Physician Assistant Studies students are administrating COVID-19 vaccines at multiple locations in Chapel Hill and Carrboro鈥攁n experience they鈥檒l remember as future health care providers. Douglas Brittingham and Karla Chavez, both second-year PA students, have administered dozens of vaccines at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education over the past several weeks as part of a public health elective.
鈥淰accination programs are one of the most effective public health measures that we鈥檝e had. To be part of a potential solution鈥攖his is great,鈥� Brittingham said. 鈥淭hese are the roots of public health. We鈥檙e preventing disease at a large scale in a local population.鈥�
Brittingham is a non-traditional student who attended San Diego State University and worked in a hospital in California before deciding to pursue PA school. 鈥淲orking in the hospital setting solidified my interest in PA. I knew I wanted to work in health care, but I didn’t know what specifically I wanted,鈥� he said.
Both students are a part of an interprofessional initiative called the . The corps is an opportunity for student volunteers to engage in service activities to address the specific needs of 黑料网-Chapel Hill students, faculty, and staff, as well as our surrounding community. Brittingham added that distributing vaccines through this program has taught him that efficacy, safety, and availability are the main issues that concern patients, and that it is rewarding when he is able to answer patient questions.
“We鈥檙e expected to be flexible, resilient, and lifelong learners,鈥� Brittingham said. 鈥淭here are so many uncertainties in health care when you鈥檙e working with patients, so this was one big uncertainty we were working with this year.鈥�
Jason Hrdina, an assistant professor in the PA program and the director of clinical education, said the pandemic is an invaluable public health education opportunity for students.
“Not only are our clinical phase students front line health care leaders administrating the COVID-19 vaccine, they are acquiring interprofessional experiences working alongside experienced nurses and doctors learning tips and tricks, learning how to address patients’ questions and concerns regarding the new vaccine, and attaining an appreciation for emergency public health operations during a global pandemic,” Hrdina said.
Chavez was born in Mexico and moved to Nash County, North Carolina when she was four years old. She attended a community college and transferred to North Carolina State University where she majored in human biology. She was inspired to pursue a career as a PA because she saw a need for health care initiatives in rural areas and a need for translators in the medical field.
鈥淚 would go to the doctor with my parents, and they don鈥檛 speak English,鈥� Chavez said. 聽鈥淚 would go as their translator. I thought it was the coolest thing to see them interact, and I felt they knew everything about the body. I saw a lack of interpreters and health care workers because we were in a rural area, so I got really interested in helping people who come here and don鈥檛 speak the language.鈥�
Brittingham and Chavez both agree that the most rewarding part about distributing vaccines is meeting the people who receive them. Chavez said that despite the uncertainty and isolation from the pandemic, she finds hope in the positive spirit of patients, including a story she recalled from an older adult.
鈥淸He] pulled out a picture of his grandkids from his wallet and told me he had not seen them since the pandemic started,鈥� Chavez explained. 鈥淗e was so grateful for me and the vaccine and told me that when this is all over he is going to find me and give me a big hug.鈥�
Brittingham and Chavez both agree that knowledge is the most important tool in fighting the pandemic. “As a provider, this is really teaching me the importance of education, educating our populations about the course of the disease, treatment, and prevention,鈥� Brittingham said.
Chavez said she has noticed that Spanish-speaking patients are often more comfortable receiving care when working with a medical provider from a similar background. She said speaking Spanish can be critical in allowing her and other medical professionals to further educate patients about the vaccine. Chavez is a student scholar thanks to support from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.
The pandemic affected the students鈥� first year of didactic learning, but they both find clinical work to be fulfilling.
鈥淲e like the camaraderie; we like the human side of science,鈥� Brittingham said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we chose this profession.鈥�
Following graduation slated for December 2021, Brittingham is considering a career in emergency medicine, while Chavez hopes to return to rural North Carolina to serve Spanish-speaking communities.
鈥淎ll different aspects of health care were working together to make this one thing happen,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see how it鈥檚 all full circle.鈥�
Paul Chelminski, (鈥�95 MD, 鈥�03 MPH) has directed the PA program since its inception in 2015. Jason Hrdina, MPAS, MPH, EM PA-C, is a physician assistant in emergency medicine at 黑料网 Hospitals. The Physician Assistant Studies program is housed in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, part of the 黑料网.
-Hanna Williams, Public Relations Intern