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Physician Assistant
General News
When asked to give remarks to the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Class of 2020 at its long white coat ceremony, Brandi (Loga) Burns, MMS ‘16, thought about what she would like to hear from an alumnus if she had just graduated under the challenging circumstances of the past year.
Burns reinforced why she became a PA and offered advice to the graduates that included staying grounded, being open-minded, minimizing self-doubt, treating patients with respect, and being passionate about the profession. All of these comments leading to this additional piece of advice: Always remember your “why.”
“Remember why you chose Salus, why you chose medicine, why you chose to persevere this year,” said Burns. “And, most importantly, why you chose to become a PA. Even though this year has definitely been one for the books, you guys did it!”
Resiliency was a common theme throughout the ceremony, held virtually Nov. 12, 2020, with 48 graduates receiving their long white coats. Donna Agnew, MSPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, director of the University’s PA program, said the Class of 2020 is the first cohort in the history of the University that has earned the right to say, “Yes, I have successfully met all the challenges of PA school and I did it right in the middle of a pandemic.”
“I hope that one lesson learned through this past year is that overcoming obstacles, not only tested but strengthened our character, our fortitude and our sense of commitment,” said Agnew. “When our well-designed plans didn’t unfold as we initially envisioned them, we discovered the patience and resourcefulness of our own innovation and resiliency.”
Class president Nisha Orren, MMS ‘20 shared four takeaways from her time at Salus: (1) The University did indeed have world-class faculty; (2) The strength of the friendships she was able to develop and anticipates having for the rest of her life, describing the cohort as “the perfect mix of a little bit nerdy and a whole lot of fun;” (3) How the class “rocked the rotations” and was able to work under the tutelage of fabulous preceptors; and (4) The resiliency of the class in how it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are resilient, we are patient, we are hardworking and we are determined,” said Orren. “And, most importantly, we were there together and will be PAs together.”
University president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, reiterated to the class the importance of establishing relationships with their patients and making sure they listen to them.
“I firmly believe that because you trained under these more arduous circumstances, you have become better providers because of that,” said Dr. Mittelman. “You’re concentrating on things that are different than you would have when it was a normal time. So you’re ready.”
After the students’ names were read and they donned their white coats at home with the help of family members sharing in on the virtual ceremony, annual awards were presented.
Jeanne-Marie Pennington, MSPAS, PA-C, clinical coordinator and assistant professor in the PA program, presented the Preceptor Outstanding Service award to Ilan Levinson, MD, a Psychiatry specialist in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
John J. Fitzgerald III, DO, FACOG, associate director, medical director, and associate professor in the PA program, presented the Preceptor of the Year award to Timothy Grube, DO, an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
Daniel Pavlik, DMS, PA-C, director of Didactic Education and associate professor in the PA program, presented the Alumni Association Award for the highest grade point average to Ashley Senss, MMS ’20, who was the student speaker at the fall commencement on October 13.
Christine McCormick, MMS, PA-C, assistant professor in the PA program, presented the Clinical Excellence award to Elysa Kolvek, MMS ‘20.
To conclude the awards, Agnew presented the national PA Honor Society Pi Alpha awards to Nicole Harnwell, Marina Brown, Emily Bwint, Amy Doering, Ashley Senss, Morgan Lukievics and Kimberly McCarty.
The ceremony ended with a video produced by class historian Amanda Ocampo, MMS ‘20, commemorating the Class of 2020’s time at Salus.
“You are well-prepared and you are ready and we could not be more proud of you and your many accomplishments,” said Agnew.
