After becoming a PA in her mid-thirties, working clinically and spending a few years in PA education, Hayhurst found Lynchburg’s DMSc through a colleague who was part of the program’s premier cohort.
“I discovered my niche within healthcare administration directly through my DMSc coursework. I found my bridge between PA education into helping current PAs see their worth within the practice, and helping advocate for them,” she said.
Hayhurst practices clinically and also serves as a director and resource for Advanced Practice Providers on issues of standard of care, duty to patients, and meeting risk management protocols within a large dermatology group in southern California.
“As PAs, even though there are so many of us, we are still a small community, and we need each other to help reach our full potential as a profession,” Hayhurst said.
She knew early on that she wanted to become a PA.
“When I was in high school, I worked for a local dermatologist, and there was a PA in the practice; the PA treated patients also. The PA profession wasn’t as well-known at that time,” she reflected.
After college, Hayhurst had a career in medical sales and marketing, but always had the goal of becoming a clinician. “It was always in the back of my mind — this was always my goal.”
“When you’re in PA education, you realize the value and importance of training up the next generation of PAs — you see your role in mentoring, bringing the profession up, and moving it forward,” she said.
Hayhurst said that having the support of her family has been key throughout her academic pursuits.
“My children were very young when I started PA school, and they were 10 and 13 years old when I began the DMSc. They were able to see me working hard toward my goal of receiving my doctorate. They would study alongside me, and I was able to show them the value of education. Seeing how proud they were of me was so meaningful,” she said.
“Another goal of mine, even after finishing PA school, was to earn my doctorate. I thought the DMSc was excellent. I thought — this would have been great to have this advanced knowledge in PA school. It helped build on the knowledge that I already had and took it to the next level.”
She noted that a favorite course was on healthcare law.
“I learned so much! The curriculum is very thoughtfully laid out and makes the workload doable, and maximizes what you can learn throughout the course without becoming overwhelmed,” she stated. “I enjoyed the balance of self-directed learning and the availability of having faculty mentors, Dr. Nancy Reid and Dr. Trey Boyd. They were always available for conversations and flexibility when needed, which goes right along with the PA profession. It’s what we do.”
