First Year Student Blog: Emma Twer
Beta Tested: DPAP Approved
How Peer Partnership and Purpose-Built Tech Modernized Volunteer Engagement
As the Stead Society student secretary for the Class of 2026, one of my core responsibilities is to track and manage individual and class-wide volunteer hours.
First Year Student Blog: Samantha Fortier
From Research to PA School: A Non-Traditional Applicant
It was not until 2019 that I met a Physician Assistant (PA) for the first time. I just moved back home to California to work at UCLA. Up until that point, I always envisioned myself pursuing a career in healthcare as a physician or a nurse. Over time, I developed a deep passion for clinical research.
Student Blog: Kris Miller (Second-Year PA student) and Ketan Tamirisa (Global Health Student)
Second Year Student Group Blog: Wilderness Medicine
Who we are

The Duke Physician Assistant (PA) Wilderness Medicine Student Interest Group (SIG) was founded in 2022 with hopes to foster a commun
Second Year Student Blog: Liz Shipman
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.
Second Year Student Blog: Jane Gray
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.
Second Year Student Blog: Teri Woschnik
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.
Second Year Student Blog: Reilly Walker
"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.
A Conversation with Stead Society President Kristina Miller: Part II
In this two-part series, first-year students Polly Hurlburt and Kris Miller sat down to discuss Kris's groundbreaking role as the first Black president of the Duke PA Program's student society, the Stead Society.
Part Two: Looking Forward
A Conversation with Stead Society President Kristina Miller
This month, we are stepping away from our usual student blog posts to bring you a two-part series: First-year students Polly Hurlburt and Kris Miller sat down to discuss Kris's groundbreaking role as the first Black president of the Duke PA Program's student society, the Stead Society.
Part 1: The Path to Leadership