One of the unexpected joys of working in PA education is how much I’ve learned about a profession I don’t personally practice. I’m not a clinician, but I get a front-row seat to what it takes to educate one—and I get to play a meaningful part in making it happen. There really isn’t a typical day in PA program administration. I could probably tell you what’s on my calendar when I arrive in the morning. Whether my day will actually look anything like that is another story.
That unpredictability is one of the things I enjoy most about working in PA education. On any given morning, I might start the day reviewing our budget or preparing for an upcoming admissions interview, and within an hour, find myself helping a student with a badge that stopped working, tracking down a package, answering a question from a prospective applicant, or figuring out why something in the building suddenly isn’t working. Somewhere in between, there are contracts to review, supplies to order, meetings to schedule, records to maintain, events to plan, and about 47 emails that all seemed perfectly reasonable when they arrived individually. It can look a little chaotic from the outside. Most days, though, there is a purpose behind the chaos.
As the Administrative Manager for Mount St. Mary’s University’s PA Program, my job sits at the intersection of almost every part of the program. I work with our faculty and students, but also with preceptors, university offices, vendors, facilities staff, and community partners. Sometimes I’m planning something six months away while solving a problem that needs an answer in the next six minutes.
PA programs have a lot of moving parts, and admissions is a great example. At the Mount, our holistic admissions process means we look beyond numbers alone, considering both an applicant’s academic preparation and the experiences, attributes, and perspectives they may bring to the PA profession and our program. That kind of individualized review takes time. Behind every interview day are hours of application review, faculty coordination, candidate communication, scheduling, materials, meals, parking, and countless other details—all with the goal of giving each candidate thoughtful consideration and a welcoming experience. And admissions is only one part of the work happening at any given time. While we’re preparing to welcome the next cohort, we’re also supporting current students, coordinating clinical education, maintaining accreditation requirements, managing budgets, and planning whatever comes next. The goal is for most of that work to be relatively invisible. If a student walks into a classroom and the supplies they need are already there, they shouldn’t have to wonder who ordered them. If an applicant knows exactly where to park and where to go on interview morning, they probably won’t think about the emails, maps, room reservations, signs, and conversations that happened beforehand. If a faculty member has what they need to teach a lab, the best outcome is that nobody has to stop and think about how it got there. The best administrative work is often the work no one notices—it allows everyone else to focus on what matters most.
One of the most rewarding parts of working in PA education is getting to know our students and supporting them throughout their time in the program. Supporting them takes many forms. Sometimes it means keeping track of the details behind the scenes—maintaining records, anticipating deadlines, or making sure they have what they need before they ever have to ask. Other times, it means celebrating a success, answering a question, helping solve an unexpected problem, or simply being someone they know they can stop in and talk to. Those moments are a reminder that the heart of my work is the people.
There’s also a side to administrative work that students may never see at all. PA education requires rigorous standards, careful documentation, and thoughtful systems behind nearly every part of the student experience. From accreditation requirements and faculty credentials to clinical agreements, policies, budgets, and records, there is an enormous amount happening behind the scenes to ensure we meet our commitments to students while continually strengthening the program.
The details themselves may not be exciting, but what they make possible certainly is. Strong administrative systems create the foundation for a high-quality PA program—supporting accreditation, strengthening clinical partnerships, giving faculty the resources they need to teach, and allowing students to focus on learning and becoming excellent clinicians.
As an inaugural team, we’ve had the opportunity to build those systems from the ground up very intentionally. That means thinking not only about what works today, but creating processes that can support our students, faculty, and program for years to come. We’re also able to continually evaluate what we’ve built, make improvements, and find better ways of doing things as our program grows. There’s something deeply satisfying about that kind of work.
My role also gives me a unique view of the students’ journey. I may first encounter someone as a name on an applicant list. Then I meet them on interview day, see them again as an accepted student, welcome them at orientation, and watch as they become increasingly confident in the classroom and simulation lab. Over time, the questions change. The nervous applicant wondering what to expect becomes the PA student talking through a patient case, mastering a new skill, or preparing for clinical rotations. Eventually, I’ll get to watch those same students graduate and begin their careers as PAs.
That may be the most rewarding part of PA program administration. Behind the budgets, admissions, events, spreadsheets, and emails are people—and I get a front-row seat to watching them become PAs.
So, no, there really isn’t a typical day in PA program administration. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.