After deciding that PA school was the next step, she needed to prepare her application. Fortunately, she had been accruing patient care hours as a certified nursing assistant for quite some time. During high school, the local nursing home was desperate for help so she received a crash course from a family friend. When she turned sixteen years old, she signed up for the exam, passed and began working immediately.  By the time she applied, Miranda had six years’ worth of experience. Her degree in cell biology was a testament to her academic readiness.

Miranda applied to about 8 schools across the country, but Augsburg was her first choice. She was thrilled when she was accepted as she wanted to remain close to family. During her second rotation, she was placed at the Twin Ports VA Clinic in Superior. Even though this was only the beginning of her clinical education, her preceptor encouraged her to reach out if she was interested in a job. Throughout the clinical phase, Miranda constantly compared other rotations to her experience at the VA.

At the time of her PA graduation, the 2008 economy had crashed leaving few options for employment. Miranda wanted to return to the Northland but jobs were limited there as well due to the local health system laying off employees. Her options were a posting at a convenience care clinic and one at the Twin Ports VA.  Miranda was hopeful she could return to the VA and serve the patient population she fell in love with.

Even after ten years in the same clinic, Miranda finds joy in being a PA serving veterans. Working with this population inspires her and gives her a purpose to serve patients who Miranda says have all been brave enough to do something she couldn’t. She appreciates the real sacrifice her patients have made so that she can live her life in the United States. Every day she is able to establish rapport, gain trust and surprise people. She loves when a new patient is referred to her and they decide to transfer their care.

Veteran medicine is challenging, but it is so rewarding. She believes she is able to practice medicine in the most ideal way. Patients do not need to worry about prior authorization which translates into patients receiving prescriptions, surgeries and referral services.  Miranda is able to control her schedule and has incorporated telephone clinics, secure messaging, group visits along with various patient panel management tools. She can pull specific lists based on patient populations such as diabetics with an A1c greater than 9 and then implement ways to improve their overall health. In October, COPD patients attend an annual group appointment and Miranda can do the same for patients diagnosed with hypertension, DMII, or prediabetes. The Twin Ports VA Clinic has integrated mental health within the primary care setting as well as operates a “medical home” model that is called Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs). All of these capabilities lead to nearly 100% continuity of care.

Throughout her tenure she has seen great strides in the roles PAs occupy including a clinic director, as well as in upper management and administration. Miranda was promoted to chief status in the fall of 2018 and she appreciates the recognition that her clinical skills have grown and the administration noticed.

When asked what advice she would give current students, Miranda says, “Know that it is okay not to know everything.” When a patient comes in with a question, concern or new condition she is honest and says “I don’t know, let’s look it up together.” This helps to establish rapport with a patient and the relationship-building can begin.

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Brandon Cottrell served in the United States Army from 2010 to 2016 with a deployment to Afghanistan. After his six years of service, he pursued a bachelor’s degree from Augsburg. Prior to being accepted into PA school, Brandon worked as a radiology technician. Now in his second year in the Physician Assistant Studies program, he is rotating through clinical experiences.

While Brandon was working in radiology, Brandon realized that he wanted to do more; understanding that he had medical capabilities that would be useful beyond his current license. Through researching advanced positions, the PA profession seemed a good fit. Even before admission into PA school, Brandon knew about the scholarship. Several of his medical professional acquaintances had received financial assistance in exchange for service.

Financial aid for graduate school seems to be few and far in between. Most PA students rely on loans to assist with not only tuition but also the cost of living. There are applicants from across the nation that apply for the Health Professional Scholarship Program. Through this program, the VA pays for the rest of a student’s tuition, fees, and even a living stipend to assist with daily expenses. In return for aid, scholarship recipients agree to work at least two years at a VA healthcare facility.

For Brandon, the chance to give back to his population, veterans, was an additional motivator. “Veterans have unique healthcare needs, and I hope to meet them.” After submitting his application, Brandon waited for approximately one and a half months before finding out if his application had been selected. He received an email announcing that he received the scholarship and was thrilled! In addition to the relief from student loans, Brandon is looking forward to the “opportunity to remain involved with those who serve by serving them.”

There is a possibility that Brandon would need to relocate for an open position. He would be open to moving to somewhere warmer than Minnesota and devoid of mosquitos! Anywhere in Arizona, the Carolina’s or Texas would be ideal locations for him to settle into.

Read more for an update on last year’s Augsburg PA HPSP scholarship recipient, Rachel Gratz.

The post 2019 Health Professional Scholarship Program Recipient appeared first on Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.

Update as of September 25, 2019: Rachel graduated with her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Augsburg University in August. She is relocating to Texas within the month to start practicing as an Emergency Medicine PA with the Dallas VA Medical Center.

Rachel Gratz, PA-S2, has a lot to celebrate and look forward to in 2019! She recently found out she is one of 19 students being awarded the 2018 Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) from Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs gives out the scholarship with the hopes of increasing the supply of PAs within the VA but also for the nation. Across the country, over 800 students applied for education support while also making a commitment to serve for two years as a PA with the VA.

Everyone has their own story of pursuing a career as a PA. For Rachel, she has always been dedicated to doing things for others. From a young age, she was volunteering anywhere she could and even donating her allowance to sponsor a girl in Brazil. Her passion evolved over the years as she worked in nursing homes, hospice care, assisted living and mental health. “The accumulation of these experiences and my degree in Biology ultimately led me on the journey to the PA profession,” says Rachel.

Most students who enter PA school quit working full time due to the rigorous academic workload followed by their clinical education. Students most likely take out substantial loans to cover the cost of tuition as well as living expenses while they are in school. Rachel tries to pick up odd jobs to help her pay down debt while in the program, but the financial burden is always there. While some scholarships and loan forgiveness programs exist, it is a competitive arena. A simple web search brought her to the VA.

For the HPSP, qualified applicants had to be accepted or enrolled in a Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, as well as a U.S. citizen. The extensive application included three essays, two letters of recommendation and academic verification. Over the next month, Rachel waited to find out if she had been accepted. During that time the selection committee considered her academic performance, professional work experience, letters of recommendation and her future career goals. A few weeks later, Rachel received an email announcing her selection as one of the 19 recipients.

Rachel says she decided to apply because “I think [the veteran] populations is incredibly underserved [and] being able to give back to the brave veterans who have fought for this country that I get to freely live in and help reduce the obstacle of access to their care is honorable.” Now that Rachel has accepted her scholarship, she feels “empowered to approach my remaining education with more confidence.” She believes that the VA will provide a solid foundation that will facilitate her professional growth.

The scholarship terms include that Rachel serve as a full time clinical PA within the VA for at least two years and be willing to relocate. This opportunity excites Rachel as she dreams of living in the Pacific Northwest. Portland, Oregon is a place where she can envision herself working and living because of the “generous community, creative innovators, funky vibes, farm-to-table cuisine … forest hikes [and] close proximity to both the ocean and mountains.” New Mexico, Washington, Colorado or Utah are also at the top of her list as she admittedly loves the west. Prior to her graduation, Rachel will be able to inform her recruiter of her top five locations as well as specialties she would like to work in.

The Augsburg PA Program looks forward to catching up with Rachel after her graduation to hear about her experience with the VA!

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