First Class
SLIPPERY ROCK — Since the late 1800s, the white coat has been a symbol of physicians and medicine, a visual reminder of purity, sterility and cleanliness.
And for many students, receiving a white coat is a rite of passage from layman to health care professional.
For the 52 Slippery Rock University graduate students taking part in Sunday’s White Coat Ceremony, it will also mark their place in history as the first group from the university’s physician assistant studies program to accomplish the feat. The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.
“(Receiving our white coats) is a huge accomplishment and that’s something I can’t overstate,” said Jeffrey Kristan of Seven Fields, president of the SRU chapter of the Student Association of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
“We’ve each put in a lot of hours in terms of academic work this past year and the ceremony represents the culmination of everything we’ve already achieved and put ourselves through,” he said.
“Being the inaugural class has created an even more special bond between all of us than we probably expected. It’s a unique position and one that will never be repeated. It’s exciting to think we can look back years from now and say, ‘We were pioneers. We made an impact,’” said Kristan
The ceremony will include remarks from physician assistant studies program director Scott Massey, Kristan and SRU President Cheryl Norton, in addition to a video presentation and a reciting of the Physician Assistant Pledge.
Physician assistants provide health care under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. They examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses and provide treatment.
SRU’s program runs 24 months and combines academic and clinical instruction to prepare graduates for practice, case management and wellness services.
SRU’s program is unique in that it is the only one in the United States with a special populations focus, according to Massey.
“What that means is that our students will be more prepared to take care of a diverse population and populations that are underserved,” Massey said.
SRU’s fully enrolled inaugural class is 73 percent female, with students ranging in age from 22 to the late 50s, with the average age being 25.
The program, housed at SRU’s Harrisville Building — formerly the Har-Mer Building — includes 13 state-of-the-art labs and equipment that simulates real-time patient care. Four exam rooms include cameras for professors to monitor student progress.
Presently, health care job opportunities are plentiful throughout the country.
In fact, Forbes magazine rates the master’s degree in physician assistant studies as the No. 1 master’s program in the U.S. for employment opportunities.
