Incoming students of the Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Program class of 2025 gathered together for the first time over St. Patrick's Day weekend. For many, this was their first visit to Durham.
Prior to 2020, applicants who earned an interview traveled to each school, where they met other applicants, got tours of buildings, and explored new towns. Then came COVID-19 and a sudden shake up of the status quo.
Though the transition to virtual interviews was difficult, there were benefits to this new way of interviewing. While in person interviews sometimes meant difficult choices based on finances and time away from work, the sudden pivot to virtual interviews meant applicants could interview from their living rooms for little-to-no money.
In the past year, some schools have gone back to fully in-person interviews, some to a mix of in person and virtual, and some, like the Duke PA Program have made the decision to stay virtual for the foreseeable future.
Assistant Admissions Director Wendy Elwell-Paige says the necessary change opened their eyes to a new way of doing things.
In many ways the program was able to reproduce the important aspects of an interview day.
Elwell-Paige said, “We created space for even more interaction with our current students. We created space for the applicants to mingle. We have a fantastic faculty and staff family who were able to exude our excitement via the air waves. We sought feedback, and for the most part, we nailed it. Applicants felt heard. They felt our culture. They felt that everyone got to know each other enough. They also did not have to spend around $1000 to come to Durham for a one-day interview experience. We strive for equity here. We felt that this helped put all applicants at the same level. “
With in-person interviews, applicants gathered at the Duke PA Program building for their interview day, which included a tour of the facilities. While there is facilities information on the Duke PA Program website, it sometimes feels like a poor substitute for actually walking the halls.
“With all wins, there are some drawbacks,” said Elwell-Paige. “Applicants could not see the space and could not gather together. As COVID restrictions eased, we had requests for single visits from multiple accepted students. How could we make this equitable? “
Once accepted, nearly all incoming students travel to Durham at least once prior to matriculation, to find housing and get the lay of the land.
That was a key factor in the decision to host a welcome weekend during the spring.
“We did not do this the first year back as it still seemed like such a fragile environment,” explained Elwell-Paige. “But this year, last weekend, we finally had an official Welcome Weekend for our Class of 2025! We all showed off our culture and dedication to this great program and the excitement was contagious.”
On March 17th, incoming students from across the country arrived in Durham for a student-led social event at Hi-Wire Brewing in Golden Belt. This presented a chance to let the class of 2025 meet and interact with their class of 2024 mentors and get to know each other without faculty and staff involvement.
The next morning, students from the class of 2025 came to the Duke PA Program building for presentations, panels, and tours
After a catered breakfast, everyone met in the main classroom, where students got a feel for what a day of learning at the PA program might feel like.
Division Chief and Program Director Jacqui Barnett, DHSc, MSHS, PA-C, offered opening remarks, reminding incoming students of what it took to get to this day.
“You did all your prereqs, you did your CASPA. You navigated that,” said Barnett. “You’ve gone through interviews, ‘webviews’ and every kind of other view across the United States. […] You’ve earned your seat in the class. And so, the competition ends. Now it’s really about coming together as a class.”
Because one main purpose of this trip for many is visiting potential housing, the first presentation was from the new director of off campus and community housing and assistant dean of students, Elinor Landess.
Landess shared information about factors to consider when looking for housing in Durham, from affordability to safety and transportation options. She also gave an overview of Durham neighborhoods and the newly expanded Duke-affiliated graduate housing options.
Faculty and student panels followed Landess’s presentation. Students were then given a sneak preview into the onboarding process they will experience as their first day as PA students draws closer.
After the presentations, current students lead the class of 2025 and their families on a tour of the building, including the physical diagnosis rooms, Harvey patient simulators, and wet lab.
Reflecting on the weekend, Associate Program Director and Admissions Director April Stouder, MHS, PA-C said, “Our inaugural Welcome Weekend event was a huge success, with opportunities for us to showcase our facilities and resources, the DPAP community, and Durham. We were energized by meeting many of our incoming students and look forward to welcoming the Class of 2025 in August."
Elwell-Paige spoke of the intangible importance of the weekend, saying, “What truly makes DPAP special is the familial culture we have here; and this weekend, we welcomed lots of new family members into the fold.”