LMU-School of Medical Sciences

03/13/2026

Congratulations to Amber Adams, PA Class of 2025 (Knoxville)!

Adams accepted a six-month Emergency Medicine fellowship with TeamHealth at Grand Strand Medical Center in South Carolina!

Before PA school, Adams spent three years working as an Emergency Department technician, where she discovered her passion for emergency medicine and caring for patients in high-pressure, fast-paced clinical environments.

Now, she’s taking the next step in that journey—beginning a fellowship where she will treat a wide range of emergency cases while continuing to sharpen her procedural skills and expand her clinical expertise.

We are incredibly proud of PA Adams and can’t wait to see the impact she will make in emergency medicine!

03/04/2026

Students and faculty from the LMU–SMS Knoxville Physician Assistant Program proudly attended PA Day on the Hill 2026 at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. They met with legislators representing East Tennessee to discuss healthcare legislation affecting PA practice and shared clinical experiences that highlight the vital role physician assistants play in patient care. Events like this reinforce LMU’s commitment to improving healthcare access across Appalachia.

02/25/2026

Please join us in welcoming Angela Hammett, PA-C!

Angela brings extensive experience as a Physician Assistant and clinical leader, with a background in pulmonology, allergy, sleep medicine, and neurology, as well as in clinical research. She has managed complex patient populations while overseeing large-scale clinical trials and performing advanced procedures, including migraine Botox injections and occipital nerve blocks.

We are excited to have Angela join the Tampa PA program and look forward to the expertise, leadership, and passion for education she brings to our students and community.

02/24/2026

Thank You to Our Diabetes Device Fair Partners!

The Knoxville PA Class of 2027 had an incredible hands-on learning experience during their recent Diabetes Device Fair while studying endocrinology.

Students explored real-world diabetes management tools, interacted with devices and medications, and asked insightful clinical questions that impressed the exhibitors.

A sincere thank you to:
Dexcom
Medtronic
Eli Lilly
Tandem Diabetes Care
Novo Nordisk
Insulet Corporation
Abbott (for hosting our Lunch & Learn!)

Your partnership helps us provide meaningful, hands-on educational experiences that prepare our students to deliver exceptional patient care.

We appreciate your time, expertise, and continued support of PA education!

02/19/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Patricia Best, a PA student at the Harrogate campus, who has been selected to present her research at the American Academy of Physician Associates Conference in New Orleans!

Her project, “Infectious Disease History as an Oncologic Screening Tool,” explores how a patient’s infectious disease history may help guide earlier cancer screening and strengthen preventive care strategies.

We’re proud to see Patricia representing LMU-SMS Harrogate PA program on a national stage!

02/18/2026

Congratulations, Grace McGinty, PA Class of 2025 (Knoxville)! 🌟

We are thrilled to share that Grace McGinty has been selected for a highly competitive Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center!

This prestigious 12-month fellowship begins March 1 and reflects McGinty’s dedication to advanced clinical training and excellence in patient care.

McGinty shared that this opportunity represents her dream specialty and praised the Vanderbilt team for their strong support of advanced practice providers and commitment to professional growth.

We are incredibly proud and look forward to watching her thrive in this next chapter of her career.

👏 Congratulations, PA McGinty, on this outstanding achievement!

02/17/2026

Congratulations to Lexi Tucker, PAK'25! 🎉

We are proud to announce that Lexi Tucker has been selected to complete the nation’s only accredited Pediatric Surgical Fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital — an incredible and highly competitive achievement!

This prestigious 12-month fellowship provides advanced, immersive training across 12 pediatric surgical subspecialties, including transplant, neurosurgery, congenital heart surgery, and plastic surgery. Lexi will gain comprehensive experience with equal time devoted to clinic, inpatient care, and the operating room.

This fellowship represents an extraordinary milestone and reflects Lexi’s commitment to excellence in pediatric surgical medicine. We can’t wait to see the impact she will make in advancing pediatric surgical care.

Please join us in congratulating Lexi on this remarkable accomplishment! 👏

02/16/2026

Big congratulations to Kelsey Knott, PA Class of 2025 (Knoxville)! 🎉

Kelsey has been selected for a six-month Emergency Department fellowship at Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach—a Level I trauma center and certified stroke center! The fellowship, through TeamHealth, includes trauma and pediatric ED rotations, dedicated procedure days, and monthly didactic learning.

Kelsey shared how grateful she is for the strong foundation and support she received during her time at LMU—and we couldn’t be prouder. This is an exciting next step, and we know she’ll do amazing things in emergency medicine!

👏 Way to go, Kelsey!

02/04/2026

DMS Student Spotlight: Maria Druchniak

We’re incredibly proud of Maria Druchniak, who has been selected to present her DMS Scholarly Project at UPMC’s Pediatrics in Practice Symposium, a national virtual CME conference for Advanced Practice Providers!

This conference brings together APPs from across the country to advance evidence-based education, collaboration, and professional growth—and Maria’s work will be featured alongside other experts in the field.

The Event will be:
🗓 Saturday, February 28, 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Virtual)
🎓 Up to 4 Category 1 CME credits available

Register at: https://conta.cc/3NXKWVl

✨ Bonus: Students are eligible for a discounted registration rate!

Way to go, Maria—thank you for representing the DMS program and showing what scholar-practitioners can do!

01/30/2026

Alumni Spotlight | Harrogate PA Program

Proud to see our alumni inspiring future PAs!

Students welcomed Alexis Moses, PA-C, a dermatology surgical physician assistant and proud alumna of the LMU-SMS Harrogate PA Program. Moses shared insight into her specialized role, discussing surgical procedures, post-operative care, and the challenges and rewards of working in dermatology. She also offered advice and resources for students interested in pursuing this specialty.

01/29/2026

Alumni Spotlight | Knoxville PA Program

Our alumni continue to make us proud!

The Knoxville PA students recently welcomed alum Ricarda Urso, PA-C, back to campus for a Lunch and Learn session aligned with their Ear, Nose, and Throat clinical medicine block. Urso shared insight into her day-to-day role in ENT, including patient care in both office and hospital settings and involvement in a wide range of procedures. Her real-world experience and candid advice offered students a valuable look at life in clinical practice.

01/13/2026

Being a Physician Assistant means making a difference every day! At LMU- School of Medical Sciences, we’re proud to educate future PAs through our programs in Harrogate, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Tampa, Florida. Our students are trained to lead, serve, and excel in today’s evolving health care environment.

Contact us to learn how to start your PA Journey Today: https://lincolnmemorialuniversity.formstack.com/forms/sms_contact_us

Exciting news! 🎉 The 2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Jobs rankings are in, and the PA profession holds steady as the #2 Best Health Care Job! Additionally, the profession was named the #4 Best STEM Job and #5 among the 100 Best Jobs across all occupations. 👏 Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qfwExr