College of Health and Human Services

PA students and faculty experience active spring

The students and faculty in the Department of Physician Assistant at Western Michigan University have been busy participating in community and academic events.

PA Volunteers — PA faculty and student volunteers

Girls on the Run

Last May 21, WMU physician assistant students and faculty provided first aid support for the Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run 5K runners and spectators. Over 1,900 third to fifth-grade girls and an estimated 1,200 community runners and coaches participated in the race, which started and ended at WMU’s Waldo Stadium.

The mission of the Girls on the Run program is to promote self-confidence, self-respect and teamwork through a 10-week training program for the race. Many of the girls wore dyed hair, brightly colored socks, sunglasses and other decorations to bond with their friends and enhance their race experience.

National Conference

PA students and faculty at AAPA conference — PA faculty and students at AAPA conference

Last spring, 11 first-year WMU physician assistant students attended the American Academy of Physician Assistants annual conference in San Francisco, where they participated in seminars covering a wide variety of primary care topics and networked with PA students and faculty from across the country. Danielle Clarke, who served as WMU’s student academy representative, attended two days of student-led meetings aimed at shaping policy within the AAPA student academy.

Also at the conference, students participated in the National Medical Challenge Bowl, meeting rigorous membership and attendance standards to qualify. WMU’s team was the only one from Michigan to represent at the "Jeopardy" style competition this year, and was one of only 72 qualifying teams out of the 196 accredited physician assistant programs in the country.