In the inaugural episode of PA Pulse with MAPA, hosts Joe Frye and Faith Dammann Schlicht, PA-C, introduce listeners to MAPA’s new quarterly podcast designed to keep Minnesota PAs informed, engaged, and connected.

Faith shares her background as a practicing PA in Minnesota and MAPA Social Media Marketing Committee member, and together they outline what listeners can expect from the podcast, timely updates, advocacy news, upcoming events, and ways to get involved.

The episode dives into PA Day on the Hill (March 3), with Faith walking listeners through what the day looks like, why advocacy matters, and how approachable the experience is, even for first-timers. They also discuss a planned post-event meetup at The Gnome in St. Paul.

Next, Joe and Faith break down federal student loan caps and how recent classification changes could impact PA students nationwide, emphasizing the importance of collective advocacy and speaking up through AAPA and legislators.

The conversation continues with key student-focused opportunities, including:

• MAPA Student Scholarship applications opening February 1
• The inaugural MAPA Student & New Grad Summit on February 28, a free, full-day event packed with education, advocacy, networking, and career development

The episode also introduces a fun and educational recurring segment, PA Puzzler, featuring a clinical trivia question. The show wraps with a message from MAPA President Hayden Middleton. PA-C.

Host: Josh Loew, PA-C, MPAS

Guests: Ashley Vitale, DHSc, PA-C, CPAAPA and Natalie Trueman, PA-C

In this special episode of the MAPA Podcast, host Josh Loew, PA-C sits down with Ashley Vitale, DHSc, PA-C, CPAAPA, recipient of MAPA’s 2025 Preceptor of the Year Award. Ashley shares her journey as a surgical PA with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato and reflects on nearly two decades of mentoring PA students.
The conversation explores why precepting is essential to the future of the PA profession, how mentoring students has shaped Ashley’s own clinical practice, and what makes a truly great preceptor. Ashley offers candid insights into surgical education, adaptability in clinical training, and the powerful two-way relationship between students and preceptors.

Josh also speaks with Natalie Trueman, PA-C, MAPA’s 2025 PA of the Year, to discuss her journey into hospital medicine, what meaningful patient care looks like in practice, and how recognition can help sustain clinicians through burnout.
Natalie reflects on her path to becoming a PA, her role as a hospitalist at Regions Hospital and Methodist Hospital, and the privilege of caring for patients from all walks of life. She shares powerful insights on goals-of-care conversations, end-of-life decision making, mentorship, and the importance of honoring patient dignity.

In this episode of MAPA’s Podcast Collection, host Josh Loew, PA-C sits down with retired PA Robert Carlson, PA-C (Health Partners Center for International Health, Health Partners Infectious Disease Clinic, Ramsey County Public Health) and certified medical interpreter Mitzi Vasquez, CMI for an insightful conversation about working effectively with medical interpreters.

Rob shares more than two decades of clinical experience serving refugee and immigrant communities in Minnesota, while Mitzi brings the perspective of a first-generation Mexican-American who has been interpreting, first informally, then professionally, for most of her life.

Together, they explore the essential role interpreters play in patient care, the legal responsibilities involved, best practices for clinicians, and the challenges of both in-person and remote interpreting. This episode is filled with practical advice, personal stories, and guidance for providers wanting to improve communication, cultural competency, and patient outcomes.