🇺🇸 English

An Interview

Dennisse López Rodríguez exemplifies service and leadership both in clinical practice and in uniform. As a Physician Associate and a First Lieutenant in the Puerto Rico National Guard, she brings discipline, compassion, and a deep commitment to her community into every role she serves. Her path reflects the growing impact of PAs in Puerto Rico across healthcare, leadership, and public service.

Q&A with Dennisse:

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to become a Physician Associate?
I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, in 2009, earning a baccalaureate in General Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. Later, in 2013, I completed a Master's in Public Health from the San Juan Bautista Medicine School. The curious fact is that I did not know the Physician Associate (PA) profession until I joined the military. I joined the Puerto Rico National Guard in 2016, and my first day of Combat Training, I turned 30. I wanted the military to pay for my medical career, originally as a physician.

Nevertheless, I learned about the PAs during my Advanced Individual Training as a Combat Medic, and I fell in love with the idea of becoming a healthcare provider in a shorter time. There, I learned about the Interservice PA Program (IPAP), a military program through the University of Nebraska Medical Center. After completing my basic military training, I began gathering information on the application process. It took me several years to meet the prerequisites, mostly because I had graduated almost 10 years earlier, and some courses had expired.

Where are you currently practicing, and what area of medicine are you in?
Currently, I’m practicing at the Rodríguez Army Health Clinic, where I often provide urgent care and women’s health. Additionally, as part of my military training, I complete clinical hours at the Cook County Hospital burn unit in Chicago through a military partnership program.

What inspired you to serve in the Puerto Rico National Guard, and how has that experience shaped you as a PA?
I come from a family with a strong history of serving the community, as my mother instilled the importance of putting effort into improving the community, to improve the country. Additionally, I can proudly say that I come from a family that has contributed more than 12 members to the military. At a certain point in my life, I saw an opportunity to advance professionally by pursuing a clinical career while serving my country. Actually, I discovered the PA profession during my Advanced Individual Training to become a Health Care Specialist (Combat Medic). I understood the importance of having military providers to accomplish the mission, especially those in emergency medicine and trauma care. Since then, I have set my mind on becoming a PA. At that point, I discovered that there was only one PA in the Puerto Rico National Guard and many vacancies. Currently, I am the only PA, and I’m trying to recruit more military members to go through IPAP and become PAs.

How do you balance your clinical role with your responsibilities as a 1st Lieutenant?
I have the blessing of working full-time for the National Guard. It is a requirement for my job to complete clinical hours and administrative duties at the unit. Thus, I spend 20% to 40% of my time on my practice, with the remainder dedicated to my Unit's responsibilities.

What advice would you give to PA students or early-career PAs in Puerto Rico?
Do not lose hope, keep moving forward, and be proactive. If you are a student, try everything that is presented at this time, all the procedures and interventions, see as many patients as possible, remember that you have a preceptor who is guiding you, use that to your advantage and development. Study hard, continue reading journals, and trust your knowledge. Most importantly, take time for yourself, to decompress and recharge!!!!

What does being part of the PA profession in Puerto Rico mean to you?
It is an honor, but it is also a responsibility. I want to be part of the team changing the profession's views here in Puerto Rico. We must continue educating the government and the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline on the scope of Physician Associate training, our capacity, and the impact we can have on improving the health system in Puerto Rico.

Closing Remarks:

Dennisse’s journey highlights the diverse ways PAs contribute to Puerto Rico—through patient care, leadership, and service beyond the clinic walls. Her dedication to both medicine and country serves as an inspiration to PA students and colleagues alike, reminding us of the meaningful impact our profession continues to have across the island.


Stories like Dennisse’s also remind us why increasing PA visibility across the island is essential to advancing our profession in Puerto Rico. 🌟

🇵🇷 Resumen en Español

Resumen de Entrevista

Dennisse López Rodríguez, PA-C y Primera Teniente (1LT) en la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico, es un ejemplo destacado de servicio, liderazgo y compromiso con su comunidad. Su trayectoria combina la práctica clínica con el servicio militar, demostrando cómo la profesión de Physician Associate continúa expandiendo su impacto en Puerto Rico más allá de los espacios tradicionales de salud.

Dennisse completó su bachillerato en Ciencias Generales con una concentración menor en Química en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras (2009). Posteriormente obtuvo una Maestría en Salud Pública en la Escuela de Medicina San Juan Bautista (2013). Aunque inicialmente aspiraba a una carrera médica, su rumbo cambió al integrarse a la Guardia Nacional en 2016. Fue durante su entrenamiento como Combat Medic que descubrió la profesión de PA y se inspiró al ver la posibilidad de convertirse en proveedora de salud en un periodo más corto, sin perder el impacto clínico.

Su camino hacia convertirse en PA requirió perseverancia: al haber completado estudios universitarios años antes, tuvo que retomar requisitos académicos que habían expirado. Finalmente logró cumplir con el proceso para entrar al Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP), un programa militar afiliado a la University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Actualmente, Dennisse ejerce en la Rodríguez Army Health Clinic, donde ofrece servicios principalmente de cuidado urgente y salud de la mujer. Como parte de su desarrollo profesional militar, también completa horas clínicas en la unidad de quemados del Cook County Hospital en Chicago mediante un programa de colaboración. Siendo actualmente la única PA en la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico, trabaja activamente en reclutar más miembros para fortalecer esta capacidad clínica. Su mensaje a estudiantes y nuevos PAs enfatiza la importancia de ser proactivos, aprovechar oportunidades clínicas, estudiar continuamente y cuidar la salud mental. Para ella, ser PA en Puerto Rico es un honor y una responsabilidad, y mantiene el compromiso de educar y apoyar el avance de la profesión en la isla.