PA Mission
The mission of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Physician Assistant (PA) program is to educate health care professionals committed to the delivery of comprehensive, preventative and therapeutic health care in a culturally and ethnically sensitive manner, with an emphasis on primary health care for diverse populations and regions in need.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We promote and encourage cultural humility, empathy and awareness in our students as we train them to deliver comprehensive health care for a wide variety of populations. We recognize that health care systems have often adopted inequitable practices centered on whiteness, sexism and ableism.
As a community of faculty, staff and students, we are committed to dismantling these inequities and establishing a learning environment in which every individual is an integral and valued member, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. We endorse the American Academy of PAs statement on racism and the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics statements on LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual or Allied) care.
We also recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion represent ideals for which we should always strive through efforts aimed at our continual improvement. We will:
- Decenter whiteness, sexism and ableism
- Ensure that our curriculum upholds antiracist values and that we confront the historical context through which implicit and explicit beliefs, attitudes and actions continue to perpetuate racial and social injustices
- Create safer, more empowering spaces for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students, LGBTQIA students, immigrant students and students with disabilities
- Foster a supportive and equitable learning environment that normalizes and streamlines accommodation processes for students living with conditions that may affect their physical and/or mental health
- Recruit, admit and graduate students who are historically underrepresented in health care, as well as recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff
Values
Respect
We are respectful of others to build a positive and productive working environment. We appreciate and consider the opinions and ideas of others. We treat every person with dignity, recognizing individual and collective differences.
Integrity
We champion the mission of UW–Madison, the mission of the PA program, and the Wisconsin Idea. We practice uncompromising honesty, decency and trustworthiness in all we do. We make tough, educated decisions even in adverse times. We hold ourselves accountable to our commitments. We strive for clarity in all communications as part of how we work together.
Trust
We ensure open communication by sharing information routinely, soliciting input and acknowledging feedback. We practice fair treatment of all consistent with our policies, common sense and ethics. We listen and respond to concerns, discussions and questions in a timely manner.
Compassion
We behave with kindness, empathy and altruism. We listen actively and without judgment. We offer support when someone is facing hardship. We treat ourselves with the same kindness and respect we show others.
Excellence
We aim for high standards in teaching, learning and innovation. We strive to engage with others in the name of continually improving our work. We teach our learners, colleagues and collaborators to achieve and strive in all we do.