"Learning the Language of Medicine": LTU's PA Program

Since its inauguration, Lawrence Technological University's Physician Assistant program has had much success. From its student-centered approach, which offers students an opportunity to direct their education and create a positive learning environment, to its rigorous advocation in diversity, first- and second-year PA students are thankful for the individualized care they continuously receive that sets them up for success.

There is a growing recognition of understanding and respecting the diversity of patients and seeing them as individuals rather than diagnoses, leading LTU’s PA program to center its instruction around holistic care. Students learn to diagnose and treat illnesses but also incorporate the patient’s mental, emotional, and spiritual beliefs and practices. The program’s partnership with Ascension Hospital allows students to visit facilities and practice within the clinical environment to hone their skills and prepare for the field.

Year One of the PA Program

Year one of LTU’s PA program is didactic instruction, students take two courses a day, have weekly simulation lab visits to practice procedures, conduct physical assessments on peers and volunteers, and skills labs at Ascension Hospital. The various hands-on opportunities allow first-year students to learn about different conditions, treatments and diagnosis, clinical skills, patient assessments, and understand the role of a PA in healthcare. Students learn the body systems and conduct physical exams for each system. The first year of the PA program is to ensure students build fundamental medical knowledge and are aware of bodily systems and treatment procedures in preparation for year two.

Haley Coolsaet was working as a nuclear medicine technologist before joining LTU’s PA program. Coolsaet has a passion for integrative medicine that offers patients a more comprehensive insight into their health and alternative treatments and therapies for their conditions. When describing her experience as a first-year PA student, Coolsaet says, “It’s not all about the grades, you have to hold yourself to a higher standard and truly understand the material to best help your patients once you graduate. That's the main goal.” Passionate about inclusion and the diverse outlook of the field, Coolsaet sees PA as “a profession of individuals that are really committed to lifelong learning and dedicated to the long-term goals of the profession. As future healthcare providers, we need continual self-work, self-improvement, and to help educate others. You don't need to have the same beliefs as everyone, but you do need to be respectful.”

After shadowing a PA and seeing the empathy they practiced with their patients and the role in patient education, Roshell Quarker was inspired to become one. Quarker calls LTU a second home where the classes are diverse, and everyone is accepted and celebrated. She is hopeful about the future of the healthcare field, “There is still broken trust in the medical field and the healthcare system. We're able to learn more as a collective as we offer more platforms for people of diverse backgrounds.” Bridging the gap between patients is created through an atmosphere of representation and community to help restore trust and reliability. “We are learning the language of medicine,” Quarker adds, who is also the volunteer coordinator chair and actively centers events around serving underserved communities and learning more about them because according to Quarker, “learning goes beyond the textbooks and also comes from experiences.”

James Wellington was exposed to the medical world from a young age, often accompanying his father, who had a severe motorcycle accident that left him wheelchair-bound. LTU’s PA program stood out to him because of its technological background, “the focus on technology when applied to medicine is interesting and fascinating.” His experience as an EMT and an ER tech has helped him prepare for PA school, as he finds himself thriving in high-pressure situations. “I like the fast pace and not knowing what you'll get. I became an EMT, and I liked it, but I found with PA you have more agency and autonomy over patient care,” Wellington explains. He appreciates the faculty, who are supportive and passionate about what they do, “You can tell they're not trying to weed people out and want to push you to be the best.” He finds the diversity within his cohort great in helping him prepare: “You need a diverse group of people that have different backgrounds to accommodate each other's weaknesses in various ways to form a more cohesive unit to accomplish objectives.” Wellington finds LTU’s PA program “a great opportunity” and is happy to be here.

Sarah Ali was a registered respiratory therapist working at Ascension Hospital before attending LTU’s PA program. As a respiratory therapist, Ali assessed and treated patients, educated them, and learned the importance of effective communication and patient advocacy—crucial skills needed as a PA. Ali describes PA school as “challenging, but a fun journey,” and is happy to attend LTU’s PA program. “I'm in a diverse classroom with students from everywhere, from Lebanon, Yemen, Brazil, Egypt, Iraq, and Bangladesh. Each day, I get to learn about different cultures, and that's very important because, in healthcare, we will be taking care of patients from different ethnicities, cultures, and races.” She describes her first year as ‘growth’ because there is constant learning, both academically and internally.

