03/28/2024

PA Program Spotlight: University of Toledo

The University of Toledo became the first graduate-level PA program in Ohio in 1996 after accepting its first class of 12 students. In August of 2023, twenty-seven years later, the University of Toledo accepted their most recent class of 40 students who received their short white coats and began their didactic year. The class of 2024, consisting of 40 students, recently began their rotations in January and completed their first End of Rotation Exam. The 37 students in the graduating class of 2023 received their long white coats in December and have since gone on to take their PANCE. These graduating students in the class of 2023 have worked very hard in the past 27 months, and we are proud of them for all their accomplishments! They are ready and excited to make their transition into PA-Cs!

At the end of January, the second-year students were honored with a patch ceremony, which marks the end of their didactic year and the beginning of their clinical year. These students are eager to explore the unique specialties of medicine while expanding their skills and gaining valuable knowledge along the way. The first-year PA students participate in clinical cases at the state-of-the-art Immersive Simulation Center and the Hillebrand Clinical Skills Center. These facilities allow students to use critical thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal interviewing skills.

All PA students at the University of Toledo can volunteer their time at the Community Care Clinic or the Community of Hope Clinic. These clinics provide free care to underserved Toledo residents. Students get experience collaborating with students from other health science disciplines, which allows them to develop interprofessional collaboration. These volunteer opportunities also allow students to develop well-rounded interviewing skills, especially with underserved populations. In late October, the University of Toledo PA Program elected the new SAAAPA (Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants) board members. This year, the SAAAPA board is connecting with local schools to teach intubation and gastrointestinal tube placement. The SAAAPA board helps bring the class together through class bonding, fundraising, guest speakers, planning the PA Olympics, and volunteering.

Submitted by Jayla Balbaugh, PA-S

University of Toledo PA Program by the Numbers: