“It was one of those moments where I just knew what I wanted to do.”
For Brianna Hampton, medicine was always in her life plan, but it wasn’t until she learned about UAB’s Physician Assistant Studies program that she knew where medicine would take her. Housed in the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences of UAB’s School of Health Professions, the PA program is ranked as one of the top programs in the country.
“UAB is just unbeatable, not just for the medical program but everyone knows UAB’s reputation, the connections the hospital and school have are unmatched,” said Hampton when reflecting on her decision to study at UAB.
Now in her second year as a PA student, Hampton has been selected as a National PA Education Association (PAEA) Future Educator Fellow.
The program is geared towards PA students and other medical graduate students who hope to practice medicine alongside teaching the next generation of professionals. Students attend monthly meetings, network with other students, engage with guest speakers, and more. The three objectives of the program include:
- Foundational Educator Competencies: developing skills such as teaching, learner-centeredness and role-modeling.
- Functional Educator Competencies: expanding their skills in scholarship development and leadership.
- Leadership and Professional Development: opportunities for interprofessional education and research, and building strategies for collaboration to enhance PA education.
For Hampton, medicine and teaching went hand in hand, “I always knew I wanted to go the teaching route. I didn’t want to teach English or math–medicine was always my passion.”
Selected as one of fifteen students for the 2024-2025 Cohort, Hampton looks forward to the ways she will grow as a student, instructor, and medical professional. PAEA has had seven cohorts since the 2018 to 2019 academic year and out of all PA programs in the country, UAB has had the highest number of students (five) that have completed the fellowship.
When Hampton first learned about the program, she was unsure if it was the right path for her. Erin Dorman, a CDS faculty member, spoke in one of Hampton’s classes about her own experience as a PAEA Future Educator Fellow in 2018.
“She’s one of my mentors,” Hampton went on to say that Dorman’s advice led her to the conclusion that applying for the fellowship was a step in the right direction.
Hampton is looking forward to discovering the ways that she’ll grow in the next year. As she wraps up her last semester in the classroom, she’s looking forward to her clinical schedule and her new title as a Future Educator Fellow.
To learn more about UAB’s Physician Assistant Studies Program, click here.
