UMKC is home to one of only a handful of Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) programs in the country. Created to address a shortage of anesthesia care providers in Missouri and across the United States, the impact of the school’s program and its graduates has been far-reaching. AAs work in the anesthesia care team under the direction of an anesthesiologist to provide patients with quality and continued care during anesthesia. The Physician Assistant (PA) profession is one of the fastest-growing professions in the U.S. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the total number of PAs will grow 31 percent from 2020 to 2030. PAs practice medicine with an interprofessional care team. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to assist the program in

• setting and reviewing program goals
• delivering appropriate curriculum content and clinical training experience (including patient contact)
• monitoring needs and expectations for the program (e.g., recruiting qualified and diverse applicants and preceptors)
• ensuring the program is responsive to change (e.g., keeping up with medical advances and patient expectations)

The Committees are in need of public members. Eligibility and Commitment requirements include:

• The public member shall represent the patient community served by A.A.s.
• The individual may not be employed or affiliated with UMKC
• the individual should not be a health care provider.
• Public Members must attend and participate in one meeting per year.
• Meetings may be in person or virtual as needed and last about 60 to 90 minutes. 

A $40 stipend or gift card will be provided to cover time/travel. Interested individuals should contact Julie Banderas, Assistant Dean for Graduate Health Professions, at banderasj@umkc.edu or 816-235-5249