Meet Inspira Advantage’s PA School Admissions Experts

Taylor is a highly accomplished physician assistant who is an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She practices in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory Healthcare, where she also serves as the sole advanced practice provider (APP) of a highly complex inpatient consultation service.

Oresta graduated from Rutgers University’s PA program, and her years of coaching and admissions experience inform her approach to PA counseling. She has guided many students to acceptance at top-tier PA programs, including Rutgers University, Temple University, Drexel University, and the University of Miami. Oresta also serves as an alumni interviewer for Rutgers’ PA program, evaluating applicants to help select students for incoming classes.

Jewels is a certified neurosurgery physician assistant working at Sanford Health. She graduated from Bethel University’s PA program, where she served on the admissions committee. Her experience in reviewing applications and interviewing candidates has given her a comprehensive understanding of how PA applications are received, enabling her to provide targeted support to students.

Amanda is a physician assistant specializing in emergency medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She began her journey with an undergraduate degree in speech and hearing science at the University of Utah. Fluent in English and Spanish, Amanda brings experience in emergency medical services, occupational medicine, rural healthcare, cardiology, pediatric psychiatry, and COVID-19 clinical research to her practice.

Monica has over 10 years of clinical practice in urgent care, occupational medicine, and health advocacy. She earned a Master’s in physician assistant studies from the University of Southern California after completing her psychology degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. Throughout her career, she has combined her commitment to patient care with a passion for guiding the next generation of physician assistants.

Athena is a highly accomplished physician assistant with an extensive background in behavioral medicine. While at Marist College, she served on the admissions committee, interviewing candidates, reading essays and personal statements, and discussing with other faculty which candidates should be admitted to the program.

Deniece graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School’s (EVMS) PA program and is a board-certified PA with a clinical foundation in emergency medicine, urgent care, telehealth, and medication-assisted treatment. She served on the EVMS PA program admissions committee, where she reviewed applications and interviewed applicants while directly contributing to the decision-making process.

Cady (Arcadia) is a highly accomplished board-certified emergency medicine physician assistant and Fulbright Scholar with a passion for global health. She graduated from Wake Forest University’s PA program and is a board member of Physician Assistants for Global Health. Currently, Cady works at MedStar Emergency Physicians in Washington, D.C., where she diagnoses, treats, and educates patients in a high-acuity, high-volume urban emergency department.

Janet is a certified OB/GYN physician assistant at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY, where she has been practicing for five years. She works in both inpatient and outpatient settings in NYC and precepts PA students. Janet has coached students for over eight years and has successfully guided several PA students to success.

Madison graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s PA program, where she was elected Class Officer and served as Interview Co-Chair, evaluating 1,000+ PA applications and interviewing 400+ candidates during her tenure. She currently works in the Trauma section of the Orthopedics & Rehabilitation Division Department at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Joseph is a PA practicing in the NewYork-Presbyterian Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. He earned his BS in health sciences from Stony Brook University before graduating with honors from Weill Cornell Medicine’s physician assistant program. With over 10 years of coaching experience, Joseph has guided students to acceptance at PA schools including Stony Brook, Hofstra, Weill-Cornell, Mayo Clinic, Touro, NYIT, and others.

Faith graduated from the Yale School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and works as a dermatology PA. She has years of experience in advising PA school applicants before, during, and after the CASPA cycle. She has helped students strengthen applications, edit personal statements and supplemental essays, and prepare for interviews.

Jill is a professor at Temple University’s PA Program with 17 years of admissions committee experience. She earned a Master of Health Science in physician assistant studies from Drexel University and a Doctor of Medical Science from A.T. Still University. Jill previously served as the Departmental Admissions Chair for the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s PA program and now interviews and screens applicants for Temple University’s PA Program.

Beena is a PA and integrative medicine practitioner with extensive experience in oncology, holistic health, and patient advocacy. She earned a Master of Science in physician assistant studies from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine–New York and a BS in biology from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Beena has practiced at several of New York City’s leading academic medical centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, and Weill Cornell Medical College.

Martin is a physician assistant with advanced training in emergency medicine and a demonstrated commitment to healthcare access, education, and leadership. He earned a BS, MPAS, and MPH from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he also served on the student admissions committee and as Class President. Following graduate school, he completed an emergency medicine fellowship at Marquette University. Martin has since been invited back to serve on the University of Wisconsin–Madison PA program admissions committee.

