Campus environment in Mesa, Arizona makes for enjoyable experience, ATSU-ASHS PA student says
Posted: July 23, 2025
For A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program student Katie Chun, PA, ’26, ATSU’s Mesa, Arizona, campus environment offers a lot to make student life enjoyable.
“My favorite part about student life is the vibrancy of the community you get at ATSU due to the sheer amount of people on campus at once, whether from running into familiar faces at the YMCA, or studying at the library with peers and seeing what the other students in other programs are studying,” Chun said. “I also have felt very supported by the resources ATSU has to offer, such as the Learning Specialists, Peer-Assisted Learning tutors, and student counseling, all of which feel very accessible and are staffed by amazing people.”
Chun is from San Jose, California, and has a degree from University of California, Davis, where she majored in pharmaceutical chemistry and minored in psychology. When she decided to pursue becoming a PA, she looked for several different traits in a program. She found them at ATSU.
“ATSU’s strong commitment to serving diverse and underserved populations deeply resonated with me, as I am passionate about working in under-resourced communities as a future PA,” she said. “The curriculum emphasizes social determinants of health, patient advocacy, and cost-effective care throughout the curriculum, and I was especially drawn to the year-long community health center rotations. I was confident that these opportunities would prepare me to better understand and advocate for the vulnerable communities I aim to serve.
“The school’s whole-person healthcare model – addressing body, mind, and spirit – also aligned with my values, as my background in crisis counseling has shown me the critical role emotional and spiritual well-being plays in health, and has fueled my desire to advocate for my patients’ mental well-being as a future provider.”
Chun has gotten involved with several organizations at ATSU. She’s a member of the Kettel Society, serving as representative to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) Assembly of Representatives and Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants, the PA student representative with the ATSU-ASHS Strategic Plan Student Ad Hoc Committee, and a student ambassador.
“I represent my PA school class at PA advocacy organizations at the state and national level at meetings and conferences, such as the annual AAPA conference, and facilitate communication between these organizations and my cohort. Through this role, I’ve had the privilege of learning more about policy and advocacy, and meeting so many passionate PA students and practicing PAs,” she said.
As a student ambassador, Chun has a chance to serve in a role where she found helpful people during her time as a prospective student.
“I welcomed the chance to join outreach events and connect with prospective students. I had previous experience with mentorship and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and wanted to have the opportunity to continue to do it here,” she said. “I also had very positive experiences with PA program student ambassadors during interview day, private tours, and orientation. Their personal, helpful guidance made my move from California to Arizona much less daunting.
“I wanted to be able to provide that same feeling to other students in the future, and make their transition into school life more comfortable. My favorite part about this role is being able to connect with prospective students and incoming students through informational sessions, interview day lunches, student tours, and emails.”
In her free time, Chun enjoys indoor cycling, going on walks and hikes, and karaoke.
“I also have a passion for playing in music groups, and have played in concert bands, marching band, and Japanese-American taiko groups,” she said.
As for her future, Chun says she’s currently most interested in working in psychiatry and primary care. ATSU-ASHS’ PA program’s Didactic Clinical Experiences afforded her the opportunity to shadow practicing PAs in these and other specialties, which helped both solidify and expand her professional interests.
“ATSU also prepares me well to become the competent, confident PA I aspire to be through hands-on experiences, such as mock patient encounters through our standardized patient experiences, clinical skills days, and communication drills, where we practice navigating difficult patient encounters and situations in front of our peers,” she said.
“Working closely with other healthcare providers is essential to providing high quality care as a PA, and ATSU’s interprofessional experiences, such as shadowing and collaborative activities, have allowed me to better understand what other specialties offer patients and gain new perspectives, both of which will also make me a stronger provider.”