Second year Duke PA student, Alexander (Tram) Whitehurst, was recently elected to the AAPA House of Delegates as a Student Delegate for the 2025-2026 year, where he will help represent PA students through policymaking. This year’s election cycle was notably competitive, requiring two run-off elections in addition to the general election to determine the final group of 35 delegates.
One of the main responsibilities of a student representative in the AAPA House of Delegates, as outlined on the website, is to stay informed about key topics discussed and voted on during meetings. Representatives are expected to communicate with their student society to better represent the student perspective and keep peers informed about important developments in the field.
Other responsibilities include becoming familiar with parliamentary procedures, reviewing the AAPA Policy Manual, attending monthly conference calls, and reviewing 2026 House of Delegates resolutions. Student delegates may also collaborate with peers to co-author a resolution for consideration. They will also attend the 2026 AAPA Conference to carry out duties.
Before serving in the House of Delegates, Whitehurst served as the AAPA Student Academy Representative here at DPAP. He is currently on the executive board of the student-led group Duke Mobile Medicine and holds a leadership role in the Duke PA Wilderness Medicine Interest Group.
This role was previously held by Sabrina Denton, a recent graduate of the Duke PA Class of 2025. Fellow Duke PA student Skyler Gubbels, who was recently elected to serve on the AAPA Student Academy Board of Directors for the 2025 cycle as the Southeast Regional Director, noted, “It’s awesome to have consecutive Duke representation like this.”