Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » PA Program Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Profession With PA Week
Education News

PA Program Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Profession With PA Week

By Will DossOct 18, 2017
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
pa_pic
The PA Program Class of 2019 spells out “PA” in the Arthur J. Rubloff Building Atrium.

Feinberg’s Physician Assistant (PA) program took part in National PA Week October 6 through 12, an annual celebration recognizing PAs’ contributions to patient care and raising awareness of the profession.

“As a relatively young profession in the world of medicine, it’s important to get our message out about the role we play in healthcare delivery,” said Michael MacLean, MS, PA-C, director of the PA program, who noted that this year was the 50th anniversary of the graduation of the first class of PAs from Duke University.

The demand for PAs is expected to grow 30 percent over the next several years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; anticipated growth in the field underlines the importance of advocating for the profession, MacLean said.

prentice_candy
PA students spread the word about the profession while handing out candy and prizes at Prentice Women’s Hospital.

Throughout the week, students gathered at Prentice Women’s Hospital to raise awareness about the profession, handing out candy and prizes and speaking with passersby.

One of the highlights of the week was the alumni panel, where seven PA program alumni returned to campus to take questions from current students, discussing job searching, clinical rotations and the importance of joining professional societies.

“Part of our program’s mission is for our graduates to make contributions to their community and to the profession, so it’s a great way to allow some of our alumni to pay it forward,” MacLean said.

Some graduates, including Elizabeth Walters, ’14 PA-C, physician assistant at Northwestern Medicine, did most of their rotations at Northwestern Medicine locations and enjoyed being with medical students and residents.

“It’s an established teaching environment, so you learn a lot,” Walters said.

alumni_panel
Graduates of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine PA Program returned to give advice and discuss their post-Feinberg careers at an alumni panel.

Other graduates, such as Lisa Werner, MPH, ’13 PA-C, physician assistant at Lawndale Christian Health Center, found value in locations outside of downtown Chicago.

“I was placed at Cook County hospital, and it was intimidating,” Werner said. “It was one of the hardest rotations for me in terms of expectations, but I really got involved,” Werner said.

Alumni on the panel also advised current students about life after Feinberg, including tips on finding a first job that’s a good fit, and how to become a lifelong learner. Phil Knuth, ’13 PA-C, now the vice president of Clinical Operations and Advanced Practice Services at Physicians Immediate Care, said he’s continued to use Feinberg philosophies as his position has evolved from caregiver to administrator.

knuth
Phil Knuth, ’13 PA-C, now the vice president of Clinical Operations and Advanced Practice Services at Physicians Immediate Care, said he draws from his Feinberg education in his administrative role.

“The problem-based learning format makes you work through problems as a group, a skillset you need no matter your role in medicine,” Knuth said. “You can apply that methodology to approaching complex problems in just about any situation.”

Having recent graduates come back to speak was both reassuring and informative, according to first-year student Mark Steinhauser.

“It was nice to have individuals who are successful now talk about what hurdles they’ve faced,” Steinhauser said. “One day, they’ll be our peers and it helps knowing they made it through.”

Founded in 2010, Feinberg’s PA program uses a rigorous problem-based learning curriculum and 12 months of clinical rotations to prepare students for the wide array of duties performed by working PAs.

Alumni Education Events
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

AOA Honors New Members

Mar 20, 2023

Celebrating Feinberg’s 2023 Match Day

Mar 17, 2023

Future Directions in Continuing Medical Education

Mar 14, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Investigating Protein’s Role in Hearing Loss

Mar 27, 2023

Sex-Specific Mechanisms for Major Depressive Disorder Identified in Response to Dysregulated Stress Hormones

Mar 23, 2023

Pre-Surgery Immunotherapy May Increase Survival in Advanced Melanoma

Mar 23, 2023

Hormone Therapy Plus Current Treatments Improves Survival in Prostate Cancer

Mar 22, 2023

How ChatGPT Has, and Will Continue to, Transform Scientific Research

Mar 21, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
20230317_NM651
20230317_NM610
20230317_NM569
20230317_NM537
20230317_NM331
20230317_NM323
20230317_NM316
20230317_NM336
20230317_NM626
20230317_NM662
20230317_NM655
20230317_NM642

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.