Physician Assistant Student at Mississippi College Attending National Convention

MC physician assistant student Anthony Montes de Oca is expected to graduate in December 2016.

Anthony Montes de Oca will represent the views of 18,000 physician assistant students at a national conference next year.

It’s quite an achievement for the 26-year-old Mississippi College graduate student from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

As a student delegate at the American Academy of Physician Assistants conference in San Antonio, Texas May 14-18, 2016 Montes de Oca will be in rare company.

“He will help shape the future of our profession from a student perspective,” says Steve Martin, a physician assistant professor on the Clinton campus. Anthony is among 15 delegates and five alternates chosen for the honor.

A 2012 University of Georgia graduate, Anthony worked two years at the Lake After Hours Urgent Care facility in Baton Rouge before enrolling at MC’s PA program. It’s the only one of its kind in the Magnolia State. Based at the Baptist Healthplex, the physician assistant program enrolls 90 graduate students.

Anthony attended the 2015 AAPA House of Delegates convention in San Francisco. He recently applied to gain a leadership spot at the 2016 convention.

“This is a great honor because this will allow me to represent Mississippi College’s PA student society and act as a liaison to share information about our profession to them,” Montes de Oca said. “This is a huge step forward in MC’s PA program on a national level.”

Physician assistants are nationally certified and licensed to practice medicine in all 50 states and work under the supervision of doctors. They conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, perform medical procedures and write prescriptions, among other things.

Anthony’s great grandfather was a native of Cuba and role model who helped inspire him to go into medicine. He dropped out of school in the second grade to sweep floors at a Cuban cigar factory because he didn’t have any money. The remarkable man lived until the age of 109.

“He always stressed the value of hard work,” Anthony said. “His determination and work ethic played such a vital role in where I am today.”