Duke Physician Assistant Program News & Blogs

Effective January 1, 2022, in addition to her role as director of the Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Program, Jacqueline Barnett, DHSc, MSHS, PA-C, assumed the role of division chief for the Division of PA Studies within the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (FMCH).

“Unprecedented times.” A phrase we’ve become all too familiar with in recent days. It peppered email inboxes and public broadcasts alike. Covid’s arrival to the US found me finishing up my career as a critical care nurse and preparing for Duke.

In a lot of ways, Susan Blackwell (Crawford), MHS, PA-C’89, and the physician assistant profession have grown up together. They were born at roughly the same time, matured in parallel and proximity, and for more than three decades they’ve been inextricably linked.

Each August, a new class joins the Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Program for an orientation week that follows a similar flow from year to year. Traditionally, on Friday of orientation week, students don their white coats for the first time.

Janelle Bludorn, MS, PA-C, joined the faculty of the Duke Physician Assistant Program on September 7, 2021. She earned her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2010.  

The Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Program held its graduation and certificate ceremony on Aug. 6, with a hybrid in-person and live-streamed event. After managing a difficult course of study for two years, most during the COVID-19 pandemic, 89 students were awarded their diplomas at Duke Chapel.

June 23rd, 2021 was a regular day for some, but for me, it was a day full of bliss and excitement! It was the last day of my didactic year and I could officially say had made it to clinicals!