North Carolina A&T Hosts Second Annual Divine Nine Project Access Event
Recently, North Carolina A&T University, the largest HBCU in the country, hosted its second Project Access event in partnership with members of the Divine Nine organizations. After the success of their first Divine Nine Project Access Event in 2023, Donna Murray, DMSc, MS, PA-C, Director of Student Scholarship and Admissions, knew there had to be a repeat in 2024.
This celebration of the PA profession encouraged individuals from underrepresented groups in medicine to consider the PA profession as a career through food, fun, and community building. Information was shared with 50 students, many of them hearing about the profession for the first time, on the versatility and options afforded to all along the PA path.
Dr. Murray reflected on how several prominent members of the PA education community are members of the Divine Nine, “We are grateful to those practicing PAs and PA educators who joined our panel discussion who represented Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.”
The Divine Nine are historically Black Greek-lettered sororities and fraternities established with unique core values but sharing a common goal: to educate and uplift the Black community from racial inequities. For the past century, these organizations have created safe spaces for young Black adults to excel in college, helped unite Black communities across the country with service, and laid the foundation for Black people to connect with each other for professional opportunities. Each of these organizations has a commitment to service and education.
“As educators, healthcare providers and members of these organizations we recognize the importance of engaging our students and members of the undergraduate D9 chapters in activities that will broaden their aspirations and introduce them to a career path that will allow them to uphold the values of service to community” Dr. Murray continued.
For almost 40 years, Project Access has been educating K-12 students about what it means to be a PA. Volunteers across the country go into classrooms to provide information and inspiration. These volunteers speak with underrepresented and minoritized students about what PAs do, what PA education looks like, and how they could one day be a PA. Through expanding the pipeline to increase the number of underrepresented PAs, Project Access seeks to provide more accessible primary care and eliminate health disparities.
Together, Project Access and the Divine Nine connected with students about what their futures as PAs could look like. Underrepresented and minoritized PAs and PA educators spoke to their own experiences, offered guidance, and demonstrated how PAs work to improve the lives of patients and communities.
As PAEA continues to navigate recruitment, outreach and admissions under new policies and Supreme Court decisions, building upon community partnerships will be necessary to reach our goals. Community partnerships will help our programs understand the needs of minoritized students in their areas, further cultural competency, become more aware of financial and societal barriers, and develop effective communication strategies with diverse populations.
