Heather Snyder is a physician assistant and doctoral candidate in the Pitt DPAS program
Heather Snyder is a physician assistant at Franklin Community Medicine UPMC in Franklin, PA, which is located about one and a half hours north of Pittsburgh. She has been practicing in her rural community for nine years. Here’s why she chose Pitt’s online, post-professional Doctor of PA Studies (DPAS) program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) and how it’s helping her reach her goals.
-------------------
Shortly after graduating from Allegheny College with a bachelor's degree in biology, I was accepted into the University of Pittsburgh Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program. After graduating from PA school and becoming certified, I returned to my hometown and began working nearby in Franklin, PA. I worked at a private internal medicine office for almost three years prior to the owner’s retirement. With the desire to continue to serve my rural community, I accepted a position at Franklin Community Medicine where I have worked for six years. Recently to work on my leadership foundation and advance in my career goals, I took the University of Pittsburgh’s Advanced Practice Provider Leadership Certificate Course. This 16-week online course gave me the opportunity to interact and collaborate with colleagues, educators and leadership experts. The skills I learned in the course were essential in developing my personal and professional presence and provided a great transition into Pitt’s Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies program.
One of the biggest reasons I chose the DPAS program over any other doctorate program is that Pitt’s program is created by PAs and for PAs. Pitt’s doctorate-trained faculty have used their personal experiences to design a curriculum that is challenging, but “doable” for full-time PAs. The faculty recognize the importance of providing a balanced course load each semester. Although each semester contains multiple courses, the weekly schedules complement each other well. If one class has a heavy workload for the week, they schedule less work in the other classes. The DPAS faculty realize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the program. They encourage us to utilize breaks to be away from schoolwork and to rejuvenate.
Heather Snyder is a physician assistant and doctoral candidate in the Pitt DPAS program
As I began the DPAS program, I was nervous that I would feel lost or unsupported due to it being strictly online. However, the DPAS faculty quickly eased those fears. It is easy to see that the faculty’s ultimate goal is to help us be successful. All members of the program are always available to us so we can ask questions, share concerns or provide feedback. The faculty have scheduled office hours, but accommodate any request to meet outside of these hours. They are reachable by phone, zoom calls or email. We receive frequent emails and messages from the program regarding changes or updates as they occur.
One of my favorite parts of the summer and fall semesters were our monthly afternoon Zoom sessions. These sessions allowed us the opportunity to interact directly with our classmates. The PAs in my class are of various ages, years of practice and career paths. Despite these differences, we are all PAs with goals of improving our places of work and enhancing the care we provide for our patients. As my classmates and I work through this program together, we utilize our unique experiences and knowledge to support each other.
After completing my degree, I plan to continue to work at Franklin Community Medicine. Increasing access to care in my community is something I am passionate about. I plan to use the knowledge and skills learned in this program to establish an obesity management program in my office. The academic elective of the DPAS program has better prepared me to educate the next generation of PAs. This is something I would like to contribute to in the future. As the demand for PAs continues to rise, programs like the APP Leadership Certificate Course and the DPAS program are resources which help PAs become more valuable and marketable. No matter when you decide to enroll in the DPAS program, you will be welcomed, supported and successful.
----------------
Learn more about the Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies program by visiting our website or contacting one of our enrollment specialists.
---
Published February 3, 2023