Kristine Jennings Burgess MS, PA-C, CLC

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got to where you are now?

I have been a physician assistant (PA) for almost 16 years and started as a PA in Family Medicine. After almost five years in Family Medicine, I “accidently” made the move to PA education – I thought it was going to be a temporary, part-time job and 12 years later I am still here! For almost seven I have also been a lactation counselor and more recently, I made the switch from Family Medicine to Gynecology – providing care for patients at the ICC Pelvic Health Clinic.

 Who has had the biggest impact on your career?

My colleagues- we are a great team and accomplish so much together!

 What is your greatest scientific accomplishment?

My primary role as faculty is clinical teaching so graduating competent, compassionate PAs is what I would consider my greatest accomplishment. From a scientific standpoint, however, I am working on my doctoral degree currently and have one research project in-progress and another paper (my first!) that is currently in the final peer-review process.

How do you balance home and work life?

Three things:

1. a meticulous calendar
2. help from family (my parents and brother help with school pickups and kids’ activities)
3. always making time for exercise

Have you ever faced prejudices being a woman?

I have definitely had a couple of early experiences as a new PA where patients did not want to see me because I was “too young” but I also think it was because I was a younger woman although they did not verbalize this. In those situations, I explained my training and experience to the patient and respected their decision.

What tips or advice would you give to other women that want to pursue a faculty position?

Moving from clinical practice to a full-time faculty position can be a great choice for those who love to learn continually and enjoy teaching the next generation of healthcare providers. It also offers opportunities to participate in research and further your education. Faculty positions also offer decent flexibility which can be a huge benefit when raising a young family.

What are some fun facts about yourself that are not on your resume?

I used to run competitively and ran multiple sub-three hour marathons and attempted to qualify (unsuccessfully) for the US Marathon Olympic Trials on three separate occasions.