Christina is a family medicine PA who attended the University of California, Berkeley, before graduating from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions’ (MGH IHP) PA program. During her time at MGH IHP, Christina served as a graduate assistant and admissions ambassador, guiding over 100 applicants through the PA school admissions process and helping them craft authentic, compelling applications.

Ahmad is a PA and clinical leader specializing in critical care medicine who graduated from Touro University’s PA program. He currently serves as the Chief Physician Assistant of Critical Care Services at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, NY, where he oversees all advanced practice providers within the ICU. He serves on multiple university admissions committees where he evaluates and mentors aspiring PA students, including Touro University as an admissions reviewer and interviewer.

Jay is a PA working at the Cardiac ICU at Hartford Hospital, where he treats some of the most critically ill cardiac patients in the northeast. He graduated with a Master of medical science in physician assistant studies from the Yale School of Medicine and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Biology from Fairfield University.

With seven years of combined mentorship experience and an active role in PA admissions, Rachel brings a deep understanding of what top PA programs seek from a clinical and evaluative standpoint. She has interviewed hundreds of applicants as New Student Admissions Chair at Mercer University’s PA program, and has helped numerous students navigate interviews, personal statements, and scholarship applications.

Rebekah brings several years of mentorship experience to her role as a PA admissions coach. She has guided students into programs such as the University of South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina, and North Greenville University. She has also served as an interviewer for both the USC and Charleston Southern PA programs and worked as a student admissions ambassador, giving her firsthand insight into what admissions committees value most.

Dr. Cunningham’s impressive career as a PA includes serving as a PA at NUI Langone Medical Center for 14+ years, where she specialised in emergency medicine, robotic surgery, and comprehensive care transitions. She has over 10 years of coaching experience and served on the City College of New York’s PA program admissions committee as an interviewer.

With eight years of experience on admissions committees, Ashley has evaluated thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of applicants across multiple institutions, including PA programs at Arcadia University, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, High Point University, and Touro University California, as well as the DO program at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Annie is a certified PA practicing at Tampa Bay Spine and Sport. She graduated from Gannon University with a Master’s in physician assistant studies, where she served on the admissions committee as an interviewer and as Class President of her cohort. Annie is a member of the Pi Alpha National Honors Society, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants.

Dr. McKernan is a PA specializing in medical and surgical dermatology. She has over six years of coaching experience, including precepting PA students as APP Director of Education at Apex Skin. She serves as President of the Ohio Society of Dermatology PAs, Chief Delegate for the Society of Dermatology PAs (SDPA) at the annual American Academy of Physician Associates House of Delegates meeting, and Vice Chair of the SDPA CME committee.

Thelisha is a gastroenterology and hepatology physician assistant at Wellstar Health System, a major health system in Atlanta, Georgia. With years of experience mentoring aspiring PAs, she brings a nuanced perspective to the process. Thelisha has served on the Morehouse School of Medicine PA program admissions committee, where she interviewed and ranked prospective candidates.

Kendal is a certified physician assistant practicing in inpatient neurology at Union Health in Terre Haute, Indiana. She has been a preceptor for Indiana State's PA students for years and has taught several neurology lectures in the program's didactic year. Kendal also published a case study as the lead author in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.

Ken is an experienced physician assistant who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. As a board-certified and licensed PA, Ken works closely with a physician to diagnose, treat, and provide non-surgical management for a wide range of spine, hip, knee, and shoulder disorders. With over five years of coaching experience, he has successfully guided several students toward PA school acceptance.

Before attending George Washington University’s PA program, Anusha attended the University of Maryland. During college, she served as the Pre-PA Society President, mentoring hundreds of students on PA admissions. She has worked as a peer mentor through GW’s PA program and frequently appears on alumni speaker panels to guide undergraduates. Anusha received a letter of commendation from the GW PA Program Director for her outstanding GPA.

Apexa is a board-certified physician assistant working at the Center for Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Medicine with five years of experience in orthopedics, sports medicine, and pain management. With her clinical background and passion for mentoring, she guides pre-PA students through the application process. She specializes in personalized counseling, drawing from her extensive experience in various orthopedic settings.

Ashley is a board-certified family medicine PA working at Charles River Community Health in Massachusetts. She uses her background as a school administrator and healthcare experiences to guide PA applicants to their dream programs. Ashley is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and enjoys mentoring as well as having students shadow her in her clinic.