Dr. Danielsen acknowledged for 50 years as a physician assistant
Posted: October 30, 2024
Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA, professor and director of A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences’ (ATSU-ASHS) Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program, celebrated 50 years since graduating from the Physician Assistant program at the University of Utah, School of Medicine, during a dinner on Sept. 27, 2024.
Held as part of an alumni weekend celebration hosted by the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Alumni Association, the event welcomed medical alumni back to campus, in addition to bestowing special honors upon Dr. Danielsen’s 1974 class.
After graduating, Dr. Danielsen spent five years practicing family medicine in Kearns, Utah, before relocating to Arizona, where he expanded his expertise to family medicine, cardiology, emergency medicine, and allergy and asthma, before transitioning into academia in 1994.
Throughout his career, Dr. Danielsen has made significant contributions as a clinician, PA educator, author, and editor. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Utah in 1978, followed by a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Nebraska in 1997, focusing on internal medicine. In 2003, he completed his PhD in interdisciplinary arts and sciences at the Union Institute & University.
Dr. Danielsen has been a pivotal figure at ATSU since 1995, holding various positions, including PA academic coordinator, chair of the physician assistant studies department, dean of the ATSU-ASHS, director of the DMSc program since 2018, and director of the ATSU Center for the Future of the Health Professions.
Dr. Danielsen is a retired lieutenant colonel, having served 28 years in the U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard, and has been a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for the past 15 years. With over twenty peer-reviewed articles, twenty journal editorials, and three book chapters, Dr. Danielsen is also the co-author of The Preceptor’s Handbook for Supervising Physician Assistants, published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. Additionally, he is a senior consultant with the Academy for Academic Leadership and an active member of Rotary International.
