Methodist University Physician Assistant Program

» Home

» Admissions

» Visit Us

» Admission Preference Program

» PA Tuition and Fees

» About the PA Program

» Facilities

» Alumni

» Faculty

» Preceptor Page

» Contact Us

» Request Information

» News

» Prescription for Success
Campaign

» Related Links

MU Home » Academics » School of Graduate Studies » Physician Assistant Program

Faculty Testimonials

Tiffany Mills
Beard Staci Pessetti
Kommu
Morris
Gainey
Steffes
Greenwood
Gilbert

Christina Beard, MPAS, PA-C, '03
Program Director

I am a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina and a graduate of Methodist University PA Program. Teaching has always been an interest of mine, and my "bucket list" included teaching at my alma mater at some point in my career. After working at Fayetteville Gastroenterology for several years after graduation, I was offered the position of adjunct professor for the Gastroenterology course. This convinced me that academia was a place where I belonged. I was soon hired as the clinical coordinator and served in that role for a year and a half. Establishing international clinical rotations became a passion of mine during my time as clinical coordinator and is an area where I continue to work as a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association Clinical Education Committee subcommittee on international clinical rotations.

Once the need for a Program Director was determined, I interviewed for the position and am honored to serve this Program in such a capacity. I continue to teach the Gastroenterology course, with spot lectures in Laboratory Medicine, Physician Assistant Orientation, and Critical Thinking.

My teaching philosophy is one that anchors in practical medical education, helping our students stay engaged through interactive lectures. I grew up in an unconventional atmosphere as a homeschooler. This molded me into a person who appreciates the learning process. I believe that learning should be enjoyable, individualized and interactive. I bring my experience as a PA into every lecture, giving points on how to survive and thrive as a midlevel provider, providing tips on appropriate physician/staff and patient interactions, and keeping the welfare of the patient as the utmost concern.

I continue my clinical work as a PA in the Expresscare of Cape Fear Valley Health System one day a week.

The strength of our Program lies in the faculty and staff who care about our students on a personal level. You will never be a number in the Methodist University PA Program. We are dedicated to preparing PAs who are excellent diagnosticians, clinicians, employees, and leaders both in their areas of employment and in their community.

Dr. Sekhar Kommu, MD
Associate Program Director

I believe the practice of medicine at its core is equally a teaching profession as it is one of health care. Effective practice of medicine at any level requires a balance of knowledge, compassion and integrity. That vision is shared by all of us at the Methodist University PA Program. We have chosen to be involved in PA education to share that passion and vision with our students and to enjoy the process along the way. We work very hard to find students that also share our approach to education; one of engagement, discussion and teamwork. We are fully invested in the success of our students not only academically but more importantly as empathetic, capable and well rounded medical providers. Methodist University I believe offers the best environment for that kind of development.

I have been a practicing Family Physician since 1996. I attended Austin College, a small liberal arts college in Texas, where I majored in Chemistry and finished my Pre-Medicine studies. I graduated from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1993 and finished Residency in Family Practice at St. Paul Hospital in 1996. I began my practice in North Carolina in August of 1996 and also began teaching in the Methodist University PA Program at the same time with its inaugural class. I have been the Associate Medical Director, the Program Director, and the Associate Program Director at Methodist.

Dr. Deborah Morris, PA-C, MD
Academic Coordinator

I bring an unusual perspective to PA education because of my background as both a PA and an MD. I have been a PA, taught PA's, supervised and worked closely with PAs and feel strongly that the PA profession is the present and future of primary medical care in the U.S.

I graduated from the Yale University PA program in 1982 and worked in a community health center while functioning as an instructor and Clinical Coordinator at the Yale program until 1984. I moved my family to North Carolina to be closer to my parents and worked as a PA in Urgent Care in Wilmington until starting medical school in 1988. I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1992 and completed internship and part of an internal medicine residency at UNC hospitals. Family issues forced me out of residency and I returned to Urgent Care work in Cary, subsequently assuming the Medical Directorship of Doctor's Urgent Care Centres, a chain of 12 Urgent Cares in Eastern NC.

