It’s always good to welcome a new cohort of students to MEDEX Northwest, and the gathering at this year’s New Student Orientation Week was no exception.

 A total of 1,339 candidates submitted applications for acceptance to MEDEX in the 2022-2023 application cycle. Of these candidates, 300 were selected to interview for a seat in the program and 162 were accepted as students to the five MEDEX campus locations: 48 in Seattle, 32 in Tacoma, 32 in Spokane, 26 in Anchorage, and 24 in Kona. The new students have strong regional ties to WWAMI and Hawaii (76.5% overall: 46.3% Washington, 12.3% Alaska, 6.2% Montana, 3.1% Idaho, and 8.6% Hawaii). MEDEX also continued its commitment to recruit a diverse group of students with 46.3% of the incoming class identifying as underrepresented minorities and 22.2 % as underrepresented minorities in medicine. The program also continued to honor its military roots by matriculating 20.4% military students. 

Take a moment to meet a few of the newest MEDEX students. And join us in welcoming all 162 of them. We’re so glad they’re on board. 

Chelsie Isom, MEDEX Spokane Class 27

I’ve worked as a CMA (AAMA) for the past 10 years in a few different settings, such as family practice, pain management, women’s health, and on a TBI unit in a rehab hospital. I fell in love with women’s health, and it is one of the main factors in my decision to become a PA and expand my role in healthcare. My parents are another major factor. My mom has multiple sclerosis and my dad passed away five years ago from pancreatic cancer. After spending a good portion of my life surrounded by healthcare, I realized there was a need for more healthcare professionals and providers. I applied to MEDEX Northwest because my family has deep roots in Washington state. I have lived in Spokane for the last seven years, I’m a descendent of the Quinault Tribe from my mom’s side, and I’m a first-generation graduate in my family. I grew up in a small farming community in Oregon, and community involvement was important to me even then. Now as an adult, I am still actively involved in my community here in Spokane, and I hope to continue that involvement as I step into my role as a PA. I’m honored to be part of such an amazing PA program.

Anna Green, MEDEX Seattle Class 57

I recently retired after 25 years as a police officer, both in Seattle and Everett. Prior to that I worked as a phlebotomist and an EMT.  During my last four years as an officer, I was part of an outreach team that paired social workers with officers and sent us out to homeless encampments. Our main clientele were people suffering from mental health and substance use disorders. I loved working with these folks to try and affect meaningful change in their lives. I would really like to continue along that vein in my PA practice after graduation and work in a community health clinic providing care for people who are often overlooked, just like my previous clients. There is great value in strong and healthy communities, and I want to continue making mine the best that it can be! 

 

Malia Kane, MEDEX Kona Class 4

Being raised with strong Native Hawaiian values coupled with having parents who were really invested in their community has led to my passion for service. My work in the medical field includes medical scribing with some MA responsibilities in a primary care practice, and work as a clinical research study site coordinator. I was drawn to the PA profession because of the opportunity it provides to make an impactful difference in a person’s life. Joining the MEDEX program was a natural progression to further my education as the values and mission of the program are what I hope to carry out as a PA: to provide quality compassionate care to the people of Hawaii. As a native Hawaiian, I feel honored to be able to care for the native Hawaiian population as well as to be a representative of the Hawaiian community in this field.

Tamija Woods, MEDEX Anchorage Class 15

I am joined on my MEDEX journey by my two daughters, who keep me motivated and grounded. My family is very supportive, and I couldn’t do it without them. At a high school job fair, I came across a different opportunity to be a Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT), which was something that immediately grabbed my attention. It offered an opportunity to become a mid-level provider in two years while traveling the state of Alaska. As a mid-level provider, I would be able to perform exams, extract adult and baby teeth, administer local anesthesia, take x-rays, perform fillings, and give patient education. I was sold, and applied for the program in 2017. I was accepted into the program and graduated in 2019. I worked as a DHAT for three years. During this time, I worked in clinics chair side with nurse practitioners and physician assistants that were also providing care to the same patients in remote communities. The excitement that community members felt when they knew the medical or dental team were in town was priceless. Over time, I realized how much more of an asset I would be if I was able to provide these same patients with my medical knowledge and increase their access to care. This led me to applying and joining the MEDEX family.

Angel Adams, MEDEX Kona Class 4

For over 15 years, I’ve been in the health and fitness industry as a Certified Health Coach and Physical Trainer. But in 2018, I decided to shift my focus towards a more patient-centered approach to healthcare. I wanted to be able to help people even before they became clients who needed training. That’s why I decided to undergo training myself. For the past five years, I’ve been working as a phlebotomist at both inpatient and outpatient facilities at Queens Medical Center on Oahu. It’s been an incredible experience being able to assist patients and provide them with the care they need. When I was looking for a PA program to join, I found MEDEX and instantly felt a connection. Their mission aligned perfectly with the values I have been raised on. From a young age, I was taught to be kind, helpful, and to treat everyone with fairness and respect. However, what really caught my attention about MEDEX was their JEDI initiative. JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. This approach is something I believe is often missing in the training of health professionals. It’s about acknowledging and addressing the disparities that exist in healthcare and striving to create a more just and equitable system. I am proud to be a part of a program that values these principles and actively works towards a more inclusive future. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer right around the time I began my journey to become a healthcare provider through MEDEX. This whole experience made me realize just how unequal the available treatments were for her condition. It was a wake-up call that solidified my decision to pursue a career in healthcare. As a minority, I’ve noticed that our needs often get overlooked. There’s a shortage of healthcare providers in underserved communities, which only exacerbates the problem. But I want to be a part of the solution. I want to be one of those providers who can make a difference and bring about positive change in these communities.

