WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Alyse Westbrooks graduated from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) on Feb. 3. 
 
Of the 73 IPAP graduates nationwide, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Alyse Westbrooks was among 10 Pi Alpha National Physician Assistant Honor Society IPAP inductees.
 
The Hampton, Va. Native, shared that with no prior medical training, she often carried doubt and found herself intimidated by the experience her classmates already had coming into the program. Still, she didn’t let that stop her from excelling. 
 
“I’m a hard worker, and it’s great to see how all of my [hard] work has paid off,” said Westbrooks. “It puts a lot of confidence in myself that I can do anything.”
 
The payoff? As Westbrooks shared, a “surprise” induction into the Pi Alpha National Physician Assistant Honor Society.
 
The Coast Guardsman shared that despite not having a medical background, she found IPAP to be “a wonderful program with great structure and foundation.”
 
With the groundwork set, Westbrooks looks forward to the stability and continuity of care with her future patients.
 
“Being a student is great, but you often don’t get to finish things out with the patients because you’re off to a new rotation,” shared Westbrooks. “I look forward to keeping in touch with my patients and [seeing] the outcome of the care I provide.”
 
Like her peers, Westbrooks will serve as a physician assistant in various states nationwide.
 
For Westbrooks, “I made it,” is fitting having earned a degree and being inducted into the Pi Alpha National Physician Assistant Honor Society. 
 
The Interservice Physician Assistant Program is a 29-month long program where the education encompasses more than 2,500 hours of clinical experience and a series of practicum rotations.
 
To date, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the newest IPAP Phase II hospital-based training site, established in May of 2021.
 
Prior to arriving to WRNMMC for Phase II training, students complete Phase I, a 16-month didactic phase training at U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) located in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
 
Following their Phase I training students continue with their medical clerkships at WRNMMC, one of 22 medical Phase II sites across the country, where they complete the IPAP program and earn their Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree from the affiliated university.