Alison Streeter: Changing Lives. . . Even When It's Your Own

Alison Streeter: Changing Lives. . . Even When It's Your Own

On the Building Bridges podcast from Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) Bridge Program, Adrian Banning interviews alumnus Dr. Alison Streeter, now a night-shift inpatient hospitalist PA, about the steep learning curve, higher stakes, self-doubt, and balancing autonomy with team support while doing cross-cover and admissions. Streeter describes prior careers in adolescent behavioral health (school counseling/therapy and administration at a boarding school) and nonprofit performing arts leadership, then a COVID-era pivot into PA training after retaking prerequisites and discovering online learning. She explains how the DMS Bridge program fit her credentialing timeline and expanded her systems and safety perspective beyond patient-level care. Streeter reflects on self-care, comfort with uncertainty, using repetition to learn (including AI-generated mock admissions), and interests in peer support, arts-in-medicine initiatives, precepting, and future PA education.

Breaking Barriers in PA Education: The Inspiring Road of Natalia Rangel

Breaking Barriers in PA Education: The Inspiring Road of Natalia Rangel Hosts Cody Sasek and Adrian Banning (Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program) interview Natalia Rangel, a first-generation PA originally from Cúcuta, Colombia, who moved to Florida, attended PA school at Case Western Reserve University, received her DMS degree from the Butler University Bridge Program and now lives and works as a neurosurgery PA-C in Arizona. Natalia describes applying to PA school late with little guidance, advises applicants to use mentorship organizations (including PAs for Latino Health, The PAC, NSBPA) and fee assistance, and emphasizes casting a wide net while avoiding costly admissions “coaching.” She shares her study approach in PA school, her decision to hire a lawyer to review her first job contract, and how a delayed start date led to a temporary flu-trial research job while beginning the Butler DMS Bridge Program. Natalia discusses her leadership work with PAs for Latino Health, scholarship awareness, precepting and mentoring students, and plans to support Arizona’s emerging PA program. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:38 Natalia Origin Story 04:19 Finding Case Western 04:55 Applying Without Guidance 06:53 Mentorship Over Paywalls 11:34 PA School Study Routines 13:52 Why Pursue a Doctorate 14:55 Contracts and Career Timing 17:35 PAs for Latino Health 20:23 Research Mindset and Planning 22:20 Building PA Community in Arizona 26:53 Mentors and Saying No 28:48 Closing Thanks and Wrap Up

Bonus Epeisode: The Friends You Make-Kennedy Lewis and Natalia Rangel BFF4E

Sometimes you meet someone, and you just know you're going to be friends. Mix in PA school and that friendship becomes something even more lasting. Host Adrian Banning interviews Butler University DMS Bridge Program alumnae Kennedy Lewis and Natalia Rangel about their close friendship formed during their Case Western PA school interview (anniversary = Nov. 11), daily support through a 15-month didactic year and clinical rotations, and navigating stressful life events like Kennedy’s car being stolen. They describe complementary study habits, shared resilience as first-generation professionals, and why they pursued the DMS Bridge Program after an info session, finding research more approachable and useful to practice. Natalia works in neurosurgery in Arizona, focusing on patient education and lifestyle factors; Kennedy practices adult primary care in the DC/DMV area, emphasizing listening, postpartum care, depression screening, and doula conversations. Both discuss financial security goals, mentorship, and adjusting after graduation.

More than Medicine: Leadership and Advocacy in Women's Health with Dr. Melissa Rodriguez

What does it truly mean to build bridges in healthcare—and who is willing to step forward and do the work when those bridges don’t yet exist? In this episode of Building Bridges, Bre Garbas sits down with Dr. Melissa Rodriguez, an OB/GYN physician associate, educator, and national leader in women’s health, for a conversation that moves far beyond the clinical space. Together, they explore what it looks like to practice at the top of one’s license, advocate for meaningful change, and redefine what is possible for physician associates in one of the most dynamic and underserved areas of medicine. From the very beginning, Melissa’s passion is evident—not just for women’s health, but for the profession itself. As a clinician working in one of the busiest OB/GYN emergency departments in the country, delivering care in high-acuity, fast-paced environments, she embodies the intersection of expertise, adaptability, and resilience. But her story doesn’t stop at the bedside. She is also shaping the next generation of clinicians as an educator and influencing the national conversation through her leadership and advocacy work.  This episode is not simply about what Melissa does—it’s about why it matters, and what it reveals about the future of healthcare.

PA Education and Leadership: Dr. Pam Vayda

In this episode of Building Bridges from Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program, hosts Adrian Banning and Cody Sasek speak with PA educator Pam Vayda, interim program director at Mississippi State University. Pam shares her path from prior work in education (including teaching secondary school and college labs) to joining MSU’s inaugural PA cohort (graduating 2023), practicing in urgent care, earning her doctorate through Butler, and quickly transitioning into PA faculty roles. She discusses seeing PA programs from both student and faculty perspectives, the complexity of running a program, and the major work involved in achieving 10-year accreditation. Pam highlights how doctoral training and mentorship support curriculum alignment, evidence-based medicine, and faculty development, and she describes outreach efforts to introduce Mississippi students to the PA profession.