Physician assistant students from Penn State College of Medicine won their third consecutive Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistant’s State Medical Challenge Bowl at the 18th annual event on Oct. 20 at the Valley Forge Convention Center.
The four-hour competition featured 12 out of 22 programs in the state competing over 10 rounds, several of which went down to the wire. In the first round, Penn State defeated the University of Pittsburgh and Chatham University from Pittsburgh. In the second round, Penn State defeated Thomas Jefferson University. In the consolation match, Drexel defeated Jefferson to earn third place in the contest. DeSales University won its side of the bracket. The championship pitted DeSales University against Penn State College of Medicine with Penn State prevailing by a 150-point margin, 140 to -10.
Team members were second-year students Padmini Harchandrai and Cody Donahue, and first-year students Brendan Comerford and Lolita Feld. Christine Bruce is the program director and faculty adviser.
These students also won the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants Challenge Bowl held on Sept. 9. Penn State previously placed second in the nation during the national challenge bowl that was held in May at the American Academy of Physician Assistants National Student Challenge Bowl in Las Vegas.