Katie Beach ‘27PA approached the day of clinical rotation reveals with optimism, excitement, and  just one extra note from her partner. “My fiance is hoping for someplace where he can ski,” she joked, as she waited on the third floor of Duke Hall for her Physician Assistant Studies faculty to begin the ceremony that’s become a milestone and a tradition in RMC’s PA program.

The 24-month program begins with a year of classroom learning, followed by seven clinical rotations that begin in January of the second program year. The class that entered in January 2026 learned Thursday of their placements for their first round of clinicals, which begin in January 2027. 

Each student entered to find an envelope with their details, which they opened after a countdown together.

For Beach, her envelope revealed a placement at West End Pediatrics in Richmond. (The sting of no ski slopes was erased by the good news that she does not need to move or travel!) “I am thrilled to get out there and get some experience,” she said. 

Her classmates in the PA Class of 2027 received placements in core areas of clinical practice, including surgery, women’s health, pediatrics, internal medicine, and family medicine. For PA students, clinical rotations are a defining part of their education, offering supervised experience with preceptors across a range of medical specialties and patient-care settings, and providing opportunities to apply their medical knowledge and strengthen their patient communication skills.

“The transition from classroom learning to the application of their knowledge to addressing patient disorders and the needs of our population is a powerful moment. They are now charged to think of themselves as part of the solution,” PA Program Director Erich Grant reflected. “This is an exciting frontier that we want to celebrate with them, alongside gratitude for the growing community of preceptors who make it possible.”

The reveal event also reflected the close-knit nature of the PA cohort, with classmates cheering one another on as each placement was revealed. While the assignments varied by specialty and location, the shared sense of purpose was clear: each rotation brings students closer to the work they came to Randolph-Macon to pursue.

“I’m just excited to do what we’ve learned,” said Clay Phillips ‘25, ‘27PA, who was placed on a cardiology floor at VCU in internal medicine. “The thing I’m most excited about is I’m going back to the floor I once worked at. I get to meet the patients that I love to work with everyday.”