Leaders step up to advocate for others, a quality that Rush alumni like Zebedee Cluff exemplify.
Cluff, who graduated from Rush's Physician Assistant Studies program in 2023 and now works in urology at Northwestern Medicine, earned a reputation as a leader and problem-solver at Rush. Elected by his fellow classmates to serve as the student legislative representative to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), he worked with Rush’s Office of Student Life and Engagement to secure funding for more than half of his fellow classmates to attend the national conference.
“It was a great opportunity to work with the university at large, and to advocate for us as students and as PAs to make sure that we’re highly educated and well connected,” Cluff says.
Cluff, who is from Salt Lake City, also served as a student representative on Rush’s system-wide LGBTQ Leadership Council and helped implement the pronoun badge-toppers at Rush that create an inclusive environment for staff, students and patients. “It’s such a simple thing, but it communicates a lot to patients that we care,” he says.
In addition to his advocacy work, Cluff completed a global health trip to the Dominican Republic last September. While in Santo Domingo, he was part of a team providing primary care to more than 400 adults and children.
Closer to home, he also recruited 55 fellow PA students to serve as medical volunteers for the 2023 Chicago Marathon. “It was a nice way to give back to the community and highlight our abilities as PAs to provide care in all sorts of settings, even in the middle of one of the biggest marathons in the country,” he says.
Abundant resources for leadership
Leading through advocacy is also important to second-year PA student Shay Schwimmer, who came to his “dream school,” Rush – ranked one of the top 50 PA programs by U.S. News & World Report – after earning his master’s in public health while working as a paramedic.
“Being politically active is important to me, not only for the community that I’m helping, but also for the physician assistant profession,” says Schwimmer, who aims to work as a family medicine provider after he graduates.
Schwimmer, who is from New Lenox, Ill., serves as the student representative for the Illinois Academy of Physician Assistants (IAPA). In his role, he is responsible for informing and engaging student liaisons from every PA program in Illinois. “I try to make sure they feel like they have a voice and can bring up ideas,” he says. He also shares legislative updates with his fellow classmates at Rush.
“I never would have found IAPA if it wasn’t for Rush in the first place,” Schwimmer says. “Rush makes it very apparent from the first day you’re here that they have all the resources available for you to go into leadership.”
Schwimmer says Rush’s program excels in providing opportunities for students to talk with legislators, network and grow as professionals. In February 2023, Schwimmer and a few classmates (including Cluff) from Rush attended Lobby Day in Springfield, Ill., to advocate for a bill that would remove the requirement for a written collaborative agreement with a physician for PAs working in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The bill was signed into law last June and went into effect in January 2024.
Lighting the way through advocacy
Kayla Martinez, assistant professor for PA studies and the faculty liaison for IAPA, appreciates seeing students like Cluff and Schwimmer get involved in advocacy. She credits the faculty for providing creative ways for students to advocate for the profession. “As educators, we’re showing students that, on an individual level, we can make a difference and shape our career,” she says.
“Rush makes it very apparent from the first day that you’re here that they have all the resources available for you to go into leadership.”
Martinez is also a member of IAPA’s legislative committee, which worked on the bill empowering PAs working in FQHCs. Another recent legislative win was adding PAs to a bill to allow them to sign death certificates. “This is important as many PAs act as primary care providers, and this reduces delays in the family being able to make arrangements,” Martinez says.
While successes like these are rewarding, Martinez also enjoys observing how students’ confidence and leadership abilities evolve during their time at Rush. “The highlight for me is watching students grow during our two-and-a-half- year program,” she says. “By the time they graduate, they’re ready to be our colleagues, and it’s really impressive.”
Photo captions
- Top: Zebedee Cluff (far left) recruited 55 fellow students from the PA studies program to serve as medical volunteers for the 2023 Chicago Marathon
- Below: Rush PA studies faculty, alumni and students met with Illinois representatives on Lobby Day 2024. The large group included Zebedee Cluff (second from left, back row), Regina Chen, PhD, PA-C (middle, back row), Kayla Martinez, MS, PA-C (third from right, back row) and Shay Schwimmer (far right, front row)