Can you tell us a little about yourself and your training?
Of course! So I am a Registered Nurse and a board-certified Physician Assistant. I graduated from Simmons School of Nursing and obtained my Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Prior to joining Medi Tresse, I was the former owner of Eden Spa, a beauty and wellness spa in Brookline, Massachusetts. Early on in my PA career I developed a passion for treating patients that were struggling with hair loss. During my training I held a clerkship with Brigham and Women’s Dermatology Alopecia Clinic, as well as received hair loss-specific medical training with one of the leading hair regrowth and restoration clinics in New England. Through those experiences I established a specific interest in treating women who were experiencing hair thinning and loss so it was only natural for me to become a member of the Medi Tresse team.
What is a PA and what do they do?
Actually, a lot of patient’s are not very familiar with the role of the Physician Assistant (PA)! PAs are similar to Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in that we are considered mid-level practitioners. Like an NP, a PA is a nationally board certified and state-licensed medical professional.
PAs practice medicine as a part of a healthcare team that includes physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. Most PA training programs are approximately 3 years, have the same prerequisite courses as medical schools, and require students to have healthcare training and experience prior to attending.
In Massachusetts, a PA is able to be the primary care provider for patients and may be the sole practitioner a patient sees during their entire healthcare experience.
PAs meet with patients, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat medical conditions, order and interpret labs or tests, develop treatment plans, counsel patients, perform minor surgical procedures, write prescriptions, and follow a patient throughout the entirety of their care.
A PA will collaborate with their supervising physician regularly in order to provide the best treatment regimen for patients.
What led you towards being a PA that treats women’s hair loss?
Well, over the course of my training to become a PA I have developed a passion for hair loss, specifically in women. On multiple occasions I had the pleasure of witnessing the incredible potential of today’s medical technology to restore a women’s confidence through hair restoration and regrowth. Early in my clinical year, I sought out opportunities to work with hair loss patients. From the initial patient consultation, I had an immediate affinity for this area of medicine. It was fascinating and inspiring to take part in such innovative practices involving treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy. Also, I truly believe that medicine is about caring for people holistically. Creating a positive shift in a woman’s self perception by helping her feel more confident about her hair is a professional goal of mine.
What are your expectations for the future treatments for hair regrowth?
My hope is that there will be continued research towards finding new effective treatments to treat hair loss, in both men and women. Because there are often other reasons for which a women will experience hair loss that a man would not necessarily experience, I would hope there would be clinical advancements made towards studying women’s hair loss specifically.
Learning new hair loss treatments to stay on the cutting edge of surgical and non-surgical approaches is something that I am both excited by and dedicated to. Being a part of a leading hair loss practice puts me in a place where I will be able to apply new treatments if and when they become available. As with anything in medicine though, research takes time. However, there are new studies on the horizon; whether they involve a new medicine or a new procedure, so that is very encouraging!
Posted by your Medi Tresse Team
