Inaugural PA Program Class Graduates 23

The inaugural class of the Physician Assistant Program graduated on Friday, Aug. 26.  Twenty-three students, selected from 1,000 program applicants, were conferred the Master of Science degree by Associate Provost for the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences Linda Hyman, PhD.

Their journey began 28 months ago with a year-long intensive didactic phase that included a full dissection lab in anatomy; physiology and molecular sciences; introduction to research;  the second year medical school course that teaches pathophysiology and pharmacology by body system called DRx; preventive medicine and three clinical skills courses. They participated in  DRx small group clinical reasoning sessions, took the same examinations and were graded using the same standards as the second year medical students.  The clinical phase of the program included 14 one-month clinical rotations and a two-month thesis project.

Founding Director Mary Warner, MMSc, PA-C, welcomed the students, faculty, invited speakers, family and friends.  Dawn Morton-Rias, EdD, PA-C, was the commencement speaker.  Morton-Rias is the president and CEO of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is the first PA to serve in that capacity in the organization’s 38-year history.  She reminded students that they are the first class at Boston University and as such they set the pace, they chart the course … they have the opportunity to positively impact healthcare in Boston and beyond.

PA Students nominated the following for awards: Didactic Instructor of the Year: Robert Lowe, MD, Course Director of the DRx course and GI module; Clinical Site of the Year: Brockton VA CLC, Drs. Juman Hijab and Marcus Ruopp and Sandra Vibrun-Bruno,PA-C;  Carl M. Toney Student Society Award: Mary Warner, MMSc, PA-C Founding Director of the program.

Student awards included: Outstanding Academic Achievement, Flora Traub; Outstanding Clinical Achievement, Sarah Grzybinski; and Humanitarian Award, Aline Souza for her work with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship at Casa Esperanza.

 Carl Toney, PA, led the students in reading the PA Oath and closed with, “Welcome to the profession! I am so proud of you.”

 Forty-three percent of the graduates have accepted clinical positions as physician assistants.  Sixty percent of those will be employed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Emergency Medicine, Hospitalist Medicine, Primary Care, Intensive Care (MICU), Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and General Surgery. At this time  NCCPA board scores are pending.

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