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When ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø physician assistant graduate Jordan Hawley recently stood and received the traditional long white coat symbolizing her entrance into the field of healthcare professionals, it symbolized more than the thousands of hours in the classroom and clinic — it represents a lifelong journey toward finding her calling.  

On August 14, over 140 ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø physician assistant students walked the stage to receive one of the most well-known hallmarks for identifying a healthcare professional: their white coat. Students transitioning from their classroom to clinical year received a coat that hit at their hips, while graduates received their long, knee-length coat. What began as a symbol of the cleanliness standards of the medical field has evolved to symbolize service, compassion, and a commitment to providing exceptional care. 

“I am absolutely thrilled for Jordan as she begins this next chapter. She is a rockstar. And I know she is going to be exactly the kind of PA we strive for here at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø: one that is caring and collaborative with a passion for serving others and improving the health and well-being of patients and their communities,” said Sarah Maddux, Hawley’s faculty advisor and ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø PA Studies Performance Advancement Coordinator and Assistant Professor.

Moving to Idaho from Alaska at an early age, Hawley attended Emmett High School and went on to play soccer on scholarship at the College of Idaho. Even with the financial aid, Hawley still worked to support herself. Being employed and a collegiate athlete, combined with the uncertainty of what she wanted to do for a career post-graduation, led Hawley to the difficult decision of withdrawing from the college and entering the workforce. 

A love of animals drove Hawley into her first career as a veterinary technician at the Idaho Humane Society and other non-profit institutions. School was still tugging at her, however, and she enrolled at College of Western Idaho where she completed an associate degree, followed by a microbiology bachelor’s degree from University of Idaho in 2020. 

Plagued with a vast array of potential career paths to pursue, Hawley was excited to find Idaho State’s PA program. She had initially continued working for the biotech company she worked for as an undergraduate student, where she created the liquid that preserved the biological samples taken from Covid tests during transport to a laboratory. Her previous positions sparked interests in pathology, problem-solving, and patient care. When she discovered that a career as a physician assistant would let her combine those interests, Hawley looked to ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s PA program. As interested in the program as she was, ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø was also interested in her. 

“Someone was very willing to talk to me right away when I contacted them to tell them that I was interested. They were very straightforward about the process and what it would look like,” said Hawley. “It was actually the grant coordinator who contacted me and took time out of his day to just talk to this random student who was like, ‘Hey, I'm interested!’”

PAs play a vital role in providing healthcare to rural communities in Idaho. The Gem State practices a collaborative model between physicians and PAs, which gives PAs the opportunity to work more autonomously. PAs in Idaho have authority to own their own practices, diagnose conditions, and prescribe medications, including controlled substances. This structure allows for smaller communities who might not be able to afford a physician to still access comprehensive healthcare through a qualified PA. 

“We have one of the lowest physicians per capita of the entire country and we just don't have enough doctors to take care of our patients,” said Cindy Bunde, ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø PA Studies Clinical Associate Professor & Academic Coordinator. “PAs can fill that need.”

The PA Studies program at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø strives to help fill this gap, offering not just the only PA program in Idaho, but a specialized rural health track within it. The rural health track includes targeted mentorship for students, expanded telehealth experience, rural-based clinical rotations, leadership opportunities, and additional rural health education certifications. Hawley was 1 of twelve students in her cohort to pursue this concentration.

“ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø emphasizes rural health, and working with underserved, vulnerable populations,” said Hawley. “Social determinants of health are a big topic that they address head-on. It all aligns very much with where I want to be.”

Hawley sits for her Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination next month and, upon passing, plans to continue working with Idaho’s rural populations. She leaves ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies and certifications in both rural health and as an Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholar.

“Jordan is a phenomenal student…She demonstrates initiative and self-directed learning,” said Bunde. “I'm the guide who provides the construct for learning, but the students have to take it from there. She absolutely nailed it.” 

For students looking to enter the PA program, Hawley recommends reaching out to ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø and talking with their faculty and staff. 

“They're showing up in Idaho to make this program so that people from or in Idaho have access to this education. If ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø wasn't here, and I was applying for programs outside of Idaho, I have no idea what would have happened,” said Hawley. “These people care. They're working on ways to always get better and build a great PA program to not only fulfill the need in the state, but to support their students' careers. You can't do that anywhere else in Idaho.”