Oregon Health & Science University physician assistant students have begun their five-week rotations throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The OHSU Physician Assistant Program is a full-time, 26-month course of study culminating in a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree. Physician assistants are licensed to practice medicine under physician supervision. They conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and write prescriptions. There are 72 students in the OHSU program. In addition to on-campus education, students spend 14 months completing five-week rotations in clinical sites around the Northwest.

The following rotations will begin Sept. 15:

 
Ada County, Idaho:

• Krissy Koenig, rotation in women's health with Jon Kattenhorn, M.D., Boise OB-GYN Associates, Boise.
• Andrew Anderson, rotation in community medicine with Ashley David, M.D., Davis Family Medicine, Boise.

 
Benton County:

• Patricia Buckley, rotation in general surgery with Toshio Nagamoto, M.D., Samaritan Surgical Specialists, Corvallis.

 

Clackamas/Washington County

• Ian Penner, rotation in orthopaedics with Rebound Orthopedics, Vancouver.

 

• J. Belinda Robarge, rotation in pediatrics with David Black, M.D., Kaiser Mill Plain, Vancouver.

 

• Brooke Witteman, rotation in pediatrics with David Black, M.D., Kaiser Mill Plain, Vancouver.

 
Columbia County:

• Daniel Martino, rotation in women's health with Kar-yee Wu, M.D., OHSU Scappoose Family Health Center, Scappoose.

 
Crook County:

• Scott Lacefield, rotation in community medicine with James Weeks, M.D., Prineville.

 
Deschutes County:

• Jeffery Bentley, rotation in general surgery with Andy Higgins, M.D., Bend Memorial Clinic, Bend.

• Sarah (Sally) Brown, rotation in general surgery with George Buzzas, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S.,  Advanced Specialty Care, Bend.

• Adam Short, rotation in general surgery  with George Buzzas, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S., Advanced Specialty Care, Bend.

• Rachel Levitch, rotation in orthopaedics with Kathleen Moore, M.D., Desert Bone and Joint Specialists, Bend.

• Aramis VanSandt, rotation in general surgery with George Tsai, M.D., Surgical Associates of the Cascades, Redmond.

• Cheryl Kuehnel, rotation in elective dermatology with Paul Reicherter, M.D., Advanced Skin Care, Roseburg.

 
Jackson County:

 

 

Lincoln County:

• Daniel Brown, rotation in emergency medicine with Dean Orton, M.D., Samaritan North Lin Hospital, Lincoln City.

 
Malheur County:

 

Marion County:

• Sky Press, rotation in community medicine with Ronald Palm, D.O., Mid-Valley Family Physicians, Keizer.

• Muthoni Ehmann, rotation in pediatrics with James Lace, M.D., Childhood Health Associates of Salem, Salem.

• Zachary Knight-King, rotation in pediatrics with Francine Boullosa, P.A.-C., Kaiser Permanente, Salem.

 

Multnomah County:

• Kristin Dunlap, rotation in emergency medicine with Michael Frommlet, M.D., Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Gresham.

• Christina Eichstadt, rotation in emergency medicine with Michael Frommlet, M.D., Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Gresham.

• Dave Sander, rotation in orthopaedics with Hans Moller, M.D., Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic, Portland.

• Christina Blanchette, rotation in inpatient medicine with Gregory Magarian, M.D., OHSU, Portland.

• Darin Steblaj, rotation in inpatient medicine with Gregory Magarian, M.D., OHSU, Portland.

• Anne Dahlkemper, rotation in inpatient medicine with Gregory Magarian, M.D., OHSU, Portland.

• Christina Joseph, rotation in inpatient medicine with Gregory Magarian, M.D., OHSU, Portland.

• Chelsea Roberts, rotation in inpatient medicine with Nicholas Gideonse, M.D., OHSU, Portland.

• Wilma Obando, rotation in orthopaedics with Jung Yoo, M.D., OHSU Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Portland.

• Jordan Steed, rotation in women's health with Anna Karlsson, M.D., Peterkort Medical Centre, Portland.

 
Umatilla County:

 

• Whitney Smith, rotation in community medicine  with Jonathan Hitzman, M.D., Pendleton Family Medicine, LLC, Pendleton. 

Yamhill County:

• Samantha Quilici, rotation in pediatrics with William Koenig, D.O., Physician's Medical Center, McMinnville.

 

The OHSU School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program was established in 1995 with the mission of preparing physician assistants to provide primary care services to rural and urban medically underserved communities. Students’ experiences include required rotations in primary care, women’s health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, general surgery, inpatient medicine and orthopaedics. The capstone clinical experience is a 10-week primary care preceptorship. During the clinical phase of their education, as part of the requirement for their degree, students complete a health promotion/disease prevention project designed to meet an identifiable health care need in the community.