PA Week 2026: Meet Tufts PA Student Emma Reuter

September 28, 2026

In this student profile, Emma Reuter, PA28, shares what inspired her to pursue the PA profession, why she chose Tufts and how her experiences are shaping her future in healthcare.

For PA Week 2026, we’re celebrating the people and perspectives that make the physician assistant profession so meaningful. Meet Emma Reuter, a Tufts PA student whose path to healthcare began unexpectedly when a biology course sparked a passion for connecting science with patient care.

From discovering the PA profession to finding her place at Tufts, Reuter shares what drew her to the field, the experiences that have shaped her as a student and her hopes for the future of patient care.

This week, we’ll be sharing more stories from current Tufts PA students. Check back to meet the students behind the program and hear, in their own words, what inspired them to become PAs.

What inspired you to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant?

"When I started my freshman year of college, I planned to major in education and go on to teach. However, when all of the education classes were full, I decided to join some friends in biology courses and absolutely fell in love. When we started learning about clinical correlates, I realized it was something I was passionate about and I thought back to my own experiences as a patient and the PAs who had cared for me. As I learned more about the profession, I loved the level of collaboration and autonomy, and I appreciated that the schooling was about two years so I could get out and start practicing sooner."

Why did you choose Tufts?

"I applied to schools all over the country and actually used Instagram a lot to try to get a sense of programs far from home. Tufts had recently shared interviews with several professors, and I could tell right away their teaching styles aligned with the way I learn (Rayne Loder’s ‘Thrombocytopenia Blues’ comes to mind…). They’re not only thorough but find ways to make our content fun and interesting. My interview solidified my decision to attend. It felt less like an interview and more like the faculty was just trying to get to know me as a person. I also appreciated the small class size of 50 and, of course, it's amazing location in the heart of Boston."

What has been your most meaningful experience at Tufts so far?

"It’s hard to pick just one. I serve as a member of TUPASS as the PA week chair, and it has been really fun planning events that connect us to the wider PA community, appreciate how much we’ve learned as a class, and give back to the community.

I also love OBGYN case sessions with Beth Buyea. We learn so much during didactic year and being able to work through a patient case and apply our clinical reasoning skills has been incredibly rewarding. It’s exciting to start seeing all those individual pieces of knowledge come together."

What are your career goals after graduation?

"I’m not exactly sure what specialty I want to practice in after graduation. I was a dermatology MA during my gap years and absolutely loved doing that, but exposure to fields like OBGYN and pediatrics have further expanded my interests. At this point, I think I know that I want to practice in a setting where there is a lot of patient continuity. However, everyone always says that when you start clinical rotations, you’ll be surprised what you end up loving, so I am definitely keeping an open mind."

How has Tufts helped prepare you for your future career?

"One of the things I appreciate about Tufts is the many different voices that contribute to our education. From our professors, guest lecturers, patient speakers and alumni of the program, we get multiple different perspectives. I think this encourages us to think critically rather than just memorize information, which will be an invaluable skill as we enter a profession where every patient, practice setting, and clinical situation will be different."

What kind of impact do you hope to make as a PA?

"Something we talk about a lot, particularly in our primary care courses, is shared decision making. It is really important to me that my patients know not only what I am recommending, but why, and I think the best recommendations come with having an understanding of my patients and what matters to them. I’ve learned that when people understand the reasoning behind their care and feel comfortable asking questions, they are more engaged in their health and creating that environment starts with us in the room."