UNTHSC students, faculty earn top honors at state physician assistant conference

March 7, 2014

Ashley Waldrop, Jessica Van Noy and Hannah Bereuter

Physician Assistant students from the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth swept the Challenge Bowl at a statewide conference in San Antonio.

The team of second-year students Ashley Waldrop, Jessica Van Noy and Hannah Bereuter took first place in the medical-quiz competition at the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants conference. Monica Summerhill, Steven Souders and Katrina Sullivan finished in second place.

The team of Tiffany Rose, Dena Gebril and Katie Ziliak placed third.

Students from Baylor University, UT Southwestern Medical Center, UT Medical Branch and Louisiana State University competed in the Challenge  Bowl, said Laura Mattingly, MHS, PA-C, Assistant Professor in the Physician Assistant Studies program.

Also, Chris Cooper, MPAS, PA-C, Vice Chairman of the UNTHSC Physician Assistant Program, was named TAPA Outstanding Educator of the Year.

Physician Assistant Instructor Thomas Diver, MPAS, PA-C, was reelected TAPA Director at Large.

“It was nice to see UNTHSC represented so well with three teams placing in the Challenge Bowl, a faculty member receiving the highest honor of an educator and a faculty member being reelected to the TAPA Board,” Mattingly said. “We showed our enthusiasm for the PA profession!”