PA Expansion Begins Classes

Every day a group of 24 Physician Assistant (PA) students in St. Petersburg, Florida, meet for their classroom courses taught by both Barry University PA faculty in Miami Shores, Florida 220 miles away and in their St. Petersburg classroom.  Also participating, live, are 44 additional PA students on Barry’s Miami Shores campus. This highly innovative synchronous teaching methodology is made possible by video link originating in Miami Shores and provides interactive learning between the two classrooms.

Dr. Chet Evans, vice president of Medical Affairs and dean for Barry’s School of Graduate Medical Sciences teamed with Dr. Doreen C. Parkhurst, assistant dean and Barry University PA program director to create Barry’s Cross Cultural Interactive Education Physician Assistant Training Project.

The initiative funded by a $509,652 grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration enable students in St. Petersburg to complete the same Master of Clinical Medical Science degree with the Physician Assistant Certificate as students in the program at the main campus in Miami Shores .

"It’s innovative technology, bringing a much needed primary care medical degree to an area that has serious primary health care service shortages and high risk populations," according to Parkhurst.  "Moreover, county government needs assessments demonstrated a critical under-representation of PAs to serve the medically underserved in Pinellas and surrounding counties," she added.

Each student has a microphone at their study space and cameras turn to students as they address the faculty member in Miami Shores .  A screen alongside the St. Petersburg ’s monitor beams the professor for live synchronous communication. 

What do the St. Petersburg based students think about the new program? 

• The first week of classes in St. Pete “far exceeded my expectations,” said first-year PA student Lauren Pavelka ofJacksonville, Florida .  “It was easier than I though to adjust to the video conferencing.”
• Alanna Dixon of Seminole,Florida says it’s “like being a part of a family that is 100% dedicated to me being the best PA possible.  The educational staff and my fellow classmates are the most professional and knowledgeable group of people I have had the luxury of learning with.”
• Mauricio Polanco fromWimauma, Florida says he feels that the class is “being nurtured with challenges to promote professional growth.”
• Michelle Jordan fromSt. Petersburg, Florida says, “the small class size and amiable staff make the atmosphere feel comfortable, relaxed and family-like.”  
• BarryUniversity is partnering withSt. PetersburgCollegeUniversityPartnershipCenter on the program.  Students fromPinellasCounty will attend first year didactic lectures in the two-way interactive classroom at St. Petersburg’s College’sCaruthHealthEducationCenter .

Chris Helopoulos, MS, PA-C, operations director of the St. Petersburg Expansion indicated "we are truly excited about this pioneering endeavor.  Modern technology is enabling us to train a new generation of PA professional’s right here and now.  This is vitally needed to provide primary care in medically underserved areas right in this part of Florida .  The support of the local medical community has been overwhelming."