First-year PA program graduates 2 Published May 12, 2011 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 81st Medical Group Hospital's newest training program marks its one-year anniversary this month with a graduation ceremony. Upon their graduation Friday, two of the nine students presently enrolled in the physician assistant program's one-year clinical training phase -- Officer Trainees Bradley Dispense and Kimberly Bertrand -- will receive their master of science degrees from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and be commissioned first lieutenants. OT Bertrand will be assigned to Langley Air Force Base, Va., and OT Dispense to Tyndall AFB, Fla. The UNMC oversees the Physician Assistant Program and provides credentials for the participants. The clinical training phase is expected to expand to 16 months in January. Capt. Danny Villalobos, 81st Medical Operations Squadron and the program's clinical coordinator, explained students enter the clinical phase following a year of classroom training at San Antonio's Fort Sam Houston. Students there represent all branches of the military as well as the Coast Guard. Air Force members complete their clinicals at one of several Air Force military treatment facilities including Keesler, Andrews AFB, Md., Langley AFB, Va., Travis AFB, Calif., Eglin AFB, Fla., Nellis AFB, Nev., and Offutt AFB, Neb. He noted that Keesler currently has one Army member and is expecting a Coast Guard student this month. In addition to the nine students now in the Keesler program, the captain said three more will enter this month. "This is a continuing rotational class with three students added every three to four months," Captain Villalobos said. Air Force PA students are mainly applicants from the 4N aerospace medicine and surgical services enlisted Air Force specialty. Physician assistants are utilized as primary care providers, the captain observed. "They see patients just as a physician does and work under a physician whom they can consult when necessary," the captain explained. "During their training, they 'shadow' physicians and staff PAs in obstetrics and gynecology; psychiatry; internal medicine; ear, nose and throat; orthopedics and the emergency room. After two years in the family health area, PAs can apply for one-year fellowships enabling them to specialize in general surgery, orthopedics, ENT or psychiatry."