2025 Outstanding Student Society Aims to Make Healthcare More Accessible, Equitable, and Compassionate

The James Madison University PA Program Engages with Their Community and Empowers the Underserved

May 8, 2025

By Jenni Roberson

Ask any PA student what led them to pursue a career as PA, and there is a good chance their answer will be related to a desire to connect with others and make communities healthier.

For members of the James Madison University Physician Assistant Student Society (JMU PASS), AAPA’s 2025 Outstanding Student Society, realizing this dream doesn’t wait until they have a degree in hand. Through numerous initiatives led by the organization as well as a partnership with Blue Ridge Free Clinic, JMU PA students are seizing year-round opportunities to put their compassion for patients and growing clinical skills into practice.

“The JMU Physician Assistant Student Society believes that engaging with the local community and empowering the underserved is of the utmost importance,” JMU PASS member and PA student Jordan André, says. “We are a group of students brought together by a shared mission: to make healthcare more accessible, more equitable, and more compassionate, one small step at a time.”

And it’s because of the many ways JMU PASS chases this mission that the group was named the 2025 Outstanding Student Society—an annual AAPA award that recognizes outstanding service to the profession in the areas of public education and advocacy; public service and outreach; promotion of diversity; and professional involvement.

“We hope the recognition of our efforts serve as an inspiration to future members of our student society and other PA student organizations,” André says. “This award reminds us that the work we do matters. That even as students, our voices, our hands, and our hearts can create real impact.”

Reaching future PAs was the primary goal of two JMU PASS events last year. In 2024, PA students from the Harrisonburg, Virginia-based PA program took part in a STEM Career Fair held at a local high school and planned a field trip to a fifth-grade class. Through both efforts, JMU students spread awareness of the PA profession and encouraged older students who are exploring career options in medicine to pursue a career as a PA.

JMU PASS also worked to shape the future of healthcare in Virginia by serving as advocates during a lobby day organized by the Medical Society of Virginia. Students engaged with representatives, giving students vital insight into the legislative process and how state laws may dictate the future of the PA profession.

While looking to the future, JMU students also takes part in efforts to meet current needs in their community. Last year, JMU PASS received an IMPACT Grant from the Physician Associate Foundation for their Healthcare for the Homeless Suitcase Clinic. Through this effort, students volunteer to help provide medical care for the unhoused population of Harrisonburg and the surrounding area.

JMU PASS also hosted its annual Free Clinic 5K to raise funds for the Blue Ridge Free Clinic, which offers medical services, dental referrals, counseling, and pharmaceutical care to the underserved and uninsured. JMU PA students participate in the clinic as part of the Student Engaged Medical Clinic. This is their first opportunity to apply their clinical knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in service to real patients in need, while also giving back to the community.

To André, this time out in the community is what it’s all about. “PAs get to form strong connections with patients, provide high-quality care, and help people through some of their most vulnerable moments,” André says. “Whether it’s diagnosing a condition, educating a patient about their health, or simply listening with empathy, PAs play a vital role in helping people feel seen, heard, and cared for.”

Jenni Roberson is AAPA’s Director of Media Relations. She can be reached at [email protected].