YSM PA Students Shine at AAPA 2026

YSM Physician Associate (PA) students made an impact at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) Conference held in New Orleans, La. from May 15-20, 2026. Throughout the conference, students attended lectures, workshops, and educational sessions led by expert PAs from across the country, gaining insight into the latest advances in medicine and the PA profession.

Our AAPA student representatives, Amie Su, MMSc ’27, and Saima Firoj, MMSc ’27, volunteered at the Pre-PA Student Networking Event, where they shared their experiences at Yale and answered questions from prospective PA students interested in the profession. Amie and Saima, along with other AAPA student representatives Ellie Kalman, MMSc ’26, and Kristina Wang, MMSc ’26, also participated in regional networking events. They connected with student leaders and representatives from PA programs across the Northeast and West Coast.

Leigh Paradis, MMSc ’26, Megan Bingham, MMSc ’26, Caroline Hoeft, MMSc ’26, and Brandon Hammond, MMSc ’26, were awarded first place in the annual iSCAN Ultrasound Competition for the second consecutive year. They competed against 45 PA student teams nationwide. The team also became the first group to achieve a perfect score in Round 1 of the competition.

Thank you to faculty members Tara Herbert, MS, PA-C, and Joseph Donroe, MD, MPH, for their mentorship of the iScan team. In addition, Kristina, Ellie, and Saima proudly represented Yale in the AAPA Challenge Bowl, the national medical trivia competition.

We are especially proud to recognize Grace Bag, MMSc ’26, and McKenzie Prunier, MMSc ’26, for earning prestigious national conference scholarships. Grace received the Student Academy Travel Grant, awarded to only two students from each region nationwide, while McKenzie was one of 13 students across the country selected for the AAPA 2026 Conference Scholarship.

Yale students also played important leadership roles within the AAPA Student Academy and House of Delegates. Ally Tran, MMSc ’25, and Téah Segura, MMSc ’26, represented the Student Academy during the House of Delegates meeting. Student-authored resolutions addressing advocacy within PA education, inclusion of PAs in healthcare advertising, recognition of the PA degree as a professional degree, and increased federal student loan access were successfully passed.

Ally contributed to the development of two of these resolutions. Téah was one of only three student delegates selected to serve on an AAPA House of Delegates Reference Committee, helping review testimony and shape policy recommendations. Téah was also elected Chief Delegate of the Student Academy House of Delegates with the endorsement of Physician Associates for Latino Health (PALH).

The conference also provided memorable opportunities outside of educational programming. After contributing to the AAPA Political Action Committee, Ally and Téah won a raffle that allowed them to participate on stage during a cooking demonstration featuring Jessica DeLuise, PA-C, and renowned chef Emeril Lagasse.

The conference concluded with a YSM PA Program Alumni Reception. Approximately 40 alumni from both the Yale Physician Associate Program and the Yale Physician Assistant Online Program joined current students for an evening of networking, mentorship, and celebration of the YSM PA community.

Congratulations to all of our students for their accomplishments and for representing Yale on the national stage.