A team of Elizabethtown College Master of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies students placed third out of 14 teams at the 23rd Annual Physician Assistant Student Challenge Bowl sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants in early December.
“All the students in the program have been working incredibly hard,” Elizabethtown College Director of the Physician Assistant Program Dionna Rookey said. “To see students use the knowledge they’ve gained in a fun way and shine in the process is spectacular.”
Keegan Bower ’24, Ethan Smith ’24, Gracen Hilsinger ’24, and Connor Rathsam ’24, who will graduate in August 2024 as part of the first cohort in the PA program, represented Etown at the challenge. The challenge consisted of three rounds, with each team earning points by correctly answering trivia questions connected to PA studies. While the team placed third, they scored the most cumulative points of all the teams.
“As a new program, it was rewarding to see us do so well, especially since it was our first time competing in the challenge bowl,” Bower said. “It’s a great reflection of our staff in the PA program that we were able to perform like that against other schools that have had PA programs for a long time.”
Questions ranged from first-line treatments of conditions, key symptoms of diseases, normal physiology of the body, and diagnostic methods of conditions. Questions required an extensive knowledge of all systems of the body.
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the event, and it showed that all the work our professors and faculty have put into this program,” Hilsinger said. “To place third out of 14 teams as a brand-new program put our name on the map and proved that all our hard work and dedication are paying off.”
About Etown’s Physician Assistant Program
Designed to meet the needs of 21st-century learners in a rapidly growing field, Elizabethtown College’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program equips future healthcare providers with an education that is centered on service and integrates interdisciplinary learning.
The program offers two pathways – a BS/MS program and a standalone Master’s program which offers small class sizes that allow students to build strong mentoring relationships with faculty. Discover more about Etown’s PA program at etown.edu.