In 2002 I founded MedEx Urgent Care in Fayetteville with a group of friends and co-workers to create a place where we could work together, support each other, and have fun while providing excellent care to our patients. I became aware of the Methodist PA program when didactic phase students rotated through the clinic to observe my partner, Mort Meltzer. I asked to help in teaching physical exam in 2007 and slowly expanded my teaching time until coming on to faculty full-time in January 2011. I continue to see MedEx patients a day a week, working closely with an excellent team of physician assistants and other staff while working as the Academic Coordinator at the program, teaching three semesters of History and Physical Examination as well as Oncology and Dermatology.

I bring stories and examples from the clinic and from my almost 30 years in medicine into the classroom and try to teach clinically relevant medicine in a way that is both engaging and rigorous. I feel very fortunate to be teaching such a central and hands-on part of medical practice to the next generation of medical care providers. I also work to support the rest of the didactic faculty in developing their teaching and assessment skills.

I have been incredibly impressed with the Methodist PA students. They bring enormous intelligence and energy to their studies and seem to be grounded in compassion and a commitment to improving the lives of their patients. It is exciting to work here during a time of growth and increasing recognition of our program from people and programs across the country.

Sarah Gainey, MMS, PA-C, '06
Clinical Coordinator

As a native of the Fayetteville area, it was very important to me to return here to provide quality, compassionate health care as a Physician Assistant. I want to give back to the community and program that has helped shaped my career. I love teaching. There is nothing more satisfying than to teach something new to a student and watch him/her grow and apply this knowledge. Methodist challenges the students to be intelligent, caring, providers and teachers for their future patients. I'm proud to be a part of a growing program that continues to graduate the kind of provider that I would recommend my family members to see.

I received my undergraduate degree from UNC at Wilmington in Clinical Laboratory Science in 2002. I worked locally at the CFVMC laboratory several years before pursuing my master's degree in Medical Science at Methodist University Physician Assistant Program. After graduating in 2006, I continued to work locally in OB/GYN and family practice. After serving as an adjunct professor for the lab medicine courses at Methodist part-time, the opportunity to serve full-time as the Director of Clinical Studies presented itself in the spring of 2011. As the clinical coordinator I work to acquire and maintain quality clinical sites that will integrate hands-on experience with the knowledge the students obtained during their didactic year.

Dr. Bruce Steffes, MD, MBA, FACS, FWACS, FCS(ECSA)
Professor of Clinical Medicine

As a physician employing a PA, I am entrusting my patients, my reputation and my financial security to them. As a fellow care provider dealing with a PA, I am relying on them to be men and women of integrity, meticulous in detail, skilled in the requisite skills and willing to go the extra mile for their patient. As a patient under the care of a PA, I expect compassion and knowledgeable care of my whole person (mind, soul and body) and a self-awareness of where your knowledge stops and when consultation should occur. As a fellow member of the healthcare community, I expect the PA to have a high standard of professionalism and ethics with a continuing habit and process of self-assessment and self-education. To the State Board of Medicine, we are certifying that you are competent and are all of these things. As an instructor at Methodist University Physician Assistant Program since 1997, I have had the privilege of helping your predecessors achieve and hold those standards. Excellence and competency must be the bywords for the Methodist University Physician Assistant graduate.

Education:

Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, PA, 1969-70
University of Michigan, Flint, MI, 1970-72
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, M.D., Cum Laude 1976
Residency/Chief Residency - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1976-82
Duke Fuqua School of Business - MBA, 1997
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 2004 Clinical Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Training Course (Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers Health, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2005)
Baptist Bible Seminary - MA (Biblical Ministries) - presently studying

Certifications:

American Board of Surgery (General Surgery)
Added Qualifications in Surgical Critical Care, 1992 (allowed to lapse)

Present Academic Positions (other than MU)

Associate Professor, Department of General and Trauma Surgery, Loma Linda University (2007 - present)
Guest lecturer, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV Clinical Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Training Course (2005 - 2010)
Distinguished Global Faculty of The University of Toledo (2009 - present)

Website: www.brucesteffes.net; www.paacs.net

Dr. William R. Greenwood, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

I have been associated with the Methodist University PA Program since its beginning in 1996. I have had the pleasure of watching the Program grow from 4 students to 40 students.