Jean Carlos Arroyo-Quinones, MEDEX Seattle Class 57

After working with MDs, NPs, and PAs I felt like the PA profession had all the qualities in a profession that I aligned with the most. MEDEX was my top choice when applying due to its amazing history working with veterans like me. When I got out of the military in 2015, I wanted to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs so that I could work closely with veterans like me. I knew that the population of veterans is vulnerable and underrepresented. Then a close friend of mine introduced me to medical scribing, which was one of the pivotal moments in my life. I started working as a scribe October 2019, not knowing that my choice in choosing healthcare as a profession was soon to be tested drastically with the arrival of the pandemic a few months later. In the time since, I’ve gone from knowing nothing of the healthcare field to choosing PA as the route to take in seeking to help veterans. I was awarded the VA Healthcare Service Professional Scholarship, also known as the VA HPSP, which offered me full support in becoming a PA. The scholarship stipulates that after I complete PA school, I must work at an underserved area in the VA healthcare network for three years. So everything has lined up for me, and I’m so glad I’m able to pursue this dream. A quote I live by is “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”

Ilandra O’Doherty, MEDEX Tacoma Class 11

Prior to becoming a MEDEX student, I served as a hospital corpsman and pharmacy technician in the Navy. During this time, I helped take care of patients primarily in hospital settings. After retirement from the Navy, I spent time working at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance as a chemotherapy technician and at St. Michael Medical Center as an inpatient pharmacy technician. I applied to the MEDEX program because I respect its mission to serve the underserved. I first heard of the PA profession as a young girl and became inspired by the compassion they provided me in a time of need. I grew up in an underserved community without healthcare. I understand first-hand what it is like to not have access to care and want to be a part of that change. I also believe that women, especially women of color, need more representation in this field. They need to be heard, not dismissed, or ignored. I want to change the way women are treated in healthcare and rebuild a foundation of trust in the healthcare system that’s been washed away in so many underrepresented and underserved communities.

Carolina Martinez Vera, MEDEX Spokane Class 27

My journey in healthcare began following high school graduation when I started as a Certified Medical Assistant. I kept this job for eight years prior to starting PA school. Each day as a medical assistant I committed myself to learn from my providers as much as I could. Once a PA, my goal is to provide care to those in greatest need in rural and underserved communities. My intent is to bring a positive impact into our multicultural population. Coming from Latino heritage, I want to contribute to our Hispanic population by using my bilingual skills and experience to make a difference in healthcare. MEDEX’s mission and values are the reasons I chose to be part of this program. It is my journey to aid in expanding patient access and provide patient-centered and high-quality care. 

Michael Adetokundo Adeleye, MEDEX Seattle Class 57

Up until joining MEDEX, I worked as a medical scribe, first in a clinic serving the underserved community of my hometown of Bronx, NY, and then in NY’s busiest urgent care. I applied to MEDEX because it seemed to perfectly align with the reasons why I went into healthcare. The emphasis on diversity and on serving those who are negatively affected by healthcare disparities were two points of attraction to the MEDEX program. Being a first generation American gave me the drive and passion to want to excel no matter the odds. Seeing how my parents were able to overcome their odds and become successful inspires me to want to honor the sacrifices they made. I hope to not only serve my community in the Bronx but also serve my ancestral community in Nigeria as well.

James Cho, MEDEX Anchorage Class 15

In 2008, I attended the University of Fairbanks, Alaska to become a firefighter, EMT. I obtained my associate’s degree in fire science, and bachelor’s in emergency management while working full time at the fire department. I had a passion for learning and considered myself a lifelong learner. While working full time, I was able to get my master’s degree in public administration through UAS, and my paramedic license through UAF in 2016. Later that year, I was hired at Central Emergency Services in Soldotna, where I operated as a fire fighter/ paramedic and oversaw patient care. My decision to transition from EMS to a PA had a lot to do with my friends who were a part of the MEDEX program. Many of them were paramedics and now practicing as PAs within Alaska, and told me about the amount of knowledge and great experiences they were able to have through MEDEX.

I am from an immigrant family from South Korea, the first generation in my family to obtain a high school degree, college education, and graduate degree. My mom stayed home to raise the family, and my father worked as a cook. The struggles of a low-income household having medical needs were a part of our daily lives. Programs such as Denali KidCare provided care for both my sister and me, including basic immunization as needed. My background, hard work and perseverance transfers directly into my patient care as a provider. The importance of treating individuals with compassion and empathy is a key characteristic that made my decision to apply to MEDEX. Once I graduate and become a PA, my passion for helping underserved population especially in Alaska will be my end goal.