Sasek to Receive PAEA Scholarship for Harvard Macy Institute Program

Cody Sasek, MPAS, PA-C, a new faculty member at the developing Creighton University PA program in Omaha, Nebraska, has been selected as the recipient of the PAEA scholarship to attend the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Educators in Health Professions.

Sasek will receive $5,900 from PAEA to cover the cost of the Harvard Macy Institute program. The program provides “a select group of participants with the knowledge base and skills to enhance their expertise in both conducting an educational project of their own design and taking a leadership role in the educational activities at their institutions.”

“For a PA to have a seat at the table like that is outstanding,” said Sasek. “I’m grateful that PAEA supports this. I think what was most appealing to me was the opportunity to get a deep dive into a specific area, particularly ‘entrustable professional activities’ and how we look at students.”

Previously on the faculty of the PA programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Sasek is responsible for developing the clinical phase of the program at Creighton. He is also working on his PhD.

“Cody is a rising star in PA education,” said Tami Ritsema, a former colleague and mentor at UNMC. “He has strong interests in promoting PA education as a career, as evidenced by his work on the steering committee for the Future Educator Fellowship Program at the Education Forum.”

PAEA received a total of eight applications for this opportunity, which were reviewed by a Leadership MAC subgroup led by Christine Bruce. Bruce previously served as a faculty member for the Harvard Macy Institute program and was instrumental in securing this position for a PA educator.

“There’s so much going on in PA education right now,” said Sasek. “That presents a lot of challenges but also creates opportunities. How do we shape PA education and clinical education over the next decade or two? We, as PA educators, need to be proactive in how we best prepare our students. We need to find new ways to help them step into their new roles on day one. That’s my goal.”