Jotee Uddin was drawn to the PA profession during a high school internship at Detroit Medical Center after learning about patient attention, the lateral mobility of the field, and the work-life balance. She chose LTU because of the program’s promotion and advocacy for accepting all backgrounds. Uddin enjoys “practicing on patient models because everything we're learning in textbooks is coming together, and I get to practice these skills.” Uddin emphasizes the importance of learning how each condition presents itself in different ethnicities and races to help provide the best treatment to patients. “Diversity within PA is the most, if not the top, important thing to understand as a provider in healthcare because you're going to be treating many demographics. It is important to learn how everything looks in wider categories.” Uddin describes the first year of PA school as pandemonium because of the countless materials and exams. She thanks the LTU faculty for helping her navigate the first year, “The faculty are honestly so understanding and empathetic, which is one of the reasons why I feel LTU is different from other PA schools. The faculty honors our wishes and always tries to put the students first and do what's best for us.”

Latiyana Andrews decided to become a PA because of her strong desire to leave a positive impact and help others improve their health. She also liked the lateral mobility, autonomy, and continuous learning and growth opportunities. Andrews views developing empathy for patients as key, “it touches my heart to see what patients are going through and makes me want to help them improve their health. Having empathy and caring for the patient is important.” Andrews describes her first year of PA school as intense dedication, time, and effort, “It looks like adjusting and readjusting when it comes to organizing and learning how to study. Most of all, it looks like enhancing your knowledge and growing professionally and personally, but also having a good life balance to help you not burn out.” According to Andrews, who is also the president of her cohort, having PAs that reflect diverse populations enhances cultural competence, leading to effective care that promotes equity through high-quality, patient-centered care. As healthcare evolves, Andrews is hopeful efforts to incorporate and respect differences amongst diverse perspectives will also grow.

Year Two of the PA Program

Year two of the PA program is centered around clinical and hands-on experience, seeing different settings across specialties, clinics, hospitals, and demographics, and navigating direction upon graduation. Students are tested every five weeks at the end of a clinical rotation to help them prepare for the board exam. Second-year students follow their preceptor’s schedule and build on their confidence by meeting with patients, examining them, and applying the knowledge learned in the first year of PA school to formulate treatment plans to ensure graduates are well-fitted providers. Before starting rotations, the PA program provides students with professional advice on communicating with preceptors and additional steps to help build a positive image.

Alexandra McKinney, a former Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy, wanted to do something new that was still service-related. “I had always had an interest in health care,” McKinney explains, who is well versed in fast-paced environments. “There's a lot of environments in healthcare that are frequently changing, chaotic, and fast; that's something I feel like I thrive in,” she says. McKinney feels prepared for her rotation because of the rigorous academics during the first year, “The exams that we had the first year were harder compared to these exams that are more similar to the boards. The curriculum is really well done from year one to year two in how they prepare us for both this year's exams, clinical practice, and hopefully our board exam.” The program focuses on helping students gain real-world knowledge and cover topics crucial for passing the boards. “The program’s faculty are set on helping you succeed, both personally and professionally” McKinney echoes. The preceptors McKinney has been working with have helped her apply her new knowledge practically, see and treat as much as possible, gain confidence, and learn while with them.

