On the evening of September 15, a dozen of Ohio's PA Program Directors joined OAPA's President, President-Elect, Past President, and Executive Director on Zoom to talk about where the profession stands in Ohio and where it's headed.
OAPA Updates
President Madeline Meyers opened with an update on the association. She introduced OAPA's current leadership, including the Regional Directors assigned to each school, and encouraged program directors to connect with them. She also asked directors to weigh in on the ongoing survey that will help shape OAPA's 2027 strategy.
On advocacy, Meyers gave an update on the status of OAPA's legislative activities and asked programs to keep April 13, 2027 clear for their students. OAPA welcomes representatives from all 17 of Ohio's PA programs at the 2027 Ohio PA Advocacy Day in Columbus.
She also shared a few other items:
Open Discussion
The group reflected on this year's student offerings: the PA OlymPAcs in June, the Challenge Bowl in August, and the summer student scholarship cycle, celebrating successes while offeirng candid feedback on how to strengthen these events and boost student engagement in the future.
The conversation also included challenges facing programs today, including clinical placements and preceptor availability, student burnout and disengagement, and financial pressures like student loan changes, cost of living, and institutional budgets
For Program Directors spread across Ohio, the call was a chance to connect, compare notes, and hear directly from OAPA. For OAPA, it was a chance to listen to the people training the state's next generation of PAs.