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Physician Assistant Program to present new class with white coats

January 11, 2016

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Thirty-three health professionals begin the clinical portion of their studies this week to earn the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

The White Coat Ceremony is at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15, in the Reed T. Keller Auditorium at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Heidi Olson-Fitzgerald, P.A.-C., will present the keynote address, focusing on the role of the physician assistant in primary care. Olson-Fitzgerald, a UND P.A. alumna of the Class of 1997, is a practicing primary care physician assistant for Essentia Health in Moorhead, Minn. Welcome remarks will be given by SMHS Senior Associate Dean for Education Gwen W. Halaas, M.D., M.B.A.; SMHS Associate Dean for Health Sciences Tom Mohr, P.T., Ph.D.; and Interim Dean of the UND School of Graduate Studies Wayne Swisher, Ph.D. Closing remarks will be given by SMHS Associate Professor Eric Johnson, M.D., medical director for the SMHS Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

“The presentation of the white coat is symbolic of the new profession the students are entering,” said Department Chair Jeanie McHugo, Ph.D., P.A.-C.. The coats will be worn by students through the clinical phase of their training and denote their involvement with the Physician Assistant Program at UND.

The individuals in this class come from a wide variety of professional health-care disciplines, which through class interaction will strengthen each student’s ability to return to his or her rural clinical site as a well-rounded primary care provider.

The P.A. Program admits health professionals who have years of experience working as nurses, respiratory therapists, radiology technologists, paramedics, military health-care providers and related professions. This group averages nine years of previous professional health-care experience upon matriculation into the program.

Enrolled students come from throughout the United States, from Utah to Virginia, but this particular class is very regional, with 61 percent of the students from the tristate area of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Students range in age from 23 to 54 years, with an average age of 33; the class includes 11 men and 22 women.

Students have completed their first two semesters of basic sciences and now will spend their first four weeks in Grand Forks before returning to their home communities, where most of their training will take place under the supervision of physician and physician assistant preceptors. Over the next 18 months, they will return to UND for several weeks at different junctures for education and training.

Physician Assistant Class of 2017

Brian Adams, St. George, Utah

Jessica Anderson, Fargo, North Dakota

Vicki Andvik, Barnesville, Minnesota

Benjamin Beuchler
, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Travis Booke, Dickinson, North Dakota

Michael Butler, Cold Spring, Minnesota

Togan Cottrell, Du Quoin, Illinois

Alyson Dahl, Moorhead, Minnesota

Boris Davydov, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kathryn Dietz, Moberly, Missouri

Rebekah Dunn, West Branch, Michigan

Pamela Flavin-Lee, Williamsburg, Virginia

Leslee Graff, Bowdle, South Dakota

Rebecca Hoistad, Oakes, North Dakota

Annette Larson, Warroad, Minnesota

Mitchel Leers, Beulah, North Dakota

Nicole Lemieux, Rugby, North Dakota

Katherine McFarland, Boonville, Missouri

Katayoon Mohammadi, Garland, Texas

Elizabeth Morton, Fairmont, Minnesota

Tim Olsen, Sturgis, South Dakota

Agatha Ottem, Cavalier, North Dakota

Savannah Prodzinski, Jamestown, North Dakota

Matthew Ryba, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Angela Schuster, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Brian Steen, Sweet Springs, Missouri

Lisa Steers, Hugoton, Kansas

Dennis Stewart, Slocomb, Alabama

Brianna Strube, Oakes, North Dakota

Emil Trutwin, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Lindsay Venn, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Rachel Watson, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Charlie Wood, Henderson, Texas

###

Denis F. MacLeod
Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations
University of North Dakota
School of Medicine & Health Sciences
501 N Columbia Rd, Stop 9037 | Room 1106 | Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
701.777.2733 direct | 218.779.3107 cell
denis.macleod@UND.edu
www.med.UND.edu/

School of Medicine & Health Sciences
1301 N Columbia Rd Stop 9037
Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
701.777.2514
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    School of Medicine & Health Sciences

    1301 N Columbia Rd Stop 9037
    Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037

    701.777.2514

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