Shenandoah University PA Student Presents Research At International Conference
Zoe Star ’24, ’26 attended the International Academy of Physician Associate Educators Conference in South Africa
Shenandoah University student Zoe Star ’24, ’26 recently presented at the 16th Annual International Academy of Physician Associate Educators (IAPAE) Conference in Pretoria, South Africa, as part of the ongoing research she’s conducting as a second-year student in Shenandoah’s physician assistant studies program.
Star’s presentation, “The Association Between Time Management and Perceived Success in PA Students With and Without Prior Collegiate Athletic Experience,” took place at the Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria, where the IAPAE Annual Conference was held from Oct. 29-31.
The IAPAE Annual Conference brings together physician assistants and PA analogues from all over the world. Held in a different country each year, the conference provides a global view of education, research and scholarly activity while allowing its attendees to experience and learn about different cultures.
“Being able to learn among other experienced PAs and PA analogues from different parts of the world at this conference, while being immersed in such a rich culture, is something I will never take for granted,” Star said. “I am thankful for the relationships I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, and the confidence I have built.”
Star, who earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and public health from Shenandoah in 2024 and played four seasons for SU’s women’s basketball team, realized when she began graduate school that the skills she developed as a Shenandoah basketball player translated well to the rigorous demands she faced as a student in the PA program.
Since she’d exhausted her athletic eligibility with the NCAA upon starting the PA program, Star put her energy into exploring other passions, including research. Eventually, her research circled back to her personal experience. She discovered that there were no published studies about the association between time management and perceived success in PA students who had or didn’t have past collegiate athletic experience, and only a few such studies existed on the topic as it related to medical students in general.
Star is conducting her research under the guidance of faculty advisers Richard Gilbert ’14, ’24, D.M.S., assistant professor of physician assistant studies, and Camilla Hollen, M.M.S., associate professor and associate director of clinical education and assessment innovation. Hollen joined Star at the IAPAE Conference.
“Attending the IAPAE Annual Conference reinforced the global health impact PAs have and my role in that as a PA educator. The opportunities for networking with those from across the globe was exhilarating and professionally enriching,” Hollen said. “Best of all, I watched Zoe grow in her confidence as she shared her research and engaged in an international professional conference while juggling the demands of her PA educational training. I am so very proud of her!”
