Pathologists’ Assistant Program News • Summer 2020
I often begin the Pathologists’ Assistant Program orientation for new students by expressing the importance of being both adaptable and flexible in our practice. This March, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives, my words never rang so true!
Even though I knew this was going to be a challenging year as we were transitioning the program to a May start date and having three classes active at the same time, I was prepared to practice what I preach, so to speak, work through and adapt to the changes needed, and be flexible overall. COVID-19, however, brought on unprecedented challenges for faculty and students when all instruction had to transition to an online platform, and when in-person laboratory sessions and clinical rotations were suddenly canceled.
Five months into this crisis, I have to say that we adapted and persevered through these obstacles successfully. We converted all lectures into synchronous Zoom classrooms, our in-person laboratory sessions will be completed shortly and in time for students to go into clinical rotations, and after eight weeks at home, our 2nd year students returned to clinicals to complete their rotations and are graduating in a few weeks.
Through all this, the pathologists’ assistant faculty tackled these challenges through problem-solving action and creative teaching solutions, and has remained flexible in the face of continuous change. Our clinical site preceptors continued to be incredible supporters of our students and their clinical learning, and they have gone above and beyond to ensure that all students have the necessary skills to meet entry-level competencies as they prepare to graduate in the next few weeks. I couldn’t be more grateful to the faculty and the clinical preceptors for their commitment to our students and program.
Because unprecedented challenges demand unprecedented collaboration and adaptability, our students have risen to the occasion and have responded with poise, professionalism and grace to everything that has been asked of them or thrown their way. They reached out to each other and to the community to build and solidify relationships, they accepted the changes to their academic and clinical situations and embraced the new possibilities ahead, and as they took action, they developed coping strategies that will make them more resilient to life’s adversity. I couldn’t be more proud of them!
The take-home message is: We can tackle whatever challenges COVID-19 has in store for us!
Veralucia Mendes-Kramer
Pathologists' Assistant Program Director
Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Wayne State University
Two weeks after pathologists' assistant alumna Heidi Wagner was promoted to head of operations for UHN Biospeciman Services at the University Health Network in Toronto, business as usual came to an abrupt stop. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, and Wagner was charged with repurposing the McCain GU BioBank and the UHN BioBank. Within a matter of days, the facility would transition from collecting cancer specimens to joining the worldwide effort to comprehend and control COVID-19. “I never imagined I’d be in the middle of a pandemic, sending my team to the front lines,” she said. “The uncertainty of the situation is significant. I’ve made every effort to respect and accommodate everyone’s needs and personal situations.” Read more >
As a U.S. Army sergeant stationed in the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea, Madison Morrison's job was to provide medical support to training operations, treating a wide range of injuries from minor to life-threatening. Now a student in the Pathologists' Assistant program, she says her years of active duty were invaluable. “As a noncommissioned officer, I had a leadership role with soldiers working under me. I mentored and counseled them, and it gave me the skills I use now to build relationships with people and professors,” she said. Morrison is currently aiming to become a forensic PA, but has recently discovered a passion for the surgical setting. Read more >
This summer, pathologists' assistant students and faculty members donned PPE and worked together to serve the community surrounding Wayne State's campus. They put their experience handling hazardous materials to work as they cleaned up Detroit's Riverside Park, and spent time delivering meals for Focus: HOPE to the city's isolated elderly community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more >
Pathologists' assistant student Christopher Cubel was in rotation at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. "They swab most of the decedents who come through for the coronavirus, and thus they are able to get some good data about the virus and its community spread," he said. "The work they do is invaluable and the research that they conduct can help drive policy decisions. It feels good to know that you are helping out, even if it's a small thing." Read more >
As a student in the Pathologists' Assistant program, Rachel Jimenez has continued to work as a nurse in the ICU at Karmanos Cancer Center. "It has been fun getting to gross a patient specimen at clinical and go into work the next day and care for that same patient in the ICU," she said. "Being able to provide patient care in multiple ways is very eye-opening and a good reminder that there is an actual person behind every specimen." Read more >
Share your news and updates
If you have news of your own to share or just want to say hello, please get in touch! We'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to email Dr. Kramer directly at az7906@wayne.edu. You can also update your alumni record online to make sure we have your most up-to-date contact information for future newsletters.
