Physician Assistant Student Joseph Sutherland '16 Serves as President of National Student Organization

Pacific University student Joseph Sutherland '16 recently began his term as the president of the Student Academy of the American Association of Physician Assistants, becoming Pacific's first PA student to hold the post.

A husband and father of five from Louisville, Ky., Sutherland decided to pursue a career in medicine following 10 years working in the financial sector. He enlisted in the US Navy in 2008 as a hospital corpsman, deploying multiple times to the Middle East, Pacific Rim and Afghanistan as part of Fleet Surgical Team, while also completing a degree in medical lab science from George Washington University. He enrolled at Pacific in 2014 and has served the past year as class president.

A strong proponent of the profession's ability to meet growing demands for clinicians in underserved populations, Sutherland completed the School of Physician Assistant Studies' rural healthcare track. He plans to pursue a residency in emergency medicine after graduation. In the meantime, Sutherland will work to mobilize the AAPA student academy, believing that a united voice presented from a growing student body can have a great impact on future legislation at the state and national level to further the growth of the profession.