Duke Physician Assistant Program News & Blogs

I’ve had the best day today. I woke up to a fresh pot of coffee and enjoyed a cup on the patio; Durham's weather has shifted from the unforgiving humidity of summer to a much gentler, calm fall climate. I finished breakfast and then geared up for the first virtual lesson of the day: Viruses that Changed the World. Can you think of a more engaging, appropriate topic for 2020? After appreciating every word, I felt such gratitude for public health and the roles of physician assistants (PA).

Effective today, September 1, 2020, the name of the PA Division in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health has changed to Division of PA Studies.

Division Chief Patricia McKelvey Dieter, MPA, PA-C, says this change more accurately reflects the expansion of programs and the variety of work done within the division.

“It also reflects the growth of the PA concept nationally, internationally, and within Duke Health, and it more accurately describes the role of the division in studying PA education, practice, and research,” Dieter says.

The Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Program held its graduation and certificate ceremony on Aug. 21, with a live-streamed ceremony.  

Initially scheduled to take place in Duke Chapel, program leadership knew they could not re-create the feeling of a celebration in such an iconic location. Instead, they tried to find unique ways to honor each of the 89 students. 

Each August, the incoming class of the Duke Physician Assistant Program finishes their orientation week with a ceremony to celebrate the significance of health care's ubiquitous white coat.  

Usually, the white coat ceremony is a private event that takes place in the classroom, with faculty advisers symbolically helping students into their white coats for the first time. This year, it took place via Zoom and was live-streamed to friends and family.  

Soon, I will finish my last clinical rotation as a Duke Physician Assistant (PA) student. I am writing this from the floor of my empty apartment, after packing everything I own into a U-Haul for my move back to Maryland. Two years ago, I looked at this same empty apartment on move-in day, imagining how different my “PA student life” would be from the one I left behind.

As the COVID-19 global pandemic moves into August, what everyone hoped would be a time-limited issue is becoming the country’s new standard. Masks have become a fashion statement as well as a political flashpoint. All are tired of Zoom meetings, and desperate extroverts are socializing across yards.

At the Duke Physician Assistant Program, leaders are leaning into challenges while looking for opportunities to re-imagine the structure of students’ education, not just for the immediate crisis, but for the future.

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) recently elected Duke Physician Assistant students Laura Okolie and Leslie Flego as 2020-2021 student representatives of their House of Delegates (HOD).  

Our last school year is about to begin Never thought the day would come! In the midst of COVID-19, this summer break was a relief after a busy first year, and I enjoyed all the time I spent with my family. At the same time, I felt the constant dread of “did I do enough - or anything productive - over break?” Many of my classmates echo my anxiety when we chat. It is the worry of losing all that we gained over the first year that keeps my mind pacing. Thankfully, my partner reassures me over FaceTime each night with “it is called a break for a reason.” This stops my worrying for the next 8 hours that most of what I did over break revolved around the beach.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the Duke Physician Assistant Program a $2 million five-year grant for the project “Physician Assistant Leaders in Underserved Communities.” 

The grant will provide $400,000 for scholarships to be awarded to 10 disadvantaged students each year, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. It will also allow the creation of unique clinical opportunities through longitudinal placement in primary care settings in medically underserved communities.