EVMS Celebrates PA Week
From Oct. 6 to Oct. 12, EVMS is joining with healthcare and medical education groups around the country to celebrate PA Week.
The annual event celebrates and honors the service of physician assistants and pays tribute to the vital role they play in the nation’s healthcare workforce, says Kimberly Dempsey, EdD, MPA, PA‑C (MPA ’03), Associate Professor in the School of Health Professions and Director of EVMS’ Master of Physician Assistant and Doctor of Medical Science programs.
“The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘PAs go beyond,’ and that really speaks to the profession itself and the service mindset our students bring with them into their careers,” Dr. Dempsey says. “PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice.”
The EVMS program has a long track record of preparing students for excellence in the field and has been among the top-ranked programs in the Southeast, according to U.S. News and World Report. The rigorous, three-year, full-time curriculum ensures EVMS graduates are well equipped to provide care and work collaboratively in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, urgent care centers, outpatient offices and clinics.
“PAs practice medicine in all medical and surgical specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics and gerontology — to name a few — and they often serve as a patient’s trusted primary provider,” Dr. Dempsey adds.
Last year, EVMS also introduced its Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc), a competitive two-year program designed for established physician assistants who want to attain the culminating degree in their profession. Dr. Dempsey says this is another way EVMS is helping to build a new generation of leaders in the field.
“Through the program, working PAs can achieve their specific professional goals by focusing on an Education or Advanced Clinical Practice track,” she explains. “EVMS’ DMSc program was designed to be completed at any stage in a physician assistant's career. The program is completely online with asynchronous, semester-long classes. Its culminating project offers experience and practical skills that can be directly applied in academic or clinical settings.”
Select EVMS PA Week Events 2022
Listed below are some of the celebrations happening Oct. 6-12 in honor of PA Week that are open to the entire EVMS campus community. PA students will participate in a T-shirt Tie-Dye Day on Thursday, Oct. 6, and Field Day on Friday, Oct. 7, among other program-specific activities.
Friday, Oct. 7
Field Day (PA faculty and staff participants only; spectators welcome)
TownePoint Lawn (Rain location: Lester 104)
1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 8
Strawberry Fields (1510 Colley Ave.) will donate 10% of its total proceeds on Saturday, Oct. 8, to EVMS Street Health. Come enjoy ice cream from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 10
Food trucks will be on the EVMS campus Monday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Trucks will be located next to TowneBank Lawn, outside of Lester Hall.
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Community Clean-Up Day
Locations around Hampton Roads
PAs Go Beyond
As part of PA Week 2022, the American Academy of Physician Associates put together the following fact sheet for PAs.
Did you know?
- PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting.
- To obtain a license, a PA must graduate from one of the 293 PA programs in the United States.
- To maintain certification, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.
- PAs have more than 514 million patient interactions every year.
Find out more about EVMS’ MPA and DMSc programs.
Look for more information on PA Week on EVMS’ social media platforms.