The PA Path Podcast

Season 1: Episode 13: NCCPA - Dr. Morton-Rias

Dr. Dawn Morton-Rias is the first PA and woman of color to lead one of the four national organizations representing the PA profession. She shares her path to becoming a PA, her clinical journey, her work in PA education and her rise to national leadership. We'll learn more about the NCCPA and their role in supporting the profession in certifying PAs across the country.

Season 1: Episode 12: Oregon Health & Sciences University - Ted Ruback, MS, PA-C Emeritus

Ted Ruback, MS, PA-C Emeritus is widely known as the father of CASPA, the centralized application service for the PA profession. He is also the founding father of the Oregon Health and Sciences University PA program in Portland, OR and he is the recipient of the two highest honors in our profession; the American Academy of Physician Assistants Eugene A Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award and the Master Faculty Award from the Physician Assistant Education Association. We discussed his path to becoming a pediatric PA, his passion for service, and the creation of OHSU's PA program and CASPA.

Season 1: Episode 11: Emory University PA Leadership

We speak with Dr. Maha Lund and Mr. Allan Platt about Emory University's Physician Assistant Program and their commitment to educational excellence and service to the community. We also connect about the future of the profession and the impact of the growth of programs in the United States.

Season 1: Episode 10: Samuel Merritt University - Dr. DeRosa

Michael DeRosa, PhD, PA-C and I talk about his unique path to becoming a PA, Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA, and the incredible work he and his colleagues are doing in the remote mountains of Panama providing health care and public health services to the people of Batata. The beauty of their land and the people are worth listening in on as we talk about their triumphs and a tragedy.

Season 1: Episode 9: Shenandoah University - Tony Miller, M.Ed., PA-C

Tony Miller has been a PA for over 42 years and throughout his career he has sought new opportunities to lead our profession. In this episode Steph and I talk about Tony's passion for faculty and curricular development, his legacy with Shenandoah University, his leadership, and about the potential impact of the doctoral degree on the PA profession.

Season 1: Episode 8: Drexel University - Dr. Banning

Dr. Adrian Banning is an Associate Clinical Professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a PA educator, researcher, and clinician who hosts PA centric podcasts and serves her profession in a variety of avenues. She spoke with us about her path to becoming a PA, her passion for the care of veterans, her work at Drexel University's PA Program, and her thoughts on applying to PA school. We also discussed her podcasts including Airwaves & Educators in this truly enjoyable session.

Season 1: Episode 7: Idaho State University -Dr. Phelps

Today we speak with Paula Phelps, MHE, PA-C. Paula is the former Department Chair and current Professor and Service Learning Coordinator for the Idaho State University Department of PA Studies. She is also the first and only PA to serve on the Idaho State Medical Board and she has an impressive history of writing successful grants that have supported numerous innovations with the program, and publishing her findings in many different journals. She has been a PA since 1996 and has practiced in family medicine, public health, and women’s health and now serves the Pocatello Free Clinic at least one day each week. She is an avid runner and certified Lifestyle Medicine provider who has some very interesting things to say about her experiences in Idaho.

Season 1: Episode 6: MEDEX Northwest PA Program - Terry Scott, MPA, PA-C

Mr. Terry Scott, MPA, PA-C, DFAAPA is the Program Director and Section Head of MEDEX Northwest, the PA Program at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. Terry and I discuss our passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and the historic roots of the MEDEX Northwest PA Program including some of the historic work their founding father Dr. Richard Smith led in his career. We also talk about the "why" behind the applicant and the importance of knowing your why before applying to any PA program.

Season 1: Episode 5: Creighton University - Stephane VanderMeulen, MA, MPAS, PA-C

Stephane VanderMeulen, MA, MPAS, PA-C is not only a national and state leader in PA education, but she is joining our team with this podcast. Ms. VanderMeulen is the Chair of the Department of Health Professions and Program Director of the PA program at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska.  Ms. VanderMeulen is a 1994 graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center PA program and she also holds a Master of Social Gerontology from the University of Nebraska Omaha.  Stephane practiced clinically in the fields of rural family medicine and orthopedics/sports medicine before beginning her career in PA education in 2005. She is an active advocate for PAs in education and practice and has served in professional organizations at both the state and national level.  Ms. VanderMeulen served on the board of directors of the Physician Assistant Education Association for seven years, with two terms as Director at Large before being elected President in 2015. She is dedicated to the professional development of PAs in education and remains active as a mentor for PA educators.

Season 1: Episode 4: 2020 Eugene Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Paul Lombardo, MSPS-HSA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA is the only PA to serve as President and Chair of the AAPA, PAEA, PA Foundation, NCCPA, and the State PA Chapter for New York. He is the 2020 recipient of the Eugene Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award which is the most prestigious honor any PA may receive from the academy and he is one of the most generous humans on the planet. We talk about his nearly 50 year history as a PA, PA educator, and national and state leader and he shares his thoughts about the future of the profession and the proposed name change.