PA pipeline program delivering Panhandle providers to those in need
By Bob Thomas FSU College of Medicine
Like many college students , Kristin Quina entered the University of West Florida in the fall of 2016 as an undergraduate with an idea of what she wanted to pursue as a career , only to change directions . Eight years later , she is a first-year student at the Florida State University College of Medicine ’ s School of Physician Assistant Practice , thanks in part to the UWF Physician Assistant Pipeline Program ( PAPP ), which married her passion for serving the underserved with the ability to do just that in the Pensacola area , where she was raised .
PAPP was launched in the spring of 2017 , thanks to $ 1 million in Florida legislative resources , distributed annually over a 10-year period . Split between UWF and FSU , the pooled resources were essential to get the mission-based program started and maintain its operation with a one goal :
To recruit and train qualified Florida Panhandle students to become physician assistants , caring for the elderly , rural , minority and underserved populations in Florida .
Admission to the program requires students to be permanent residents in one of 15 Panhandle counties , stretching west from Leon County all the way to Escambia County , which borders Alabama . Applicants must also meet academic requirements , be admitted to the School of Physician Assistant Practice and agree to complete all clinical rotations at the Pensacola Regional Campus .
16 FSUMED