Meet a Student: Barbara Hoffman G’18, Physician Assistant Studies

Barbara Hoffman G’18
Stafford, VA
MS in Physician Assistant Studies, Bay Path University
BS in Molecular Biology, Northeastern State University, Broken Arrow, OK

I’m originally from Ghana in West Africa. I moved to the United States about ten years ago. Prior to enrolling in college in the US, I worked in the banking industry, taking care of my son while pursuing a bachelor’s degree with the ultimate goal of becoming a Physician Assistant (PA).

As a single parent with a passion to become a healthcare professional, I decided to become a PA because in just two years, I’ll be able to fulfill my lifetime dream of caring for and helping others while still having plenty of time to devote to watching and helping my son grow up.

I’ve been focused on building my career in healthcare for a number of years, most recently working as a physician extender in a dermatology clinic, assisting doctors with medical procedures under their supervision. Back in my native country of Ghana, I spent several years as a medical assistant through Rotary International. We partnered with health clinics and worked on health care awareness initiatives. And as an undergraduate, I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and shadowed several PAs to gain firsthand knowledge of the profession.  

I selected Bay Path because there are great networking opportunities thanks to the small class sizes and clinical rotations that will allow me to explore many areas of the field.