Traverse City Regional Center Blog
Permanent link for NMC provides strong foundation for student to enroll in Grand Valley's physician assistant studies program on October 28, 2022
When Anne-Marie Deming graduated from Glen Lake High School, she was unsure of what to study in college. Northwestern Michigan College provided Deming an opportunity to explore many avenues, including the sciences that had become a passion of hers during high school. She earned an associate degree from NMC, which created a smooth transition for Deming to enroll at Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center and earn a bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences. Deming has since continued her education and is now enrolled in Grand Valley’s Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) master’s degree program. She is pleased to be able to continue to live in northern Michigan and work, when needed, at her family’s 140-acre cherry farm. “I knew I wanted to stay in this area after high school to help on the farm, so I started at NMC and it was such a great fit,” Deming said. Before graduating from NMC, Deming would talk with various university representatives at the college about the next steps. She said Grand Valley’s Traverse City program felt right. “The people I met were so incredibly welcoming and so supportive. I was able to continue taking a blend of NMC courses with professors I knew and hybrid Grand Valley classes at the University Center, which gave me variety,” she said.
Deming noticed advertisements for the PAS program and felt compelled to investigate. Grand Valley opened its satellite PAS program in Traverse City in 2015, to educate students who want to stay in northern Michigan and provide patient care. Since that program began, more than 70 percent of students who earn PAS degrees work in the area. “I liked what I saw, I liked the emphasis on rural health care. We’re caring for my 98-year-old grandmother, and I like the support network she has here,” Deming said. In January, Deming and others in her PAS cohort will begin clinical rotations to continue their medical training. Currently, they are shadowing physician assistants at various hospital and health care sites. The PAS students in Deming’s cohort are regularly connected via ITV to Grand Valley’s Grand Rapids cohort, which meets on the Health Campus on the Medical Mile. “It’s almost like we are in the same room, having the same experiences through interactive television,” she said. When Deming graduates, she hopes to work in the greater Traverse City area and be an agent for change. “I see that staffing is an issue as is transportation, getting to a provider. Hopefully, more telehealth capabilities can help change that,” she said.
By Michele Coffill