Phillip Pham was previously a medical scribe, working with doctors, PAs, and nurse practitioners. He was drawn to the PA field because of the time PAs spent educating their patients. Pham remembers PA Paul, who was Vietnamese like him and created welcoming interactions with patients within the Vietnamese community. “Both of my parents don't speak English. From an early age, I was their spokesperson. As soon as they saw a provider who spoke their language, it made them more at ease, and that's been my approach to medicine—to help patients feel more comfortable,’” Pham explains. Pham can understand the patient’s experience from his childhood and the provider’s experience from his rotations and working with PA Paul. “I've been very fortunate so far with my rotations; all of my preceptors have been amazing,” Pham adds. “They've been fantastic teachers, allowing me to see patients on my own and helping me feel like a practicing PA.” During his gastroenterology rotation, Pham had a patient diagnosed with bile duct cancer. He sat down with her and drew out the stomach and its contents to help her understand her diagnosis. She told him he was the first person to sit down and explain this to her. “As a PA, you spend all this time with the patient, and now you're able to see the benefits of sitting down with them, spending more time, and teaching them,” Pham explains.

Bayan Hamad worked as a medical assistant in different specialties and found the PA profession to be the perfect fit for her. “LTU was the first acceptance that I received, and it was the first deposit that I put down, and I do not regret it,” Hamad says. Hamad is the first in her family to receive a master’s degree. She comes from an immigrant family in an underserved country currently at war. Although shocked, Hamad appreciates when a preceptor asks her to see the patient independently, helping prepare her for when she will be a practicing PA. “I have noticed a great difference in my competence and skill level from the first rotation to now, and I am hoping towards rotation number nine, I will be ready to take the boards and be on my own.” Hamad is thankful to LTU’s PA faculty for bringing in multiple guest speakers from different specialties to help with CVs and explain situations they may not be exposed to during rotations. Hamad is hopeful future healthcare providers will be inclusive, make patients comfortable, and not be judgmental. “I'm really happy that I chose LTU and look forward to giving back,” Hamad adds.

Julia Bauer was a former teacher who emigrated from Russia. She went to community college to take courses to be an ultrasound tech and learned about the PA field through her classmates. It took her three years to get into PA school when she received a call from LTU offering her a spot. “I was just so happy, and here I am, six months away from graduation. LTU will forever be in my heart because they gave me a chance while other schools dismissed me,” Bauer says. Bauer appreciates the support provided by LTU’s faculty: “All of them have open-door policies, are always available, and give you confidence. Our professors are PAs who went through the same schooling and decided to make improvements when running our PA program. And I'm glad they did.” During her emergency medicine rotation at Corewell Health, a gentleman came in stating he was having a heart attack when it was a panic attack due to anxiety. Bauer, relating to his condition, spent 40 minutes with him discussing her story. The patient was happy to finally feel understood and went home happily after being discharged. “I'm very passionate and compassionate. I am dedicated to helping patients, not just medically but also emotionally. I hope to make a difference in people's lives,” Bauer adds. Through each rotation, Bauer can feel her confidence and inner growth from her first rotation to now.

Rama Al Khayat appreciates how approachable and involved a PA is with patients, doctors, and the entire medical team. Al Khayat’s background as a pharmacist has helped her immensely in PA school. Still, with a different approach, “You learn how to diagnose the patient, take a good history, reach the right diagnosis to treat the patient, and then focus on treatment, whereas in pharmacy, you focus primarily on the medication.” She views the PA profession as a “continuous learning process. You don’t stop learning.'' Al Khayat sees the patient in her daily clinical rotations and confirms the diagnosis with her preceptor. To help her transition into the field upon graduation, Al Khayat sets herself in the mindset of a provider, learning the diseases, pathophysiology, and diagnosis and focusing on understanding the bodily systems taught in the first year. Patient advocacy and care are the top priorities for Al Khayat because patients are individuals rather than diagnoses. “A doctor told me, ‘You have to be the advocate for your patients,’ and it hit me. At the end of the day, when I see a patient, they are my number one priority; they are my concern. If I can't solve the problem, I have to find ways and means for the patient.”

To ensure student success, LTU’s PA program pays for all the students’ subscriptions to Rosh Review to help them prepare for units and the board exam. The faculty offers students resources and support to ensure their success through office hours and guest speakers to give a realistic glimpse into the PA world. Year one and year two of PA school differ in instruction but build upon each other to ensure student success. While year one focuses on instruction, it is such instruction that prepares students for clinicals and board exams expected in year two.

by Nurzahan Rahman