Experiential Learning Helps Physician Assistant Grads Prepare to Enter the ‘Real World’
By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director
Carter Hahn is from Wilmore, Kentucky — a town located in Jessamine County just outside of Lexington, with a population of under 7,000 people.
He has a goal: to impact the health of people in this region in a positive way. And that goal led him to the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program at the University of Kentucky.
“I love this area,” the third-year PA student said. “I really wanted to help impact the health of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, so I figured there was no better place to do that than at UK.”
Saturday, Hahn and the rest of his class will commemorate the end of their UK studies at the UK PA Class of 2021 Celebration, from 1-3 p.m., at the Gatton Student Center, 212ABC, Grand Ballroom, on the Avenue of Champions. (Watch the livestream here.)
These students feel especially prepared to enter the real world. Why? Because they’ve received the perfect blend of textbook knowledge and real-world tutelage. One example is Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Cheryl Vanderford, who uses a simulation experience in her class, where nearly 60 volunteers — some of them students from other disciplines — act out ailments for the PA students to deduce.