Dipu Patel is a board-certified, doctorally-trained PA passionate about medicine and PA education. She received her Bachelor of Science and Physician Assistant Certificate from St. John’s University’s Bronx-Lebanon Physician Assistant Program, Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a specialization in Emergency Medicine, and Doctorate in Medical Science with a focus on Education from the University of Lynchburg.
She has over 23 years of clinical, operational, and leadership experience which has inspired her to lend her talent to the education of the next generation of PAs. Having worked in various settings, including emergency medicine, urgent care, and hematology/oncology, has allowed her to fully embrace her previous roles as Associate Program Director and Director of Simulation Education.
Her leadership extended beyond academia into healthcare tech at DayToDay Health where she was the Director of Clinical Pathways. She led a team of global clinicians where she assured that each clinical pathway is provider-driven and patient-centered.
Currently, as Vice Chair for Innovation and Professor at the University of Pittsburgh DPAS program, she brings her leadership skills to further the PA profession and its impact by teaching and developing skills in quality improvement and innovation. She maintains a robust teaching schedule at various universities as an adjunct and consults on curriculum development and redesign, professional coaching and mentoring, and digital health.
She has served on several gubernatorial-appointed positions including the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Physician Assistants since 2009 and has been Chair of the Board since 2012. She has previously served on the Governor’s Advisory Council-Task Force on Foreign-Born Healthcare Professionals in Massachusetts and the Foreign-Trained Medical Professional Commission. Additionally, she was elected to serve as Director-at-Large for the Physician Assistant Education Association from 2016-2020, where she was actively involved in conversations about the implications of education and practice at the professional, clinical, and academic levels.
Incorporating clinical skills and knowledge with new technology that enhances patient education and advocacy is what drives her work. While technology and education will be ever-evolving, they will always need a human touch. She strongly believes that our work has to be rooted in both technology and humanity.