Dipu Patel ’21 DMSc, PA-C has a unique job as a PA. She works for a healthcare tech start-up as the director of clinical pathways. This means she helps write surgical pathways and educates patients about what to expect before and after surgery.
“As PAs, we are natural educators — we are taught that from the beginning. It’s nice to see a progression, from the face-to-face interactions that we are accustomed to having as frontline providers, to now, in the digital health space, which is where I think healthcare will continue to expand,” she said.
Patel stated that programs like the DMSc allow PAs to continue to add value to the healthcare frontlines, and also in the C-suite and the boardroom.
“More and more of these types of roles are going to become available for PAs to expand their horizons,” she said. “I have been fortunate to have had this role for a year while I was going through the DMSc program. It was extremely fortuitous to be able to hone my skills through the DMSc program while I was actually doing the work — there was definite interconnectivity between the two roles. I was bringing something from my professional job to the program, and vice versa. It was great to bridge both of those worlds.”
Patel said that the use of technology is important for PAs in all areas, including education and hospitals. Patel’s doctoral project titled “Digital Health: Ethical and Policy Challenges” addressed some of these challenges. She also mentioned that her mentor, Lynchburg professor Dr. Mark Archambault, helped her apply her coursework to her unique work setting.
“I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Archambault. He demonstrated such a great willingness to allow me to be outside the box and stay creative in our thinking, especially since I am in a very non-traditional PA role,” she said.
Patel believed that the DMSc is moving the profession forward. She said PAs are natural leaders and this is the mindset that they need to cultivate in the next generation.
“We need to embed this knowledge from the very beginning into our students. Because it is not a lack of ability or creativity or value that is the limiting issue — it’s a matter of having the chance to showcase the abilities we have to offer as PAs,” she said.“I am excited to see what doors this degree will open for me. We should be on equal footing with our other healthcare professional peers and for me, this degree is a step in that direction. We have started down that road, but we are not fully there yet. For anyone that wants to pursue it, I would say go for it!”
When asked what keeps her motivated, she responded, “my kids keep me motivated.”
“Being a single mom, I want to always be the best role model for them and go the extra mile. I want to show my kids that no matter how old you are, you are never too old to learn, you are never too old to love, and you are never too old to lend a hand. And that’s really how I see the PA profession,” she said.
Patel was the 2021 award recipient of the Graduate Doctor of Medical Science Advocacy and Leadership Award. This award honors a DMSc student who is a leader in the PA profession and demonstrates exemplary service. The student must also maintain a high level of academic achievement.