Teaching has always been a favorite of mine. My first thought of becoming an instructor was in the 1980’s when I was selected to teach Paramedic students in the Seattle-Tacoma area. I enjoyed this so much that I began teaching whenever and wherever I could. I began accumulating as many photographs and case reports as I could so I would be a more efficient and entertaining speaker.

The highlight of my teaching occurred when I was selected to teach Emergency Medicine at Methodist University. I have now been elevated to a part-time faculty, teaching 2 days a week instead of the 2 hours a week I had initially been contracted for.

Teaching has become my "oasis" in the often difficult and challenging world of medicine. Spending time weekly with new students of medicine helps me to cope with the everyday challenges I face as a practicing physician. Without these students to keep me focused, I fear I would have fared much worse in my practice of medicine.

I see my role in medical education of PA students as being able to provide a combination of real world experience and traditional teaching methods. This seems to help students understand quickly how important basic medical education can be employed in everyday patient care. Finding the connection between didactic and clinical concepts during the first years of education will make the student better prepared for their careers in medicine.

I have been a practicing Emergency Physician since 1982. I am currently on staff at 5 local hospital based Emergency Departments. This allows me to stay very current with medical education, concepts, etc. My daily experience is brought to the classroom so I can enliven the atmosphere and engage the students with real life situations and how to make the appropriate clinical decisions.

My education began at Eastern New Mexico University where I received a BS and MS in biology. I then proceeded to the University of New Mexico, School of Medicine for my MD degree. I completed a surgical internship and an Emergency Medicine residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. I served 23 years on active duty with the Army. I had the pleasure of working closely with Special Operations Forces (Rangers, Special Forces, SEALs, etc). This experience with the military has been some of the most enjoyable time I have spent during my life. It was an honor to work with such highly trained and motivated professionals. I have learned much from this experience and I strive to pass along this experience to the student.

I believe, as do the other faculty here at Methodist University, that we must provide medical education that is focused on the patient. The health and well-being of the patient is often forgotten in today’s world. The patient is not a "client" or "customer". They must always be considered a patient who requires the utmost skill, compassion, empathy and expertise from their healthcare provider. It should never be about "business" or money that drives an individual to become a healthcare professional. Medicine has often forgotten and forsaken this basic principle. I strive daily to keep the focus where it belongs—THE PATIENT.

Tonya Gilbert, MPA-C
Clinical Coordinator

Making the transition from clinician to educator has been delightful and challenging. Practicing as a Hospital PA for many years definitely prepared me for the challenge. I recall receiving my Masters of PA degree in 1994 from Duquesne University as the "youngest" and the "first minority PA student" to graduate. With this accomplishment came much responsibility. I soon realized that my role as a PA would encompass more than practicing medicine. During my clinical years, I noticed a great deal of patients would thank me for what they called a "rare ability" to treat them with dignity and respect. Although this ability was innate for me, I began to empathize with them. Wanting to make a difference, I aggressively took on a role as mentor and Clinical Preceptor to PA students. I encouraged them to "know" their patients. I shared my professional experiences with them and let them know that PAs can and do make a difference. I also volunteered as a facilitator for "Project Access" (a program of the American Academy of Physician Assistants) reaching out to schools in underserved communities to bring awareness to the PA profession. In the meantime, I continued to practice clinically. Although my area of specialty was Hospital Medicine, I also worked in Hematology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Behavioral Health.

In 2009, I relocated from Pittsburgh, PA to work in the Chest Pain Center at Cape Fear Valley Hospital here in Fayetteville, NC. It was then that I became a Clinical Preceptor to Methodist University PA students. I found the students to be very competent as well as confident. In October of 2012, I decided to join the Methodist University PA Program faculty full time as Clinical Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine. My shared mission with the University to incorporate the "whole" person and the importance of spiritual values (truth, virtue, justice, and love) made my decision an easy one. The way the faculty and staff interacted with the students on a personal level was a testimony to their success.

As a PA educator, I intend to equip each student to strive to become: a life-learner and expert in his/her field; a compassionate, culturally-competent provider; and a trustworthy servant-leader in the community. It is my hope to offer students a unique perspective in medical education while providing a challenging environment for professional, spiritual and academic growth. My teaching philosophy is simple: "teach them to teach". I believe we all should give back once we obtain our own level of mastery.