Alumni Spotlight- From ACR to Yale PA Class President

Name: Joe Miller

ACR Home: Pintail

Undergrad: University of Minnesota

Schooling/Career:

Currently I am attending the Physician Assistant program at Yale School of Medicine, and I’ll be finishing my didactic year in August. It has been a privilege to attend this program, and absolutely love it here! This program has given me many great opportunities to prepare me for my clinical year, and I’ve been taught by some of the leading experts in their fields. Additionally I am the current class President, which has allowed me to not only be a student, but be an advocate for my classmates and the program itself. Last November I lead a class-wide fundraising effort for the local homeless population of New Haven and managed to raise over $2000. Being a student at this university also gives you the unique opportunity to work on a research thesis with the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine. My thesis topic regards the treatment of HPV-related skin lesions on men and the prevention of cancer progression. Overall, I would highly suggest anyone interested in PA school to consider applying to Yale. I certainly did not think I would be accepted, but I’m glad I applied!

ACR helped me in several aspects to reach my goals of becoming a PA. The patient care experience is second-to-none with regards to the hands-on care we provide for the residents and the liberties that ACR gives you such as passing medications or performing intimate procedures. These privileges gave me some exposure to certain medications and procedures that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and I was able to remember their indications and benefits when I got to PA school. In addition to this, the trust that ACR places upon its employees leaves a last impression to provide excellent care to my current patients and more confidence in the hospital and clinics. To be specific, I am the only student in my class that has ever fed someone through a g-tube, replaced a g-tube, and provided tracheostomy care. I am also one of the few who have catheterized patients before. These skills have proven vital for my clinical experience and gave me a head-start to caring for certain patient populations.