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Becoming a physician assistant (PA) first appeared on the radar of John Elkhoury, MMS ‘18, when he was a sophomore at Penn State. That’s when he decided to try and do the necessary coursework to get into PA school.
But life took a bit of a turn. After graduating in 2014 with two undergraduate degrees — in Psychology and French — Elkhoury applied to some PA schools but didn’t get accepted into any.
So he headed to France, where for the next year, he taught English to French citizens.
Still, the PA bug was gnawing at him, and Elkhoury decided if he was going to get serious about becoming a PA, he needed to come back to the United States, get more hours of coursework and start the PA application process again.
This time, things worked out for Elkhoury. He really liked the Physician Assistant Studies program at Salus University and what it had to offer — outstanding faculty, updated and state-of-the-art lab facilities and an intimate campus that would offer a different experience than the expansive Penn State.
“It was a graduate program for grown-ups,” said Elkhoury, a native of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
And that’s indeed what he received from the PA program at Salus.
“The program helped me with networking around the area, especially since I wanted to ideally work in and around Philly,” said Elkhoury. “The rotations and education were good, from pharmacology to clinical medicine. I received very good instruction and coursework.”
He added that the program made sure its students were prepared for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), designed to license those who want to practice as a PA.
“Salus was there to help make sure we were all set up,” said Elkhoury. “That was all super-helpful because Salus did go above and beyond some other programs.”
After graduating, Elkhoury said he didn’t have any trouble finding a job. After a year at his first gig, he landed a position in the emergency room at Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Pennsylvania, where he was until December 2021 when that hospital closed.
He’s currently working in the ER at Roxoborough and Lower Bucks hospitals in Pennsylvania, where he has been able to serve as a preceptor for other students from the Salus PA program. In July 2023, he will take a position in the ER department of Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania.
“I like teaching, so I was very happy I could precept Salus students,” said Elkhoury. “It feels like I’m giving back and sharing my experiences in the ER to try and prepare them if they decide to go into the ER.”
As busy as being a PA can be, Elkhoury has an active life outside the emergency room. Right after he graduated from PA school, he started a YouTube channel under his name that now has 10,000 subscribers. He shares advice on pre-PA, PA school and PA-related content and videos to advocate for the profession.
He’s also purchased a home in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a portion of which he rents out as an Airbnb, and is considered a super host in that business. Elkhoury writes music and played viola in an orchestra for 15 years, and when there’s a moment, he writes a blog and then spends as much time outdoors bike riding, kayaking and hiking with his girlfriend.
“When I’m working in the ER, inevitably my days off aren’t really days off. Sometimes it seems like I’m working all day on my days off,” he said. “It is very busy, but by working in the ER, you do get a lot of extra free time that you might not get in a 9-to-5 job. And you can pursue other endeavors.”
Ideally, he said, he’d like to keep learning and work toward the 10-year mark of being in the ER. And for those considering a PA career, he has some words of advice to pass along.
“Just stay the course. It’s a long journey but it’s definitely worth it. The career is amazing, the profession has a lot of potential,” he said.
