{"id":97999,"date":"2026-03-31T04:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=97999"},"modified":"2026-04-01T08:45:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:45:54","slug":"pa-student-and-us-army-sergeant-aims-to-make-a-difference-in-patient-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/03_31_2026\/pa-student-and-us-army-sergeant-aims-to-make-a-difference-in-patient-lives","title":{"rendered":"PA Student and US Army Sergeant Aims to Make a Difference in Patient Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michelle Zilberman discovered her passion for healthcare while working as a medical assistant at an urgent care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to watch procedures, them suturing,\u201d she said. \u201cJust being hands-on and seeing that first-hand, I was just like, OK, this is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

A first-year physician assistant (PA) student, Michelle Zilberman began The University of Toledo\u2019s College of Medicine and Life Sciences Physician Assistant program last fall.<\/p><\/div>\n

A first-year physician assistant (PA) student, Michelle Zilberman began The University of Toledo\u2019s College of Medicine and Life Sciences Physician Assistant program last fall. Zilberman is a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, where she serves as a Medical Laboratory Technician.<\/p>\n

Before joining UToledo, she earned a bachelor of science degree in health professions from Temple University and worked as a medical assistant at an urgent care facility while completing her degree. There, she worked closely with PAs, gaining a deep understanding of the profession.<\/p>\n

After graduating, Zilberman enlisted in the U.S. Army, where she gained her ASCP BOC, American Society for Clinical Pathology Board Certification, enabling her to serve in her current role as a lab tech, where she reconnected with PAs during her clinical rotations at West Point Military Academy in New York, securing a firsthand look at her future career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up working with PAs more than physicians,\u201d she said. \u201cI got to talk to them and see what they were doing and that\u2019s where my interest in becoming a physician assistant began.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her family led her to UToledo, but the exemplary PA program captivated her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I really liked when I came here to visit is the fact that they had a simulation center, and they also had radiology rotation, which a lot of other programs don\u2019t have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

UToledo\u2019s Physician Assistant Program<\/a> is a 27-month graduate program leading to a master of science in biomedical sciences degree with a physician assistant concentration, offering hands-on experience through simulation and clinical settings.<\/p>\n

For Zilberman, UToledo felt like the perfect fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came here, I just fell in love with the campus, with the program itself and the curriculum,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just felt more aligned with my values and goals in comparison to other schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she found the hands-on experiences at UToledo to be the most impactful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really beneficial how they have the sim center,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to learn the hands-on stuff. We recently had an infant examination where they were able to bring a real child.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center<\/a> (IISC) teaches students through cutting-edge methods such as high-fidelity simulation models, simulated clinical environments and virtual immersive environments, providing hands-on and immersive learning experiences.<\/p>\n

Kelly Izsak, program director of the Physician Assistant Studies program, said that Zilberman is an exceptional student.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichelle is thoughtful, dedicated, service-oriented and deeply committed to the PA profession,\u201d Izsak said. \u201cWhile balancing military service with the demands of PA school, she approaches every challenge with remarkable determination and professionalism, making her an outstanding representative of both our PA program and the physician assistant profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zilberman balances her coursework and military duties each month, finding time wherever she can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do a lot of coursework on the weekends,\u201d she said. \u201cI fly back and forth because my unit is back in Pennsylvania. I have to balance it each month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zilberman still finds time to get involved on campus, recently becoming a student ambassador for the College of Medicine. She explains that she\u2019s the only PA student ambassador, making her a key point of contact for future PA Rockets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a lot of people need to differentiate between PA school and medical school,\u201d she said. \u201cJust being able to talk to somebody and figure it out and get the knowledge of the differences to see what a better fit for them would be helps. In my experience, I have seen how PAs take the time to understand, diagnose and treat patients’ medical conditions, which is what ultimately drew me to the profession.”<\/p>\n

Zilberman set out two potential paths after graduation: become a PA for the civilian side or continue her time in the military.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I get my degree, I could direct commission and continue my time in the reserves as a physician assistant,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd be able to be a difference for service members who need medical assistance. On the civilian side, I\u2019m kind of interested in general surgery or cardiology.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to her clinical skills, she is fluent in four languages \u2014 French, English, Russian and Hebrew \u2014 noting the importance for people to understand their medical care in a language they speak.<\/p>\n

Zilberman isn\u2019t sure which path she\u2019ll take after graduation, but she knows one thing: \u201cI definitely want to make a difference in the medical field and help people out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Portrait<\/a>

A first-year physician assistant, Michelle Zilberman is also a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, where she serves as a medical laboratory technician.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":925,"featured_media":98001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,38,1,71,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97999"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/925"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97999"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98006,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97999\/revisions\/98006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}