PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

Graduated in 2000
Vice President, Advanced Practice Providers
Henry Ford Health, Henry Ford Medical Group

Q: Why did you choose WSU?

A: Wayne State is such a great school! Diversity, regional, state and national recognition and so many more reasons. I had exposure to the WSU School of Medicine, having worked in research at WSU, and it gave me great confidence that the Physician Assistant Studies program would be phenomenal. Additionally, the experience in an urban city and within the community I grew up in was also a contributing factor. I am so thankful for my education at WSU!

Q: What inspired you to pursue becoming a PA?

A: I was very fortunate to have many mentors in a variety of different fields within the sciences growing up. One of those mentors was Dr. Scott Dulchavsky and he introduced me to the PA profession. I spent several years shadowing PAs and many professions in the health sciences. John McGinnity was one of the first PAs I ever met, he was also one of my professors and now is a lifelong colleague and friend. This time was pivotal for me in determining that the PA profession was indeed the path I wanted to pursue. Twenty-five years later, I can exuberantly say that I made the best choice ever!

Q: Who was your most memorable instructor?

A: Howard Normile. Professor Normile was the very first professor I met, prior to gaining acceptance to the program. I sought his expertise on many occasions, and he always had time for me and encouraged me, talked with me, provided guidance and advice. He was always calm, steady and warm and open to myself and many students I saw interact with him. I am very grateful for the role he played in my development to a practicing PA.

Q: What was your most challenging class?

A: Our clinical didactic class, perhaps the stress of the coursework blanked out my memory on the actual name of the class! There was such a high volume to learn that it made it very challenging to cover the depth of things we had to process as students. I always found the study interesting, but it was a lot!

Q: Where was your favorite place to study?

A: The WSU SOM library with my now husband of 21 years. We each had a favorite spot we would go to, and we would take breaks with peanut butter sandwiches outside the library across the street from the Elliman Research building. We spent a lot of hours on that campus, all well worth the time!

Q: Share some reflections about your time at Wayne State:

A: Reflecting on my time at WSU, both in the PA program and the years building up to that time, this is one of the best chapters in my life. For me, I had the opportunity to learn and give back to the community I grew up in, I obtained an incredible education that would build a strong and diverse foundation for an amazing career and, perhaps most impactfully, I met my husband of 21 years. We even got married at Sweetest Heart of Mary on Russell, just a few blocks away from where we met. Indeed, this is a very special place and community for both my husband and me!

Q: In your opinion, what is one of the biggest changes that has occurred in your profession since graduating?

A: The growth! I am not sure it is a change, more than an incredible trajectory for the PA profession. I am humbled by the caliber of some of the students entering the profession today. It is wonderful to see! I learn every day from PA colleagues and students across the spectrum. It is a wonderful community of providers.

Q: Share a career highlight or summary:

A: I have so much gratitude for the career I have been able to bring to life. There are hundreds of people who have shaped and influenced me, most profoundly the patients I have cared for in my clinical work within oncology. This experience is at the heart of my professional life, it is why I went to school, it is why I support and advocate for PAs, advanced practice providers and all of our team members in my work today. This is the most meaningful highlight and has fueled each and every step of where I am today.

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The Physician Assistant Studies master of science degree program at the Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is focused on the development of highly competent and passionate physician assistants who are deeply committed to practicing in urban and underserved health care settings. It is the highest ranking program in Michigan and among the top 50 programs in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24. The admission cycle runs from May 1-Sept. 1 for classes beginning the following May. Prospective students can get started by attending a WSU Applebaum information meeting at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. 

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.