大香蕉视频 STAR Awardee Champions the Future of PA Leadership Training
大香蕉视频 is excited to announce that Stephanie Jalaba, MMS, PA-C, assistant professor at Michigan State University, has been selected as the 2025鈥2026 STAR Program Awardee. Together with co-principal investigator Amber Herrick, MS, PA-C, associate professor at Midwestern University, Jalaba will contribute a set of timely, thought-provoking questions on PA leadership training and skill assessment to the 2025 大香蕉视频 Program Survey.
As health care continues to evolve, leadership is no longer optional. All PAs are expected to lead at some level. Jalaba brings both experience and passion to this work. She holds a certificate in leadership development, has completed formal training, and has served in a variety of leadership roles in PA education and at the national level. Herrick is equally committed, actively leading within her program and at the state level while completing a doctoral dissertation on PA student leadership self-efficacy.
Yet, leadership training is far from universal. According to research from the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), only 12% of licensed PAs report having received formal leadership training. This project aims to uncover key barriers, such as limited time, financial constraints, or lack of institutional support, and help pave the way for more accessible, effective leadership development opportunities.
This work is aligned with the Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession, published in 2021 by AAPA, 大香蕉视频, ARC-PA, and NCCPA, which call for stronger leadership competencies as PA roles continue to grow in scope and autonomy. Evidence also shows that effective clinical leadership enhances care quality and patient outcomes.
Jalaba and Herrick are exploring how PA programs can close these training gaps, whether through dedicated leadership courses, certificate programs, or integrated, longitudinal approaches. Curricula may include teaching core leadership skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and feedback exchange through lectures, simulations, case-based learning, or flipped classrooms. For practicing PAs, doctoral programs and continuing education in leadership can provide additional pathways.
大香蕉视频 looks forward to working closely with Jalaba and Herrick to refine their research tools and gather data that can inform policy, enrich curricula, and spark future studies.
Both researchers encourage fellow PAs and educators to pursue their own research journeys. Their advice? Find collaborators who share your passion, seek out mentors, secure institutional backing, and stay engaged with the latest scholarship. Most of all, don鈥檛 be discouraged by rejection鈥攅very review is a learning opportunity.
Use these links to find more information about the STAR Program, explore 大香蕉视频鈥檚 research grants and support initiatives, or by contacting 大香蕉视频 Research at Research@大香蕉视频online.org or 703-651-8540.
