketing -Kyla Fisher, BFA Staff Specialist – Communications and Recruitment

What first inspired you to pursue a career as a physician assistant? I was one of those people that always knew I wanted to be in medicine. I always thought the only way to do that was to be a doctor, so I grew up with that thought of I'm going to go to medical school. I went through the process and didn't get in, and it made me reevaluate things. It never sat quite right with me. I knew I wanted to be in medicine, but something didn't align.

While I always knew I wanted to go into medicine, I never fully believed I was capable of doing so. As many of you who are reading this are aware, every step of the process of becoming a medical professional tests you in new ways, constantly reminding you of how much there is of both you and the world that you’re unaware of. Although I knew on paper I was a good candidate for PA school, the idea of absorbing all the information provided during the didactic year into my brain or embodying the dream version of myself a

A group of pre-health students from North Carolina A&T University recently visited Duke to gain an inside look at the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) programs. The visit provided students with the opportunity to explore campus facilities, observe classes in action, and connect directly with program faculty and staff.

Raheleh Ghasseminia, PhD, MS, OT/L, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and a member of the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program, successfully defended her dissertation and earned her PhD in Community Health Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Public Health Education.

What first inspired you to pursue a career as a physician assistant? As a kid, I always loved science. My mother was a nurse and I knew that was not what I wanted to do.  As a biology major in college, I was fascinated by the physiology of the human body and life in general. My advisors tried to steer me to teaching or nursing, neither of which appealed.  After college, I worked in a couple of different labs where I had mentors who really encouraged me to go to medical school.

The Class of 2027 has been busy giving back to their community, bringing the service they started last semester into the new one. They have put the Duke PA mission and values into practice by strengthening our community partners and emphasizing the importance of advocacy and service. Let’s take a look back at a few highlights from their community building efforts and how they continue to make a lasting impact in Durham.

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Dr. Nirali Dubal (second from left) with students who participated in her mindfulness “Sunset Reset” on March 11, 2026 Retired pediatrician-turned-life coach Dr.