Cairn graduate Jesse Rivera, who graduated from the Pre-Med program with his BS in Biology in August 2022, is the first Cairn graduate to be accepted into a Physician Assistant (PA) program.
Jesse was first introduced to the PA program during his freshman year, when a representative from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) visited his biology class. After four years of classroom instruction and lab experience that met the program’s prerequisites, Jesse applied to PCOM after graduation and recently heard of his acceptance into his program of choice.
Currently, Jesse is enrolled in the University’s MS in Organizational Development program while he completes his final year of eligibility on the men’s basketball team. He will begin PCOM’s 26-month program in Summer 2023. Upon completion of the program, Jesse will become a licensed Physician’s Assistant. He hopes to take this experience “to work in underserved communities where I can bring the biblically integrated education I have from Cairn to the medical field.”
In discussing how the Pre-Med program at Cairn prepared him for this new venture, he commented, “I am very thankful for how well Dr. Khushman, Professor Jensen, Dr. Bell, and Dr. Hixson have prepared me for a future in the health field.”
Additional Note:
Cairn University has a long-standing admissions agreement with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Up to three seats each year in PCOM’s Doctor of Pharmacy, MS in Biomedical Sciences, and MS in Forensic Medicine programs are reserved for students at Cairn University who meet the admission criteria for the given program. Learn more at cairn.edu/PCOM.
