PA studies program hosts international student in clinical experience collaboration

When she thinks back on the four weeks she spent in San Antonio in the fall of 2024, Chloe Brincoveanu will likely remember much more than the Alamo.

Brincoveanu, a student of the physician associate program at Keele University in Staffordshire, England, recently spent a month in a clinical rotation experience hosted by the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. Her visit was made possible through a collaboration between the school and Keele University.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I do know that the [physician assistant] role was derived in America, so [I thought] it would be good experience for me to see the difference in the role,” Brincoveanu said of her decision to travel to San Antonio for her program’s clinical experience requirement.

During her month in San Antonio, Brincoveanu rotated through a wide variety of placement settings, including plastic surgery, outpatient clinics, pediatric outpatient clinics, urgent care, family medicine, gynecology and oncology. Some of her placements were in rural areas, she said, which was another perspective she was glad to gain.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience,” she said. “It’s just gone so quickly. I’m grateful to have been able to see all these clinics. I practiced my skills as well. I was able to take histories and I was able to perform examinations and perform some suturing in practice, so that was really good. I’ve made friends for life here now.”

In addition to her robust clinical experiences, Brincoveanu also visited downtown San Antonio, including the Alamo and the River Walk, and other sites in the area.

The collaboration between the School of Health Professions and Keele University is a valuable opportunity for both institutions, said Assistant Professor Director Steven Skaggs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C.

“Hosting students like Chloe expands our profession and introduces a global perspective to our program, enriching both visiting and home students’ understanding of health care delivery across different systems,” said Skaggs, who is associate director of the physician assistant studies program in the School of Health Professions. 

Chloe’s visit and other interactions between the PA programs at Keele and UT Health San Antonio foster the comparison and contrast of health care education and clinical practices between the UK and the US, which benefits students and faculty alike, he added. 

“It also strengthens ties between our institutions, opening pathways for future partnerships in education, research and faculty development.”