Duke Physician Assistant Program News & Blogs

After winning their local competition in May, the Duke Physician Assistant Program point-of-care ultrasound teams came home with another trophy from the 2024 American Academy of PAs (AAPA) conference in Houston, Texas.

Called Up to the Big Leagues

My journey to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) House of Delegates started last year, when I was elected to our PA program student government. I served as one of Duke’s representatives for the AAPA Student Academy with my classmate Chris Marshall. The Assembly of Representatives (AOR) mimics AAPA’s House of Delegates (HOD) and introduces student leaders to our profession’s governing structure.

Enhancing your application to PA programs extends beyond just showcasing your academic and technical proficiency. While a strong GPA and substantial healthcare experience are undeniably valuable, admissions committees are increasingly recognizing the importance of soft skills. 

You can frequently highlight them in your application through the essays or by demonstrating them with your choices of patient care work, volunteering, or extracurriculars. 

When Katherine Bullock, Helen Gaynes, and Emily McEnerey from the class of 2023 founded the student-led Point-of-Care Ultrasound Society (POCUS) in 2022, their mission was to provide teaching skills for second-year Duke PA Program students and early exposure to POCUS skills to the first-year students.

I’m going to let you in on a secret: being a PA student at Duke probably isn’t what you’re thinking it is.

When you picture Blue Devils, does your brain immediately conjure an image of a student nose-deep in textbooks, pushing up their reading glasses? How about a stadium overflowing with dark blue, cheering on our infamous basketball team?

While these are all undoubtedly pieces of the DPAP (Duke PA Program) experience, they can’t lead you all the way to an accurate picture.

You’ve finished (or are finishing) your prerequisites. You have the required number of patient care hours. You have written your own mission statement and figured out where you want to apply.

And the moment you have waited for is here!

Navigating Challenges and Embracing Growth: Reflections on Completing PA School

As I approach the final leg of my PA school journey, with just three rotations remaining, I find myself reflecting deeply on the challenges and triumphs that have defined this transformative period of my life. Imposter syndrome has been a constant companion of mine.

It’s that time of year again; the CASPA application opens at the end of this month!

Last week was the annual North Carolina Health Professions Fair Week. We visited seven schools across the state, from Wilmington to Boone, and many places in between. One thing we heard from quite a few students was how helpful our school comparison spreadsheet is in their planning.

Every PA program has slightly different requirements, as well as different costs, locations, and amenities. It’s hard to keep up!

"What is grief?"

During a Grand Rounds lecture called Grief 101, Dr. G posed this question to a silent room. Not a single word popped into my mind to describe this feeling, though I had known it for the past two years.