by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations
Author John Randolph once remarked how “time is at once the most valuable and most perishable of all possessions.” Within the last decade, time has played an important role for College of Health Professions faculty member Ukeme Usanga.
Usanga
works as an assistant professor/assistant clinical coordinator for MUSC's
Physician Assistant (PA) program.
When she was 7, the Nigerian native moved with her family to the United States. Even after graduating with a bachelor of science degree in Agriculture from the University of Georgia in 1989, Usanga couldn't deny her attraction to work in medicine. She began working as a medical assistant in an Atlanta hospital where she conducted routine tasks like taking vital signs and assisting patients. She gained valuable medical experience.
It wasn't until 1992 when Usanga was introduced to the world of a physician assistant.
On Valentine's Day that year, her father suffered a heart attack. During his care, she met a PA who assisted the physician assigned to her father's case. She observed how this individual spent a lot of time coordinating and managing her father's care. She even noticed how the PA, who was trained in a surgical subspecialty, assisted the physician in performing a quadruple coronary artery bypass, ultimately saving her father's life.
Each day at the hospital, Usanga became more curious and became attracted to the PA's role with the medical team and his delivery of quality patient care. In her career search, Usanga considered medicine but was not attracted to how physicians constantly juggled time between work and family. She wanted to choose a profession that did not consume her.
“The physician assistant profession is one of the best fields that emphasize good patient care in both children and adults,” Usanga said.
According to the American Academy of Physicians Assistants, more than 50 percent of PAs work in the delivery of primary care medicine, specifically family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology. About 19 percent choose surgery or surgery subspecialities.
Usanga enrolled in the PA program at Emory University and received both her physician assistant certification and masters in medical science degree by 1995. Since then, she has worked in pediatric/adolescent medicine and practiced community health in southwest Atlanta's West End Medical Center.
She joined MUSC in January 1999. In her role as assistant clinical coordinator for the Physicians Assistant Program, Usanga will help publicize the role of PAs working within South Carolina communities.
“Our mission is to increase awareness of the PA profession by linking students to preceptors in medically-undeserved areas and supporting them during their practical experience,” Usanga emphasized. “By doing this, we may finally increase the presence of well-trained PAs throughout SC, especially to those areas in need.”
According to Usanga, 42 out of 46 counties throughout South Carolina are medically undeserved. “This statistic is mind boggling to me,” Usanga said.
In her home state of Georgia, there are five times more PAs working in the profession than in neighboring South Carolina. There are accredited programs in Savannah, Augusta and Atlanta, and the profession attains more statewide exposure thanks to the presence of PAs working in urban and rural areas. South Carolina's lone accredited program is located at MUSC.
Usanga, in conjunction with the program's clinical coordinator, Mary Hewett, PA-C, will evaluate clinical sites, communicate with preceptors and students in the field. Usanga will also present pediatric care lectures to junior students.
“Ms. Usanga has a very outgoing personality, a strong clinical experience background and humor that works well with students, staffmembers and program contributors,” said Chris Stephanoff, M.A., PA-C, academic and admissions coordinator for the physician assistant program, College of Health Professions.
Traveling around the Palmetto state, Usanga will work with the Office of Diversity and the S.C. Healthcare Recruitment and Retention Center. She will try to attract minority students to the PA profession. While more than 31 percent of S.C.'s citizen's are racial minorities (95 percent African-American), less than 10 percent (16 out of 155) of S.C.'s physician assistants are minorities.
“This statistic indicates a need for greater balance between the PA work force and the diverse communities in which they serve,” she said.
She plans to attend career programs and public gatherings, speaking to middle and high school students about the positive values of the profession. Usanga is sensitive to student demands as they select careers. Many are concerned about the time element for academic study in pursuing a career goal. Students are also concerned about indebtedness. With educational costs rising steadily, most students make decisions that will decrease their debt load upon graduation.
Like most professional couples of the past decade, Usanga shares households in Charleston and Atlanta with her husband, James, who is currently completing his doctorate in criminal justice and political science.
Between commutes, Usanga enjoys aerobics and discovering Charleston during her free time. Most of her time will be spent doing what she does best—promoting the future of preventive medicine in South Carolina.