Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all University of Kentucky classes have moved online and College of Health Sciences instructors adapted quickly to turn hands-on curriculums into engaging material for remote learning.

First-year physician assistant studies student Zack Gregory knew he was called to aid health care workers who are grappling with personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages due to the COVID-19 crisis. Now, he’s using his artistic skills and 3D printing technology to create and ship masks for free nationwide. 

Jarrod Cole has known he wanted to practice medicine since childhood, but he never expected his dream would take him to the front lines of a global pandemic. Since the outbreak of COVID19, Cole and his colleagues in New York City have worked tirelessly to deliver care to a city ravaged by the virus. 

Physician assistants are health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians and are uniquely qualified to step in and bridge gaps in health care. Our physician assistant studies program will prepare you to become a well-rounded practitioner with a wealth of clinical knowledge and direct patient-care experience to conduct exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, prescribe medications, and more.

Ana Stone is an achiever. At only 20-years-old, she’s already graduated with her bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science and is now a member of the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022. 

The International Academy of Physician Associate Educators (IAPAE) held their 12th IAPAE annual conference in Winterthur, Switzerland on October 16-19. There were 14 countries represented from around the world.  The conference had over 60 attendees and was joined by the Switzerland PA Symposium on Friday afternoon bringing the afternoon event to more than 200.

In the mid-1960s, educators and physicians discovered a developing gap between the number of patients needing medical care and the number of primary care physicians available to care for them. To remedy the issue, the concept of a physician assistant (PA) was created, lauded by the medical community as a career flexible enough to match the ever-changing world around it.

Second year physician assistant studies (PAS) student Allison Christian has a fresh outlook on her chosen field after attending a medical mission trip to Pedras Negros, Mexico with UK PAS alumni and many of her fellow classmates. In Mexico, Allison participated in real-world experiences that increased her confidence in her own clinical skills and knowledge. 

The College of Health Sciences has a long-held reputation for preparing exceptional and dependable health care professionals in the physician assistant (PA) field. Now, research is proving exactly how important physician assistants are across the medical landscape, and this impact extends particularly to Kentucky patients. 

The phrase “we are the University of Kentucky for Kentucky” is one that resonates across the entire UK campus. Because of his belief in this mission, physician assistant studies graduate Tyson Gross has dedicated his career to delivering care to some of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in the state of Kentucky.