Kim Cavanagh
facultyfocus “If you come to a fork in the road, take it,” goes the quote attributed to the baseball player Yogi Berra, and that’s exactly what Kim Cavanagh, DHSc, PA-C did. It was a road that led her to be named Educator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants (PSPA) at the group's annual convention in Erie.
With an interest in health care as a teen, Cavanagh also had a deep family connection to education through her sister and her mother, Janice Whiteman, director of Gannon University’s School of Education.
trained educators,” Cavanagh said. “So to have my mom as a role model is so important, and my husband spends a lot of time with curriculum, as does my mom. To talk to them about these concepts is very valuable.” Cavanagh continues to advance her profession as the chair of the assessment council of the Physician Assistant Education Association, a national organization for which she researches assessment tools and develops infrastructure for initiatives such as online assessment capabilities. “That involvement has been valuable to me because I’ve met other educators across the country, and I’ve seen what they do,” Cavanagh said. She pointed out that physician assistant education programs are governed by a strict set of standards. “We all look pretty similar because we have to do the same things, but how we deliver education might be different.”
“We all look pretty similar because we have to do the same things, but how we deliver education might be different.”
But a biology degree from Siena College, a Physician Assistant Certificate from Drexel University and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies with a specialization in cardiology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center pointed her to health care. Cavanagh was a physician assistant for a decade before teaching in Gannon’s PA program early in her career. She began teaching full-time after receiving her doctorate in 2009. The transition was made easier by family ties to the profession, including her husband, who is the principal of a middle school in suburban Erie. “As health care providers, we’re not
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gannon magazine
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Cavanagh cited Gannon’s extensive use of 14 mediumto-high-fidelity patient simulators as a point of differentiation, but she also cited a faculty “who care about their students and work hard, and that's invaluable to prepare students for their careers. Preceptors tell us, ‘We want more Gannon grads,’ and those graduates are really good ambassadors of the University.” According to PSPA’s award criteria, so is Kim Cavanagh, the “Pennsylvania physician assistant educator who
Kim Cavanagh, DHSc, PA-C, associate professor of the physician assistant program, educates students in the PA program through a variety of class formats, including lecture-based. inspires, stimulates and challenges [her] students and colleagues through outstanding contributions to PA education and the Physician Assistant profession.” When asked about her reaction to that designation, Cavanagh said, “Humbled and honored are the words I use. I absolutely love what I do, so to receive an honor for what I love makes it more special.” Education Bachelor of Science in Biology, Siena College Master of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Nebraska Medical Center Doctor of Health Science, Nova Southeastern University Title Associate Professor and Associate Director Physician Assistant Department Hobbies Reading, Playing Golf and Watching Basketball