MCPHS Professor Named National Physician Assistant of the Year

Nicole Dettmann, Associate Program Director, Associate Professor, and Director of Clinical Education at MCPHS University, has been named the national physician assistant of the year by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA). According to the organization, "The PA of the Year Award honors PAs who demonstrate exemplary service to the community; exemplify the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to all; and further the image of the profession in a positive, meaningful way."

Dettmann received the honor not just for her work as a PA in emergency medicine in Newton, Massachusetts, and a professor at MCPHS, but also for her extraordinary commitment to service. Since she was a high school student, Dettmann has been volunteering in South America; for the past two decades, she has devoted time to providing medical care and education to places in need in Bolivia.

That passion for service comes through in her teaching at MCPHS. Dettmann told the AAPA, “I try to instill the importance of service to my students. I try to instill the idea that when you decide to notice, when you decide to make a difference, even in a small way, you have taken the first step in changing the world.”

The AAPA spoke with Nicole about her work and her inspiration. You can read the full story here.