Husband and Wife Navigate the PA Studies Program Together

Ethan Casey ’17 knew he was stepping into uncharted territory when he joined the inaugural class of the PC Physician Assistant Studies Program, but he had no idea just how unprecedented his experience would be. He and his classmates have earned their medical education while navigating a real-world medical crisis—the coronavirus pandemic.

“There are challenges in that, but we’re learning and we’re making up for those,” Casey said. “I feel like if a telemedicine job came up, our class would be experts.”

As an alumnus of PC’s biology and chemistry departments, Casey felt comfortable joining the College’s new graduate program.

“I knew that we were going to be trained well because the faculty are all highly intelligent. They push us to our limits,” he said.

Casey enrolled in the PA Studies Program with his wife, Hunter Casey. The couple, high school sweethearts from Woodruff, S.C., became interested in pursuing medical careers after Ethan’s mother passed away from a medical condition shortly before he began his undergraduate education.

After Ethan and Hunter graduated from PC and the Citadel, respectively, they had the opportunity to work alongside each other as product development chemists at a Mauldin, S.C.-based pharmaceutical company. When considering graduate school options during that time, both found the flexibility PAs enjoy appealing, as they are not tied to a single specialty.

After graduating this year, Ethan said he and Hunter will welcome future opportunities to work side-by-side, now as fellow Blue Hose. They plan to seek opportunities to serve in rural Upstate S.C. after taking board exams this fall.

“One day, we could potentially maybe open a clinic somewhere,” Ethan said. “We are just ready right now to get to that graduation point, and from there, I think the sky’s the limit.”