Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Audible
iHeartRadio
TuneIn
RSS Feed
In our 100th episode, we celebrate a milestone with Melanie “MJ” Ellis, MPAS, PA-C, program director for the University of Arizona's developing PA program. Ellis shares her inspiring 36-year journey in the US Air Force and discusses the launch of UA’s new program in August 2026, with accreditation review set for March 2026. Designed with a mission to prioritize person-centered primary care, rural health, and medical Spanish, the program will feature cutting-edge facilities, including a $9 million clinical skills lab and the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center. Ellis highlights the program’s focus on resilience, interprofessional collaboration, and aligning with its core mission and values.
This episode is sponsored by the University of Arizona College of Health Sciences.
PA Path is produced by Association Briefings.
The purpose of this podcast is to provide news and information on the PA profession and is for informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of the University of Arizona.
M.J. Ellis
Director, Physician Assistant Program
M.J. Ellis is the Director of the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Arizona. She will be leading the development of the PA program for the College of Health Sciences, which is scheduled for accreditation review in March 2026. The program plans to begin educating its first class in August 2026.
Ellis is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where she led the Interservice Physician Assistant Program as director from 2020-2023. She was also a consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General on PA specialties for the Air Force and Space Force from 2020-2023.
Ellis had a 36-year career in the Air Force, where she practiced primary care medicine as a physician assistant. She was also the commander of the Medical Operations Squadron at Misawa Air Base in Japan, the chief of medical operations and plans for Allied Command Operations with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium, and the chief of the Europe and Africa international health specialist teams while stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Ellis retired from the Air Force in 2023 as a colonel.
