FACULTY FOCUS
A Hero, Model and Mentor Dr. Linda Sekhon Leads PA Program Dr. Linda Sekhon leans forward in her white coat and barely takes a breath between sentences when she talks about the new Physician Assistant Studies program. She loves to teach and make the golden moments happen for students — the ones when they really “get it.” Sekhon previously helped create PA curriculums at Chatham University and Seton Hill University, and taught PA classes at the highly-respected Duquesne University. She came to HPU in 2012 with a vision and a mission to lay the groundwork for a new Physician Assistant Studies curriculum and department. She hired new faculty, designed core course objectives, created partnerships with local providers, and implemented state-ofthe-art technology in learning labs. “We need to prepare health care providers for what the world is going to be,” Sekhon says. The curriculum she and her team drafted was extensive — a 15-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical
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phase, designed to provide better health care for people in North Carolina as well as nationwide. “Knowing that in a small way I have succeeded in helping a student identify their passion for the PA profession, and provided them with an avenue to impact humanity in a significant way, is my definition of doing what you love,” Sekhon says. For Sekhon, the immense growth in the last 40 years of the PA occupation makes this an exciting time to chair the new department at HPU. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for PAs is
projected to grow 30 percent by 2024 — much faster than average. “It has been a great experience going from being an HPU undergraduate to becoming a part of this PA program,” says Jamey Williams, 2015 HPU graduate and now a PA student. “I want to see this program grow tremendously and 10 years from now have a patient come into my office and say, ‘How did you get into HPU’s PA program? They are exceptional and one of the best.’” Thanks in part to Sekhon, the future is bright for the Physician Assistant Studies program. And the future is bright at HPU. ■
“Knowing that in a small way I have succeeded in helping a student identify their passion for the PA profession, and provided them with an avenue to impact humanity in a significant way, is my definition of doing what you love.”