Next Step: physician assistant training Published Sept. 9, 2010 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Tech. Sgt. Millard Storms realizes a long-time goal when he begins Physician Assistant School at San Antonio's Fort Sam Houston Dec. 3. Sergeant Storms, a biomedical equipment technician with the 81st Medical Support Squadron, was notified of his selection late last year while assigned to Aviano Air Base, Italy. He had applied for the program in March 2009. He noted that the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, assisted him in being accepted to the December class, one of three conducted each ear. The others are in April and August. Following the 16-month school at "Fort Sam," Sergeant Storms will complete a year of clinical rotations at one of six locations offering PA residencies: Offutt AFB, Neb.; Langley AFB, Va.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; Travis AFB, Calif.; Nellis AFB, Nev., or Keesler Upon completion of school, he will be commissioned a first lieutenant in the Air Force. Physician assistants are medical providers similar to nurse practitioners. They are very versatile and can work in the emergency room, surgery or family practice clinics. A veteran of 13 years of Air Force service, Sergeant Storms has earned three associate degrees, in business administration, biomedical equipment technology and instructor technology. He also earned bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in health-care administration, from Wayland Baptist University in Wichita Falls, Texas, while assigned to Sheppard AFB. He has been at Keesler since October 2009. The Elizabethtown N.C., native recalls when he was notified of his selection at Aviano he "was very excited. I had been working to get into patient care for years, pretty much since I enlisted. It's reassuring that all the studying has paid off!