SHU’s Physician Assistant Alumni Thrive in Profession
Physician assistants grateful for SHU education, dedicated to helping patients and peers
Sacred Heart University alumni Nick Patino ’17, PA ’20 and Ashton Ogle, PA ’20 PA recently helped organize and revitalize a state physician assistant (PA) conference at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts.
Patino, 27, and Ogle, 28, earned their master of physician assistant studies degrees from SHU in December 2020. Patino started working as a hospitalist PA at Yale New Haven Hospital, and Ogle obtained a position as an emergency medicine PA at St. Mary’s Hospital. Ogle also works as an adjunct instructor in SHU’s PA program.
While their day jobs keep Patino and Ogle busy, they also take pride in their board positions with the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA). This constituent organization of the American Academy of PAs supports, advocates and is the collective voice for the state’s PA profession. Its focus is the delivery of cost-effective, accessible, patient-centered and high-quality health care.
Patino is chair of ConnAPA’s communications and outreach committee and cochair of the student engagement committee with Ogle. When the organization wanted to bring back its ConnAPA Student Day (the last Student Day took place in 2015), they thought SHU would be an ideal venue for it.
“We really wanted to bring back this day and make it an annual thing,” Patino said.
More than 200 PA students from across the state, including SHU, came to the center to hear lectures, participate in panel discussions and test their knowledge in a quiz bowl. Students also spoke to professionals about negotiating salaries and preparing résumés. They learned about job opportunities and what employers want in new hires.
“It was really amazing to have such a great turnout from all of the Connecticut PA programs,” Ogle said. “We know that would not have been possible without the support of each program and their faculty.”
She added that the event was a great way for PA students from across the state to socialize, network and share clinical experiences with each other.
“The space was great, and people loved coming to SHU. It was a positive experience for all the participants,” Patino said. “The event showed that SHU is a leader in health care.”
Why the PA program?
Patino enjoys giving back and helping people whenever he can. As a hospitalist PA at Yale New Haven, Patino works with other medical professionals to help treat and diagnose patients. The fast-paced work keeps him on his toes for 10-hour shifts, during which he makes rounds, adjusts treatment plans and conducts medical procedures.
The Glen Cove, Long Island, NY, native and Milford resident knew he wanted to be in the medical field since he was 5 years old. “I was just drawn to it,” Patino said. “The idea of caring for people during their worst times and being able to improve their lives … there was no other field for me.”
When considering colleges, Patino was drawn to SHU. It was Catholic, offered a robust performing arts program and had a physical therapy program.
“At the time, I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist,” Patino said. But by his sophomore year, he had a different plan. “I decided I wanted to be on the frontlines,” he said. “After I looked into the PA program, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to see patients and be involved in the clinical side of patient care.”
While balancing extracurricular activities such as theatre arts, choir, orientation leader and more, Patino graduated in 2017 with a degree in psychology and minors in biology and theatre arts. After graduation, he entered SHU’s PA program.
As an undergraduate, Patino said, he had an “awesome experience.” He loved SHU’s environment and connecting with like-minded people. “I received a great education, and continuing my education at SHU was really special,” he said
During the rigorous PA program, Patino said, faculty members worked hard to ensure he received all the necessary skills to become a qualified and skilled clinician.
On a normal day, he sees 13 to 16 patients at Yale and works with attending physicians to coordinate care. “I see it all,” Patino said. “I see a lot of sick patients. One minute I’m checking in with a patient, and the next minute I could be helping a patient who’s crashing.”
Through it all, Patino said, he enjoys applying the knowledge he’s learned to help people regain their health.
As an emergency medicine PA, Ogle evaluates, diagnoses and treats patients that come through the hospital’s emergency department.
“This often requires taking an extensive history from the patient regarding their current condition, so I can best put the puzzle together of what may be going on,” Ogle said. “
Ogle uses resources such as imaging studies and laboratory studies to help solve the puzzle and diagnose the patient. “After taking the history and getting the results from the various studies, I can then make a diagnosis and treat accordingly,” Ogle said.
Originally from Kentucky, Ogle said she fell in love with SHU’s PA program from the day she interviewed.
“More than any other program, I felt SHU’s PA faculty saw me as a person and understood that I needed to be the right fit for the program, but also, the program needed to be the right fit for me.”
She said the SHU faculty only wanted the best for her. “They will provide you with a rigorous education that prepares you for a career in medicine. The best part is that now that I am on the other side—working with SHU students in an adjunct role—I can invest in a program that invested so much in me. That is rewarding.”
To learn more, visit SHU’s master of physician assistant studies program webpage.
Photo caption: PA alums Ashton Ogle, left, and Nick Patino welcome guests to PA Day at SHU's Edgerton Center in June. View additional photos from the event below.