Augsburg’s PA Program is rounding out the calendar year with one of our previous recipients of Preceptor of the Year! We acknowledge all of the hard work and effort that goes into ensuring our students get the right education and preparation as they go into healthcare. We are selecting one preceptor at a time to highlight a little bit about them and showcase the talent and dedication of those who have helped shape our student’s future careers as a part of a monthly series of preceptor highlights.
Our preceptor for December is Vinh Dang, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA. Vinh currently works in Orthopedics and has been in the field for 22 years. He specializes in care for sports related disorders, rotator cuffs, & more.
![photo of a midlde-aged Asian man wearing a suite and smiling at the camera for a portrait photo.]()
What has your journey into medicine been like?
What has your journey into medicine been like?Surprisingly, my journey has been proportionately linear. Once I set my sights on surgery, I was accepted into surgical residency program at Yale U/Norwalk Hospital.
During my residency was when I interviewed and became the first PA for our group. Now 22 years later, I’m still here! And now we have 50 PAs in the group.
Any tips for students transitioning from medical training to their careers?
Dr. William Osler said, “Listen to your patient, he is telling you the diagnosis.” As a corollary, Rene Laennec (inventor of stethoscope) said, “Without diagnosis, there is no rational treatment.” Thus, you cannot get to that treatment plan without listening to your patient. Be in the moment, look at the patient, talk to the patient and ignore typing in the EMR. You will uncover truths and discover pertinent negatives and arrive at your diagnosis!
How long have you been a preceptor? Why did you decide to precept?
20 years. I would not be where I am today without the mentors, preceptors, instructors, and professors who sacrificed their time for me. Then with success and self-improvement comes obligation to provide back to the profession and pay it forward.
If you were not a medical provider, what career could you see yourself doing?
Attorney to help people.
We appreciate getting the chance to highlight our preceptors and are so grateful for the community of providers that our students can learn from/join.
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