LKSOM Graduates ‘Trailblazing’ Class of Physician Assistants

The inaugural graduating class of physician assistants is all smiles after receiving their degrees.

With numerous rounds of thunderous applause raining down on them from family, friends and program staff, 19 students accepted their degrees as the first graduating class of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program. It was 26 months ago that the students first stepped foot on campus to enroll in what was then a fledgling program.

During the July 27 graduation ceremony in the Erny Auditorium, speaker after speaker praised the students as “pioneers” and “trailblazers,” complimenting them on joining a program that was still awaiting final accreditation when they arrived. Their perseverance and grit paid off as they each received their long white coat and Master of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies at the ceremony.

Class President Shannon Hallinan humorously described the last two years of hard work to reach this day.

“I’m not a big football fan, but I think we can all identify with the Philadelphia Eagles – it seems like it took 52 years to get here,” she said to knowing laughter from the crowd. “At times, being the inaugural class felt like riding a roller coaster in the dark, but we made it.”

Jay Crammond is one of three graduates who has accepted a job at Temple. Crammond will work in the operating room as part of the Cardiothoracic Surgery team.

“What I enjoyed most about the PA program was the comradery among my classmates and the friendships I made,” he says. “Being able to do our clerkships at Temple University Hospital was a plus too. You can see and do things here that you won’t find everywhere.”

Jessica DiJulio, who earned degrees in Journalism and English/Secondary Education before deciding to become a PA, echoed Crammond’s sentiments. During her time at Temple, she served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ Student Academy Board of Directors. In that role, she represented 38 PA programs across five states and the District of Columbia.

“I felt fortunate to be at Temple because of the many opportunities here and the variety of clerkships available to us. When talking to other students in other states, I discovered it’s not that way in every program,” she says. “It was great having our program imbedded in the medical school, and we all felt very in demand with the faculty. In many cases, they sought us out to be on their teams.”

Adam Rinaldi finds himself going full circle, returning to the Lehigh Valley where he will work in the Emergency Department at St. Luke’s University Hospital. Before arriving at Temple, he worked in the ER at neighboring Leigh Valley Hospital.

“There is a lot of pride in being the first graduating class…I think we made a good impression across the street with the faculty,” he says. “My biggest takeaway from the program is that you can’t replicate what we learned here anywhere else.”

A physician assistant is a medical professional who is integrated into healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. PAs can examine and treat patients, make diagnoses, prescribe medications, assist in surgery, counsel patients and perform minor procedures. They can be found in a wide variety of specialties and medical settings.

Temple’s PA program is now in its third year and currently has 50 students enrolled across two classes.