Orthopedic Practice Announces Scholarship Winner
The only thing she ever wanted to do was help people. And she never thought she would do anything in medicine…. Her future crystallized, however, when senior high school student Jeanne Russo, Farmingdale, shadowed PA Rupa Patel a whole summer at CentraState Hospital after Russo’s mom Geralyn had visited the emergency room with a back problem. Up until that time, Russo did not even know what a PA was.
Now the 2011Howell High School graduate has won a $1,000.00 scholarship from the orthopedic surgeons at Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute (AOSMI) of Freehold, Monroe, Jackson, and Wall townships toward her college education at Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she will be earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and a PA (Physician Assistant) license, in a five-year program.
A physician assistant or PA* is a licensed and highly skilled health care professional who practices medicine with physician supervision. PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and can write prescriptions (in most states).
Dr. Gregg Berkowitz, an orthopedic surgeon at AOSMI, said, “There is going to be a major demand for physician assistants because they are an asset to medical providers.”
Dr. Michael Greller, managing partner at AOSMI, said, “Being a physician’s assistant is one of the most rapidly growing fields in the world of medicine. Being a licensed a PA, a medical professional, is the future of medicine. We’re looking to hire our fourth PA right now.”
Russo said, “I am grateful to the doctors at AOSMI for giving me the opportunity to win this scholarship and to come here today to meet everyone.”
Dr. Gregg Berkowitz said, “This scholarship is intended to encourage young people who are interested in any aspect of the health care field. In our practice, we are concerned about the projected shortage of health care providers in the United States, and we thought this scholarship might be a nice way to support students who are interested in the field of health care.”
Russo was selected from 48 applicants. For further information, contact Jessica Wilcox, Care Coordinator at Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute, at 732-720-6414.
About Jeanne Russo:
Jeanne Russo is a 2011 Howell High School graduate. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, and was named a Rebel’s Scholar for achieving all A’s and B’s for all four years of high school. Russo played clarinet in the marching and concert bands. She also played soccer in grades 9-11, serving as JV captain in her sophomore year. She will be playing Division 3 soccer at Marywood this fall. To earn money, Russo has worked at the Spring Lake Bath and Tennis Club since 2007. She has also volunteered in the Howell Police Athletic League since 2008, participating in community service projects; and at The Manor at CentraState Hospital, Freehold.
She is entering the freshman class of Marywood University in the Honors Program for having a cumulative grade point average above 3.5 in high school. She was also named one of five Maxis-Gillet Scholar’s at Marywood.
The Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute (AOSMI) is an orthopedic practice located at Pond View Professional Park, 301 Professional View Drive, Freehold; 312 Applegarth Road, Monroe Township; Autumn Ridge, Building #1, Suite 212, 3350 Route 138, Wall; and 161 Bartley Road, Jackson, N.J. AOSMI a state-of-the-art orthopedic practice that provides advanced medical care. The physicians at AOSMI have a combined 100 years of experience. For more information, call 732-720-2555 or visit WWW.AdvancedOrthoSports.com.
*PA Training: Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of PAs in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. To maintain their national certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification every six years. Graduation from an accredited physician assistant program and passage of the national certifying exam are required for state licensure. (Taken from MEDEX website)