“I am shocked at how quickly this program has impacted my professional growth. I have been thinking more critically about my field, and it feels like I am directly shaping my own personal career to have a further reaching impact beyond 1:1 patient care. This is what I wanted, and this is what my goal of this program was.”
Christina Saldanha, MPAS, PA-C (DMSc Class of 2027)
Physician Assistant and CEO
Camel City Women’s Wellness
Hight Point, North Carolina
“After years of clinical practice, I recognized the need for a broader perspective—one that combines advanced clinical knowledge with skills in leadership, healthcare policy, and research. The doctoral path allows me to not only grow personally and professionally, but also to better advocate for patients, support my colleagues, and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of the APP profession. It’s about pushing the boundaries of what I can do to improve care and drive change in a complex healthcare system.
I chose the Wake Forest DMSc program because it’s designed for working professionals, offering the flexibility of a fully online, asynchronous format without compromising academic rigor. Each day, I apply the concepts I've learned to enhance my work. The interprofessional collaboration throughout the coursework has deepened my understanding of how various challenges impact the entire healthcare team. While the program will ultimately provide me with a comprehensive understanding of healthcare leadership, it has already made me a stronger leader and clinician."
Peter Guertin, MSPAS, PA-C, EM-CAQ (DMSc Class of 2026)
Lead Advanced Practice Provider
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Emergency Medicine
Huntersville, North Carolina
"Being in academia, there are three buckets to fill: teaching, service, and scholarship. As PAs, unless you have a research background, scholarship is where we can improve. I wanted a doctorate program to gain mentorship to develop a project and manuscript for publication, which I felt was an objective of Wake Forest.
This is definitely a program for PAs who want to gain an additional skill set and want the support to be able to do that. Having asynchronous courses and being able to work with busy lives is a huge plus. I work full time in academia, work clinically, and I have four boys. I needed the flexibility in order to get the work done and to still be able to accomplish what is important to me.”
Kimberly Stabingas, MMS, PA-C (DMSc Class of 2026)
Director of Experiential Education, PA Program
Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Apex, North Carolina
“I am very happy with the content and application of the information we are learning. I really enjoy how interactive our work is, especially since it is all online. I feel very challenged. I think all of the content will continue to grow me in my profession and I feel very grateful to be a part of this community.”
Rose Christensen, MSPAS, PA-C (DMSc Class of 2027)
Physician Associate
Western Orthopaedics
Denver, Colorado
“From the start, the program has influenced how I have approached real time clinical projects in both starting a new QI initiative within my clinic as well as developing a program focused on APP leadership onboarding and retention. These concepts were new to me and had an immediate professional impact. The application of these principles learned, just here in the first semester, enabled me to structure the projects more effectively, engage stakeholders more strategically and measure outcomes more intentionally. This practical application has not only strengthened my current work, but also broadened my perspective on how to create meaningful, sustainable change as an APP leader.”
John Shilt, MMS, PA-C (DMSc Class of 2027)
APP Supervisor – Adult Reconstruction
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Winston-Salem, NC