Physician Assistant Studies Academic Residency celebrates five graduates

By Ryan Clark
CHS Communication Director

The University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences celebrated five graduates of its Physician Assistant Studies Academic Residency Program on Sept. 25, recognizing their accomplishments and the growing impact of a program designed to prepare physician assistants for advanced clinical practice and leadership.

The five graduates — Seth Croll, Samantha Dolan, Taylor Gilbert, Emma Li Mathews and Daisy Zhang — completed the rigorous, 12-month residency, which combines specialized clinical experiences with didactic education, teaching, research and advocacy.

Launched in 2020 by Dr. Sibu Saha and Professor David Fahringer, the program was created in response to workforce shortages and the growing need for physician assistants with advanced training in acute care and surgical specialties. It is housed in the College of Health Sciences' Saha Division of Post-Graduate Education.

“What makes this program distinctive is the combination of specialized clinical training and academic development,” said Ryan Hunton, DHSc, PA-C, an assistant professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and program director for the Academic Residency Program. “Our residents are developing the skills to provide excellent patient care while also learning to teach, conduct research and become leaders in their profession.”

The program has grown considerably since its first cohort of five residents trained across three departments at UK HealthCare and one department at Baptist Health in Lexington. Since its inception, the residency has produced 46 graduates and expanded from four specialty offerings to 8.

Its clinical partnerships have included five health systems: UK HealthCare, UK St. Claire, UK King's Daughters, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Baptist Health, with locations in Lexington, Louisville, Florence, and Elizabethtown. The program recently added a cardiac surgery residency at UK HealthCare.

The residency’s impact also extends beyond graduation. According to program data, 67% of graduates have remained in Kentucky, and half have accepted positions at their residency training sites. Four of this year’s five graduates will continue their careers in the Commonwealth.

The program’s academic emphasis complements its clinical training. Residents participate in monthly lectures led by specialists, specialty-focused learning modules, simulation and oral examinations. They also teach physician assistant students in classroom, laboratory and clinical settings and contribute to research involving clinical practice, health care workforce issues and quality improvement.

The five graduates recorded approximately 2,800 patient cases and more than 300 procedures during the most recent residency year, working an average of 46 hours per week. Their experiences included endotracheal intubations, central lines, thoracenteses, surgical first assists, wound vacuum placements, Botox chemodenervations and deep brain stimulation cases.

Individual experiences reflected the range of opportunities available through the program. Emma Li Mathews logged more than 1,000 hospital medicine cases, while Zhang completed 29 Botox chemodenervations, 27 trigger point injections and five deep brain stimulation cases. Croll and Dolan contributed to thoracentesis procedures, and Gilbert completed surgical first assists and wound vacuum placements.

The program also emphasizes mentorship and professional development. More than 115 clinical faculty members and monthly lecture series speakers have taught residents over the past two years. Additionally, 73% of respondents to the program’s alumni survey reported holding precepting or teaching roles, with several alumni now helping educate the next generation of residents.

The five graduates are moving into positions that reflect their specialized training.

Croll, a graduate of Marywood University in Pennsylvania, completed his residency in hospital medicine and critical care at UK St. Claire in Morehead. With a passion for rural medicine and underserved populations, he will return to Pennsylvania to work in critical care at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem.

Dolan, a graduate of Sullivan University’s physician assistant program in Louisville, will remain with UK St. Claire in emergency medicine. A Crestwood, Kentucky, native, she earned her bachelor’s degree in public health from UK before attending PA school, with an emphasis on community health and patient advocacy.

Gilbert, a graduate of the UK Physician Assistant Studies program in Lexington, will join UK HealthCare in trauma surgery and critical care. Before PA school, Gilbert worked as a cardiopulmonary technician at UofL Hospital.

Mathews, a graduate of the UK PA program at the Morehead campus, will join CommonSpirit Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington in hospital medicine. Before PA school, she worked as a patient care technician in a neurological intensive care unit.

Zhang, a graduate of the UK PA program in Lexington, will join UK HealthCare in neurology. Raised in Lexington after spending her early childhood in Shenzhen, China, Zhang has earned praise from colleagues for her clinical reasoning and ability to build rapport with both pediatric and adult patients.

The program is preparing for its seventh cohort, welcoming eight incoming residents and expanding its clinical offerings through the new cardiac surgery program. Residents also continue to gain broader perspectives through opportunities such as an international off-service elective at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

“As we move into our seventh year, we're proud of how far the program has come and grateful to the faculty, clinical partners and alumni who have helped make that growth possible,” Hunton said. “Our mission remains the same: to increase the number of PA clinical leaders and strengthen the clinical workforce in Kentucky.”

Photos by Lana Ogle/CHS