Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions | PA Program Director and Department Chair | Provo | 38
Tyler Sommer is an academician, blending his experience of medicine and education into one comprehensive role at RMU. As PA program director and department chair, he oversees a large team of faculty and staff to deliver a high-quality graduate school curriculum, training entry-level physician assistants. With almost 350 graduates from the PA program since 2015, the students Tyler has helped train at RMU provide nearly 2 million patient clinic visits annually — and that number grows by more than a quarter million each year. Talk about impact! On top of his role at RMU, he also serves on committees and leadership councils, maintains a part-time clinical practice and has completed his PhD. Tyler is proud to train physician assistants who will enter the field with a laser-focus on the patient, providing the highest-quality care to individuals in need.
PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT I am most proud of the fact that we produce approximately 50 highly trained, highly motivated new clinicians each year that then go out and provide comprehensive, evidence-based medical care to thousands of individuals with illnesses or injuries of all kinds. MAIN MOTIVATION It’s all about the patient. The better we can train new PAs, the better they will be able to provide high-quality, comprehensive care to individuals in need. Individuals seeking medical care are doing so because they are experiencing some challenge that might be very private and personal. They are my motivation, and the reason why we train our PAs the way we do. PERSONAL GROWTH The biggest way I’ve grown is developing into an academician. Having been trained in medicine and previously practiced full-time, it was a massive transition from clinic to education. My skill set has dramatically expanded beyond clinical knowledge and practice. GOOD BIZ ADVICE We often think of life like a game of chess, where we are planning ahead several moves. However, life is often more like Tetris, because we can’t reliably predict the next piece that will present itself. All we can do is have goals and figure out how to adjust and fit the next piece that appears in our life. MENTOR WINS Stephen Covey’s instruction with the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has had a big impact on my life.