Project Access Builds PA Pipeline in DC

This year, sixteen volunteers took time out of their busy Forum schedules to visit McKinley Technology High School, a STEM-based school in northeast Washington, DC. 

Project Access is an outreach and recruitment program that aims to encourage high school students from underrepresented minority groups to consider the PA profession as a career. Its primary goal is to increase the number of minority PAs, provide more accessible primary care, and eliminate health disparities. Ultimately, the goal is to help students become competitive candidates for PA programs by preparing them early in their education.

Divided into two groups, the volunteers spoke with 11th graders about the PA profession and had a chance to share their personal stories as well as educate the students about a profession that was previously unknown to them. 

A special thanks goes out to the coordinators at McKinley Tech, to the volunteer leads for helping coordinate, and to the volunteers for participating and sharing their stories.  

If you would like to host a Project Access event in your community, you can use this toolkit or contact me at HStorm@PAEAonline.org.